Cambia Health Foundation (Portland, OR)

Cambia Health Foundation announced nearly $280,000 in grant funding to support the health and well-being of older adults serving as primary caregivers in grandfamilies. This initiative addresses a critical but often overlooked demographic facing unique health challenges while raising relatives’ children.

Nationwide, over 2.4 million children live in grandfamilies, 60% of whom live with grandparents. Because kinship placements primarily occur outside of the formal foster care system, most families are not eligible for foster care assistance programs. Research shows that kinship caregivers frequently experience chronic stress related to finances, children’s behavioral needs, and navigating complex systems such as health care coverage, legal guardianship, financial support, and more. This stress can cause or worsen serious health conditions including depression, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

Studies also reveal that with proper support, these caregiving arrangements can benefit everyone involved. Children in kinship care consistently show better social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes than those in non-relative foster care because of the stability that kinship arrangements provide. Additionally, older adults in these caregiving roles often experience improved purpose and community connection compared to living alone, particularly when they receive adequate support.

The foundation’s grants will fund programs that support whole-person health for older adult kinship caregivers. Grantees are utilizing the funding to expand existing initiatives or pilot new programs that ultimately increase access to behavioral health services, support case management, connect kinship families to support groups and social activities, develop culturally-tailored support models, and more.

Cambia Health Foundation will invest in the following organizations:

  • Boise State University Foundation and Idaho Caregiver Alliance
  • Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
  • Children’s Service Society of Utah
  • Family Education & Support Services
  • Impact NW
  • Marimn Health

This funding initiative is part of the foundation’s strategic focus on Healthy and Connected Aging, which aims to increase behavioral health access and support whole-person health for older adults.

For more information about Cambia Health Foundation and its initiatives, click here.

Contact: Whitney Grisewood at 503.412.7970 or Whitney.Grisewood@cambiahealth.com.

The John A. Hartford Foundation (New York, NY)

The John A. Hartford Foundation approved new grants totaling $5,536,710 to advance age-friendly health care for older adults.

New grants include:

  • The American Hospital Association (AHA), Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET)—to support the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement by developing leaders, engaging more health care teams in adoption of the 4Ms Framework—what Matters, Medication, Mentation, Mobility—and strengthening ties with the broader patient safety movement. The grant will support three cohorts of Next Generation Leaders Fellows who specifically focus on age-friendly care and connect them with health system executives and board leaders for mentorship and support in their quality improvement projects. AHA, in partnership with HRET and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, will facilitate three Action Communities, which are seven-month collaborative learning experiences for health care teams to implement age-friendly care. ($2,836,710 for three years)
  • Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS)—to partner with specialty societies to increase adoption of age-friendly care in ambulatory specialty practices—outpatient settings where many older adults receive care from specialists such as ophthalmologists and cardiologists. This program will build on existing Age-Friendly Health Systems resources to advance adoption and reliable practice of the 4Ms Framework—what Matters, Medication, Mentation, Mobility—in at least five specialties. CMSS will spread resources and 4Ms adoption across its society members as well as with the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement through collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. ($1,500,000 for 27 months)
  • Project HOPE – The People-to-People Health Foundation / Health Affairs—to continue to support Health Affairs, the nation’s leading health policy journal, to advance best practices in the care of older adults and elevate aging and health policy issues in the national dialogue. Over the three-year project, Health Affairs will continue the Age-Friendly Health series of peer-reviewed papers in the journal, open-access Forefront articles, and events that inform and influence health care policy and practice. New activities include producing a dedicated Age-Friendly Health newsletter and podcast series; gathering and spotlighting content from community organizations, caregivers, and individuals with lived experience to inform policy; and responding to emerging developments in aging policy with the recently launched Health Policy at a Crossroads Forefront series. ($1,200,000 for three years)

Contact: Clare Churchouse at 212.832.7788 or clare.churchouse@johnahartford.org.

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey (Millburn, NJ)

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey (HFNJ) awarded $1,070,865 in grants to ten New Jersey nonprofit organizations in its second quarter of giving in 2025.

Two of the grants – a $153,500 grant to Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and a $40,650 award to Greater MetroWest Day School Initiative Mental Health Partnership – are second-year renewal grants stemming from the foundation’s 2024 initiative to strengthen the behavioral health supports available to adolescents in the Jewish community of Greater MetroWest, New Jersey. Under this campaign, organizations which serve children and teens in the local Jewish community were invited to apply for support. Between the initial first-year grants and second-year renewal grants, a total of $1,073,439 has now been awarded through this special initiative over two years.

