North Idaho nonprofits plan rural service hub in Kootenai County

North Idaho nonprofits are building a rural service hub in Kootenai County that would connect residents to help through one central base and local “Spoke” partners in every other Region 1 county. The model is meant to make community support easier to reach for people in outlying parts of North Idaho, where services often sit far from the homes that need them.

Charity Reimagined is building a “Hub and Spoke concept,” with the organization serving as the hub in Kootenai County and aiming to empower a “Spoke” in each other Region 1 county. That points to a system built around local access points instead of forcing residents to travel from one county to another for every referral, volunteer connection or service need.

United Way of North Idaho is a convenor of nonprofits and has partnered with North Idaho organizations through its Community Care Fund Grants for more than 60 years. The group is transitioning its Community Care Fund model in 2025, a shift that affects how local agencies are funded and how quickly they can respond when demand rises in communities from Coeur d’Alene to the more remote parts of the county.

One visible part of that network is Day of Action, which brings together nonprofits, businesses and community organizations for hands-on service projects across North Idaho. The organization listed two Days of Action in 2025, on May 12 and Sept. 24.

Innovia Foundation is also part of the regional landscape. It unites donors, nonprofits, social organizations and community leaders across Eastern Washington and North Idaho, and it works closely with nonprofit organizations and others to identify and respond to community issues and opportunities. In Kootenai County, Innovia’s Longest Table grants are already helping communities.

The Health-able Communities Program is designed to expand healthcare access for more remote residents of three frontier counties in north central Idaho through a consortium of healthcare providers and community agencies using a hybrid Community Health Worker model.

Kootenai County is also updating its Comprehensive Plan and developing its first-ever Parks & Waterways Plan, while Kootenai Health, in partnership with MultiCare Health System, is bringing more health care access to a growing community.