Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation (Detroit, MI)

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation recently awarded the following grants:

  • Life Directions—10 community matching grants to reduce the harm of Adverse Childhood Experiences. ($34,000)
  • Michigan Health Endowment Fund—to increase access to education and resources to address the unmet needs of informal caregivers in all 15 counties of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. ($30,000)
  • Michigan Parkinson Foundation—to develop and produce a free of online charge training that provides an overview of Parkinson’s disease and care management strategies. ($34,000)
  • Michigan State Medical Society Foundation—to provide physicians, medical students, health care providers, and others interested in biomedical ethics issues with educational opportunities on relevant biomedical issues. ($36,000)
  • Northern Michigan University—to meet the health care needs of the underserved communities of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by educating high school health sciences and/or science teachers with an online program in the field of Clinical Molecular Genetics -Education Track at Northern Michigan University. ($34,000)
  • Our Kitchen Table—to pilot a multipronged approach that improves nutrition and oral health care among food assistance recipients. ($34,000)
  • Portage Health Foundation—to train students, faculty, and staff in Capturing Kids Hearts. ($50,000)
  • West End Health Foundation—to train students, faculty, and staff in Capturing Kids Hearts. ($25,000)
  • Western Michigan University—to improve maternal and child health outcomes among high-risk women in Kalamazoo County, Michigan by providing doula support during delivery and post-partum. ($34,000)

The foundation also awarded eight research grants to Michigan researchers. Among the grantees are:

  • Beaumont Hospital—to Dr. Daniel Arndt for using a simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalogram to evaluate the potential of less evasive and more successful laser ablation surgery for pediatric patients with epilepsy. ($10,000)
  • Central Michigan University—to Dr. Zaira Khalid to compare Cognivue, an assessment tool for cognitive changes, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment results in primary care settings. ($9,990)
  • Henry Ford Health System—to Dr. Denise White Perkins to reduce Hemoglobin A1c levels through social determinants of health referrals. ($50,000)
  • McLaren-Flint Hospital & Michigan State University—to Dr. Julie Thai to utilize motivational interviewing to help individuals better understand why they smoke and how to effectively stop smoking to reduce the risk for health conditions associated with smoking. ($10,000)
  • University of Michigan—to Dr. Mousumi Banerjee for integrating multiple data sources to develop a machine learning-based tool to predict the risk of extubation failure for pediatric cardiac patients. ($50,000)
  • Wayne State University—to Dr. Abdulghani Sankari to assess the long-term cardiovascular outcomes of heart rate changes during sleep in those with sleep apnea. ($50,000)
  • Western Michigan University—to Dr. Robin Criter to determine the extent to which hearing difficulty contributes to performance on balance measures known to be predictive of fall risk, and to determine whether the use of hearing aids improves performance. ($50,000)

Contact: Elba Huerta at foundation@bcbsm.com.

California Wellness Foundation (Los Angeles, CA)

The California Wellness Foundation announced $10.7 million in grants to advance health equity in California, support the movement and momentum for Black lives and racial justice, and invest in statewide public policy advocacy as a vital strategy to achieve long-lasting social change. Grants will support organizations addressing barriers to health and wellness in historically underinvested communities, including people of color, formerly incarcerated and homeless people, immigrants, women and people with disabilities.

The foundation committed $2.75 million to support strategies ranging from leadership development and research to community engagement, policy advocacy, and power building in Black communities.

  • California Black Freedom Fund—to build a strong network of Black leaders and institutions in California dedicated to reversing damage and trauma in Black communities while promoting a future filled with promise and justice.
  • Destination Crenshaw—to establish an outdoor experience with community gathering venues, over 100 public artworks by Black artists, four acres of open space, and 800 newly planted trees.
  • Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies—to support research on Black Californians to document how Black Americans are faring in the current economic, health and social environment, data that is crucial for advocates, providers, and policymakers.
  • Movement for Black Lives—to support the implementation of the movement’s vision in California to strengthen Black-led and Black-serving organizations that are challenging racial inequities in policing.
  • UCLA Labor Center—to start two centers for Black workers in the Inland Empire and San Diego, California that will provide training, job placement, counseling, and leadership development as well as support Black workers in finding and retaining good jobs and building wealth.