The majority of the other grants awarded in the second quarter of 2025 also address multi-faceted behavioral health needs – each dealing with different populations affected.  Community Hope will receive $101,243 to support continued mental health programming for veterans who are at risk of homelessness. A $118,699 grant to Wynona’s House targets a particularly vulnerable population – children at risk of abuse and neglect – by supporting a third year of the Prevention By Design program. A $152,500 grant to Postpartum Support International and a $150,000 grant to Center for Family Services will provide mental health care and supportive services to expectant mothers and young families to ensure that children build the foundations of lifelong physical and mental health.

To support the information ecosystem around mental health care, HFNJ is making a $100,000 grant to WNET / NJ Spotlight News to support the mental health beat, led by award-winning reporter Bobby Brier. As a nonpartisan nonprofit committed to providing accurate and timely information, NJ Spotlight News helps ensure that New Jersey’s public and policymakers will have the information they need to make wise decisions on policies governing mental health services.

The remainder of the grants given this quarter address the medical needs of residents of the greater Newark area. The largest award of the quarter is a $153,500 award to YCS to launch a robust autism evaluation and treatment program in Newark, East Orange, and Orange in New Jersey. Vision to Learn and Breakthrough T1D will each receive $50,000 grants to provide screenings and vision care for children attending Title I schools in Newark, Orange, Irvington, and Elizabeth, and expand a type 1 diabetes (T1D) screening and monitoring program for urban communities at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, respectively.

Grants awarded in the second quarter of 2025 include:

  • YCS—for YCS Autism Evaluation, Training & Workforce Development. ($154,273)
  • Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy—to support Engage Minds, Inspire Hearts, Empower Well-being (Year 2). ($153,500)
  • Postpartum Support International—for Mind the Gap – Advancing Perinatal Mental Health in New Jersey (Year 2). $152,500
  • Center for Family Services—for Babies Best Start (Year 3). ($150,000)
  • Wynona’s House—to support Prevention By Design (Year 3). ($118,699)
  • Community Hope—for an Assistant Program Coordinator for Hope for Veterans (Year 2). ($101,243)
  • WNET / NJ Spotlight News—to continue to strengthen its mental health beat within NJ Spotlight News Healthcare Reporting (Year 3). ($100,000)
  • Breakthrough T1D—for Early Detection: Expanding Screening Access in Newark’s Vulnerable Communities (Year 2). ($50,000)
  • Vision to Learn— for increasing vision care access for New Jersey students (Year 2). ($50,000)
  • Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest—to support its Day School Initiative, Greater MetroWest Day School Mental Health Partnership (Year 2). ($40,650)

Contact: Kevin McManemin at KMcManemin@hfnj.org.

Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (New York, NY)

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation announced a $51 million investment to empower nursing professionals, reduce burnout, address workforce shortages, and improve patient care in 13 New York hospitals serving high-need populations. The first-of-its-kind investment stems from the foundation’s ongoing commitment to bolster the health care workforce across New York State. The new “Nursing Initiative” grant program will help hospitals achieve industry-leading frameworks in nursing excellence, establish innovative programs to support front-line nurses, and help recent nurse graduates transition into the profession. Each hospital will receive $1 – 5 million over five years to pursue American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition or Pathway to Excellence status, driving nursing excellence, and health care transformation. It will also assist hospitals to establish or expand virtual nursing and nurse residency programs. The new Initiative will ultimately support more than 6,500 nurses statewide and positively impact care for more than 7 million outpatient visits annually.

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Nursing Initiative grant recipients include:

  • Auburn Community Hospital
  • Calvary Hospital
  • Mercy Hospital, Catholic Health System of Long Island
  • University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
  • Columbia Memorial Health
  • Montefiore Medical Center
  • Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital
  • Rome Memorial Hospital
  • Samaritan Hospital and the Eddy Foundation
  • St Mary’s Healthcare
  • Barnabas Hospital
  • John’s Riverside Hospital
  • United Health Services Hospitals

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation developed the Nursing Initiative following the findings of a health care workforce report by the Center for Health Workforce Studies. The report found major factors that contribute to persistent RN shortages including challenges with new RN preparedness, unsupportive work environments, workplace violence, burnout, the experience gap created by retirement of older nurses, and generational differences in career expectations that impact nurse tenure at hospitals. In addition, according to data referenced in the report, 15 percent of hospital patient care RNs between the ages of 20 and 39 reported plans to leave their current position within the next 12 months, underscoring the urgency of addressing these challenges.

