NAFC MISSION
To ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality healthcare.
NAFC VISION
To be a national voice promoting quality healthcare for all.
ORGANIZATION VALUES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
- WE BELIEVE access to healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.
- WE VALUE human dignity and ACCESS to quality, compassionate healthcare.
- WE VALUE the individuality of our member clinics and their ability to adapt to community needs and resources.
- WE VALUE volunteerism.
- WE VALUE community ownership, service, and collaboration.
MORE ABOUT THE NAFC
Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) was founded in 2001 by a group of grassroots medical providers and organizers who recognized that healthcare was not being provided at a local level to the working poor, uninsured, and underinsured in our country in a way that was cost effective, accessible, and affordable.
Many people do not realize that there are approximately 1,200 Free and Charitable Clinics throughout the nation who since the 1960’s have been filling in the gap for those who “fall through the cracks” in our current healthcare system. These clinics receive little to no state or federal funding, do not receive HRSA 330 funds, and are not Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Centers.
Free and Charitable Clinics are safety-net healthcare organizations that utilize a volunteer/staff model to provide a range of medical, dental, pharmacy, vision, and/or behavioral health services to economically disadvantaged individuals. Such clinics are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, or operate as a program component or affiliate of a 501(c)(3) organization. Entities that otherwise meet the above definition, but charge a nominal/sliding fee to patients, may still be considered Free or Charitable Clinics provided essential services are delivered regardless of the patient's ability to pay. Free or charitable clinics restrict eligibility for their services to individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, and/or have limited or no access to primary, specialty, or prescription healthcare.
The mission of the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics is to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality healthcare. However, it is our larger vision of being a national voice promoting quality healthcare for all that motivates donors, volunteers, and communities around the country to join our cause, as we work together to build a healthy America, one patient at a time. Within our Association, we value volunteerism, generosity, collaboration, and human dignity.