The foundation awarded three long-time grantees grants ranging from $1 to $1.5 million over five years. The grants both acknowledge and honor their vital contributions as well as provide them with greater financial security so that they may continue to be innovative, confident, and unwavering in their work.

  • Advancement Project—to engage in policy advocacy that addresses racial inequities, conduct research and data analysis, and lead power-building efforts in partnership with communities of color.
  • California Pan-Ethnic Health Network—to advance health equity by changing health policy, convening communities of color to inform action, collecting race and ethnicity data to track progress, and working with coalitions to advance an inclusive movement for health and wellness.
  • Power California—to cultivate, train, and empower the next generation of community organizers and movement leaders to advance health equity.

Contact: info@calwellness.org.

The Cannon Foundation (Concord, NH)

The Cannon Foundation approved $4,726,565 in grants across New Hampshire to nonprofit organizations advancing efforts in higher education, health care, human service, and other areas. Approximately one third of the awarded funds will support efforts related to human service and one fourth will support higher education. Since inception, The Cannon Foundation has distributed grant awards in excess of $314 million.

Contact: Tina Markanda at 704.786.8216 or tmarkanda@cannonfoundation.org.

Caring for Denver Foundation (Denver, CO)

Caring for Denver Foundation approved 26 grants totaling more than $5.6 million for Denver, Colorado organizations to strengthen community-centered solutions for mental health and substance misuse needs. These grants promote innovative community-based mental health, and substance misuse supports that prioritize access, cultural relevance, and community collaboration. Grantees will provide support in places and spaces people live, know, visit, learn, and trust. Through these efforts, Caring for Denver, in collaboration with community partners and agencies, will increase connections that reduce isolation and increase the use of mental health and substance misuse supports.

Caring for Denver and its partners designed this funding to meet people where they are and create impactful community solutions. Each funded organization is led either by persons with lived experience related to mental health and substance misuse or by members of the community the organization serves. Community members who will use these supports will inform or co-create each funded organization’s activities and services to ensure it works for them. Organizations will also utilize natural access points in the community and partner with formal care providers or crisis systems to identify higher-level needs.

Grantees include:

  • Benefits in Action
  • The Center for African American Health
  • Centro Humanitario
  • CHARG Resource Center
  • Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
  • Colorado Artists in Recovery
  • Colorado Gerontological Society
  • Colorado Village Collaborative
  • D3 Arts
  • Denver Children’s Advocacy Center
  • Denver Public Library Friends
  • The Don’t Look Back Center
  • Envision: You
  • The Gathering Place
  • La Cocina
  • Mirror Image Arts
  • Montbello Organizing Committee
  • Platteforum
  • Project Helping
  • Sisters of Color United for Education
  • Sober AF Entertainment
  • Soul 2 Soul Sisters
  • The Storytellers Project
  • Think 360 Arts for Learning
  • ViVe
  • Youth Seen

Contact: Lorez Meinhold at 720.971.7912 or lorez@caring4denver.org.

The Foundation for a Healthy High Point (High Point, NC)

The Foundation for a Healthy High Point approved $572,180 in grants to local nonprofits—$467,905 for the Fall Traditional Grants Program and $104,275 for the fourth quarter Fluid Strategic Investment, or COVID-19 Relief Grants program. Approximately 30 percent of the Traditional Grants support behavioral health services, and 36 percent support the Healthy Beginnings Initiative.

