Coming soon · A founding-stage project for home health

From need to done in minutes.

The Clinician Microgrant Fund will give nurses and therapists fast, simple funding for the small things that change a patient's day: a shower chair, a pair of shoes, a reacher. No long forms. No weeks of waiting.

Join the founding board Get updates

Why we're starting this

I'm Tracy, a home health nurse. For two years I relied on an agency foundation's patient-assistance fund, about $200 per patient per year, and I was one of its heaviest users. Need was a checkbox. I saw what small items could do: a shower chair that made bathing safe again, sturdy shoes, a simple grabber that gave someone back their independence.

Then the rules changed. The fund began requiring proof of need, and I stopped using it. I won't ask a patient to fill out a long form for a pair of shoes.

Even when it worked, it was slow. Approvals took 24 to 48 hours. Clinicians covered costs on their personal cards and waited about a month for a paper reimbursement check.

Clinicians already know what their patients need. The Clinician Microgrant Fund trusts that judgment and gets out of the way.

How it works

  1. Request in 60 seconds

    The clinician sends a quick request from a product link in our app, GrantDirect.

  2. Get the green light

    GrantDirect's AI approves items within our guidelines instantly. Anything else gets a human review within 24 hours.

  3. Deliver and teach

    The clinician gets the item to the patient and shows them how to use it safely.

  4. Get reimbursed fast

    Reimbursement goes straight to the clinician's bank account. No paper checks.

  5. Follow up

    We check in with the patient or family to make sure they understand and send a short teaching video for their item, made by clinicians. About six weeks later, we ask if it made a difference and invite them to share their story.

What we fund: everyday items insurance is too slow for or won't cover, like shower chairs, walkers, grab bars, supportive shoes, pill organizers, talking scales and large-print clocks.

Reuse first: we check community supply closets before buying anything new. That's why we're building the Med Shed Kit.

Privacy and trust: we don't collect diagnoses, and follow-up texts to patients never mention health information. A share of requests are randomly reviewed to keep the fund honest.

AI-powered from day one

Built to run on AI, with people in charge

Most of the delay in patient assistance is paperwork. We're designing the Clinician Microgrant Fund so AI handles the paperwork for everyone involved, and people make the judgment calls.

For clinicians

GrantDirect's AI checks each request against our guidelines and approves it in seconds. Anything unusual goes to a person.

For donors

AI-assisted bookkeeping tracks every dollar, so donors can see clear, up-to-date reports on where their money went. With their permission, patients can share their stories here and on our YouTube channel, in writing or on video.

For compliance

It starts with a simple text to the patient: Did you get it? Did your clinician show you how to use it? Any questions? Exchanges and returns are handled in the app, every step is logged, and random audits keep everyone honest.

For the organization

We use AI tools to set up and run the nonprofit itself, keeping overhead low enough to pay for without donor dollars.

Our goal: 100% of donor dollars go to patients

We plan to cover overhead like website hosting and AI fees from other sources: clinician membership dues (with continuing education for members), our YouTube channel, and affiliate programs. That way, every donated dollar can go to patient needs.

Building first

The Med Shed Kit

Shower chairs, walkers and commodes sit unused in garages while a neighbor down the road goes without. A med shed is a community closet that gets that equipment back into use.

We're building a low-cost app and starter kit so any church, senior center or neighborhood group can run one, with AI photo intake and QR labels so clinicians can see what's on the shelf nearby.

Learn about the Med Shed Kit
  • AI photo intake
  • QR-code labels and inventory
  • Cleaning and measuring guides
  • Donor receipts and a setup guide
Now interviewing

Join the founding board

We're interviewing founding board members now. We're gathering a small board to launch a hand-run pilot, choose a fiscal sponsor, and shape how the fund works.

We'd love to hear from clinicians, home health and hospice leaders, social workers, and people with nonprofit, finance, legal, or technology experience.

Because CMF will run on AI tools, we're looking for board members who are curious about AI and open to using it. You don't need to be an expert.

This is an early, volunteer role. Share a little about yourself and we'll set up a short conversation.

Please don't include any patient information.

Thank you! Please check your email to confirm, and we'll be in touch soon.

Get updates

Follow along as we form the board and launch the pilot. Occasional emails only.

You're on the list. Check your email to confirm.

Contact

Questions, ideas, or want to partner with us? Email hello@clinicianmicrogrants.org.