To address these challenges holistically, the new Mother Cabrini Nursing Initiative will help hospitals pursue ANCC Pathway to Excellence or Magnet accreditations – industry-recognized frameworks that set leading standards of nursing excellence. In addition, the grant will also support virtual nursing and nurse residency programs:

  • Pathway to Excellence – administered by the ANCC, this program recognizes healthcare organizations that foster a supportive and empowering workplace for nurses. It emphasizes shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, well-being and professional development. Achieving this status is a mark of distinction recognized worldwide.
  • Magnet Recognition – awarded by the ANCC, this is a prestigious designation for healthcare organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and patient care. Magnet-recognized organizations are known for providing high-quality patient care, resulting in better patient outcomes, lower error rates, and fewer health care-acquired infections.
  • Nurse Residency Program – designed to help new nursing graduates transition smoothly into professional practice. These programs provide structured learning experiences, combining classroom instruction with clinical practice. They offer mentorship and support from experienced nurses, which helps new nurses build confidence and reduce stress. They also increase job satisfaction and reduce turnover rates by fostering a supportive work environment.
  • Virtual Nursing – a flexible and innovative approach to healthcare delivery, especially in times of workforce challenges. Front line nurses benefit from virtual nursing models through increased support, reduced administrative workload, and enhanced mentorship from experienced virtual nurses. Virtual nurses can assist with tasks like admissions, discharges and patient education, while allowing front-line nurses to dedicate more time to direct patient care.

Contact: cabrinihealth@berlinrosen.com.

The PATH Foundation (Warrenton, VA)

The PATH Foundation recently awarded more than $1.77 million in funding to 60 nonprofits in Culpeper, Fauquier, and Rappahannock counties in Virginia that work to improve access to health care, increase childhood wellness and improve mental health and senior services.

To learn more about the PATH Foundation’s grant programs, click here.

Point32Health Foundation (Canton, MA)

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan awarded 39 grants totaling $6,845,000 through its philanthropic arm, the Point32Health Foundation. The grants will support community organizations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. These investments support coalitions and organizations that improve conditions for older adults and help build thriving, healthier communities for all ages.

The grants will be provided to the following nonprofit organizations:

  • 2Life Communities—to advance housing. ($250,000 for three years)
  • Alliance for Nonprofit Impact—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($625,000 for five years)
  • Alter Dementia—to advance caregiving support. ($60,000)
  • The Arc Connecticut—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($150,000 for two years)
  • Collaborative for Educational Services—to advance access to healthy food. ($50,000)
  • Community Servings—to advance access to healthy food. ($185,000 for three years)
  • Connecticut Council for Philanthropy—to advance community building. ($50,000)
  • Connecticut Oral Health Initiative—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($100,000 for two years)
  • DEAF, Inc.—to advance caregiving support. ($200,000 for three years)
  • Disability Rights Maine—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($160,000 over three years)
  • Growing Places—to advance access to healthy food. ($100,000 for two years)
  • Healthcare For All—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($920,000 for five years)
  • Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard—to advance mobility. ($90,000 | Two years
  • Healthy Communities of the Capital Area—to advance access to healthy food ($35,000)
  • Hilltown Community Development Corporation—to advance access to healthy food. ($120,000 for three years)
  • Jewish Family & Children’s Service—to advance caregiving support. ($180,000 | Three years)
  • Livable Streets Transportation Alliance of Boston, Inc.—to advance mobility. ($150,000 for three years)
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation—to advance healthy aging collaborations and access to healthy food. ($225,000 for three years)
  • Maine Council on Aging—to advance healthy aging collaborations ($465,000 for three years)
  • Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($70,000)
  • Massachusetts Senior Action Council—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($240,000 for three years)
  • MCD Global Health—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($150,000 for two years)
  • Mount Washington Valley Adult Day—to advance caregiving support. ($25,000)
  • Moving Maine Network—to advance mobility. ($100,000 for three years)
  • Multicultural AIDS Coalition—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($90,000 for two years)
  • New Hampshire Alliance for Healthy Aging—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($290,000 for three years)
  • ORIS—to advance community building. ($180,000 for three years)
  • Project Bread—to advance access to healthy food. ($185,000 | Three years
  • Providence Streets Coalition—to advance mobility. ($160,000 for two years)
  • PT Partners—to advance housing and healthy aging collaborations. ($100,000 for two years)
  • RAMP Real Access Motivates Progress—to advance mobility. ($120,000 for three years)
  • Resource Organizing Project—to advance community building. ($375,000 for five years)
  • RI Coalition for Elder Justice—to advance caregiving support. ($120,000 for Two years)
  • SeniorCare—to advance healthy aging collaborations. ($135,000 for two years)
  • Senior Connection—to advance mobility. ($50,000)
  • Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging—to advance access to healthy food. ($105,000 for two years)
  • Springfield Food Policy Council—to advance access to healthy food. ($150,000 for three years)
  • Urban Alliance—to advance access to healthy food. ($60,000 for two years)
  • United Way of Rhode Island—to advance community building. ($25,000)

Contact: Allie Richards at 781.612.6830 or Allie.richards@point32health.org.

San Diego Foundation (San Diego, CA)

San Diego Foundation (SDF) awarded $2.1 million in grants to local nonprofits to support current and future access to mental and behavioral health services for local children, youth and families.

In addition to increasing access to services for local children, youth and families, grants were also awarded to address the critical need for more mental and behavioral health workers in San Diego County, California. According to the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s San Diego Behavioral Health Workforce Report, the San Diego region will need an estimated 18,500 additional mental and behavioral health professionals by 2027.

More than $1.2 million was granted to provide direct services, with $925,000 awarded for local mental and behavioral health workforce development programs. This year’s grantees include:

  • Alliant Educational Foundation—to serve children, youth, and families and provide stipends for doctorate-level mental health students. ($100,000)
  • California State San Marcos University Foundation—for behavioral health workforce internships while serving CSUSM students. ($75,000)
  • Casa de Amparo—to serve foster youth ages 12–18. ($35,000)
  • Center for Community Solutions—to serve children and families experiencing homelessness. ($35,000)
  • Chicano Federation of San Diego County—to serve youth, ages 6 – 18, and their families. ($50,000)
  • Christie’s Place—to assist children of women living with HIV/AIDS. ($50,000)
  • Episcopal Community Services—to serve under-resourced children and parents. ($50,000)
  • Global Communities—to provide support to expecting and new mothers. ($50,000)
  • Home Start Inc.—to serve under-resourced children and families. ($50,000)
  • Interfaith Community Services—to serve youth and families experiencing homelessness in North San Diego County and for intern stipends. ($125,000)
  • International Rescue Committee—to serve displaced families. ($50,000)
  • Just in Time for Foster Youth—to support transition-age foster youth. ($50,000)
  • La Maestra Foundation Inc.—to support families in under-resourced communities. ($50,000)
  • License to Freedom—to support children, ages 0 – 5. ($35,000)
  • Logan Heights Community Development Corporation—to serve preschool children and families and children at risk of entering or re-entering the juvenile justice system. ($50,000)
  • Mending Matters—to support youth from underrepresented communities and to provide school-based internships. ($100,000)
  • Miracle Babies—to serve local parents with babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. ($25,000)
  • Monarch School Project—to address Adverse Childhood Experiences among students experiencing homelessness. ($50,000)
  • North County LGBTQ Resource Center—to serve North County’s LGBTQ+ community members and their loved ones and to provide stipends for clinical interns. ($125,000)
  • Open Heart Leaders—to support healing for local youth. ($25,000)
  • Palomar Family Counseling Service Inc.—to serve North San Diego County families and $75,000 for stipends for licensed trainees. ($50,000)
  • San Diego Center for Children—to provide stipends to graduate students at San Diego Center for Children, schools, pediatric offices, and other community-based sites. ($75,000)
  • San Diego City College—to provide stipends, mentorship, and professional development to college students pursuing mental health degrees. ($75,000)
  • San Diego Rescue Mission—to serve families experiencing homelessness. ($50,000)
  • San Diego Youth Services—to serve youth and families farthest from opportunity and for stipends for undergraduate and graduate student interns. ($125,000)
  • SBCS—to provide stipends to high school, undergraduate, and graduate interns. ($75,000)
  • Sharp Healthcare Foundation—for stipend-supported hospital internships to graduate students. ($75,000)
  • Social Advocates for Youth San Diego Inc.—to serve Lincoln High School students. ($50,000)
  • Southern Indian Health Council Inc.: $34,242 to serve children, parents and caregivers impacted by ACEs and $75,000 to support graduate student interns.
  • transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project—to serve local youth and families furthest from opportunity. ($50,000)
  • Union of Pan Asian Communities—to provide stipend-supported internships. ($75,000)
  • United Women of East Africa Support Team—to expand programming for mothers and female caregivers from refugee backgrounds. ($25,000)
  • Vista Community Clinic—to serve parents of young children, ages 0–5. ($50,000)
  • Vista Hill—to support children at risk of developing behavioral concerns. ($50,000)

Since 2017, SDF has granted $7.6 million through 128 grants to nonprofits providing mental and behavioral health support and services to local families through the Early Childhood Initiative and the Healthy Children & Families Initiative. These initiatives are funded in part by the Guy Clum Early Childhood Fund and the Blasker-Rose-Miah Endowment Fund at San Diego Foundation. Partnership with Coastal Community Foundation has enabled additional aligned funding for this initiative.

To learn more about how San Diegans can amplify their impact together, click here.

 

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