The foundation approved the following grants:

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont—for maintaining the “8 to Great” program. ($10,600)
  • Children’s Home Society of North Carolina—to support the Partnering for Healthy Parenting program. ($65,000)
  • Community Clinic of High Point—for operational support. ($120,000)
  • Family Service of the Piedmont—to support the Hospital Diversion and Transitional Services Program. ($84,500)
  • Growing High Point—to increase access to healthy food through SNAP Benefits at mobile markets. ($7,500)
  • Guilford Adult Health— to support integrated behavioral health care services. ($66,250)
  • Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services—to support the Guilford Family Connects program. ($102,155)
  • Mental Health Associates of the Triad—to support Destiny’s House. ($50,000)
  • PACE of the Triad—to purchase technology to support telemedicine for elderly house-bound residents. ($11,175)
  • A Simple Gesture—to support the No Child Hungry program. ($30,000)
  • YMCA of High Point—for personal protective equipment and program adaptation for youth program services. ($25,000)

Since inception, the foundation has approved $11 million to serve the Greater High Point community. 

Contact: Allen Smart at 336.413.0420 or asmart@healthyhighpoint.org.

John A. Hartford Foundation (New York, NY)

The John A. Hartford Foundation approved funding for three grants totaling $2,630,296 to improve care for older adults and family caregivers.

  • American College of Emergency Physicians—to expand and strengthen the American College of Emergency Physicians’ Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation program, which was designed to improve emergency care for older adults by promoting and recognizing adherence to specific geriatrics emergency care standards. ($514,046 for two years)
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai—to expedite the dissemination of Hospital at Home, a model developed to safely and effectively provide hospital-level care in the home. ($1,578,559 for three years)
  • Rush University Medical Center—to test the implementation of a Caregiver Initiative developed by Rush University Medical Center that systematically engages family caregivers in the care of older adults by addressing the 4Ms of age-friendly care (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) with both caregivers and their care recipients. ($537,691 for 18 months)

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

Quantum Foundation (West Palm Beach, FL)

 The Quantum Foundation approved 17 new grants totaling $2.7 million to Palm Beach County-based nonprofits. Of the grants allocated for the third and fourth quarters of 2020, $1.25 million was distributed to Feeding South Florida (FSF) for its Community Kitchen and food distribution programs.

With Quantum funding, FSF’s Food Distribution Program will yield 1.125 million meals (1.350 million pounds) per year for five years—a total of 5.625 million meals (6.75 million pounds) for food insecure families in Palm Beach County. FSF will also provide immediate access to 39,000 healthy, prepared meals per year for five years—a total of 195,000 meals for individuals in Palm Beach County.

Other grants in this cycle include:

  • Adopt-A-Family—for the On-Site Mental Health Program. ($80,000)
  • Alzheimer’s Community Care—for the Care Navigation Project. ($60,000)
  • American Cancer Society—for the HPV Quality Improvement Collaborative. ($120,000)
  • Children’s Home Society—for the Families 4 Kids initiative. ($38,753)
  • Community Health Center of West Palm Beach —for Continuum of Care. ($250,000)
  • CROS Ministries—for Food Pantry Program/Gleaning Program. ($200,000)
  • Florida Outreach Center for the Blind—for training for blind and visually impaired individuals. ($60,000)
  • GCI Training & Empowerment Center—for The Western Community Consortium. ($25,000)
  • Genesis Community Health Center—for general operations support in the COVID-19 era. ($300,000)
  • George Snow Scholarship Fund—for Health Professions Scholarship Initiative 2020. ($100,000)
  • Grandma’s Place—for Family Support Program. ($60,000)
  • Lake Okeechobee Rural Health Network—for improving health outcomes in the Glades. ($50,000)
  • Mental Health America of PBC—for the Certified Recovery Peer Specialist Training Program Expansion. ($94,288)
  • Palm Beach County Food Bank—for COVID-19 Food Purchase. ($25,000)
  • Palm Beach Habilitation Center—for Connecting & Creating Healthy Habits. ($26,000)
  • Take Stock in Children—for Quantum Foundation Scholars. ($25,000)

For information about Quantum Foundation, click here.

Contact: 561.832.7497.

RCHN Community Health Foundation (New York, NY)

Community Health Workers (CHWs) play an important role in the health care system, and as the nation plans for a more resilient future, are poised to help transform health care delivery. Now a $250,000 grant from the RCHN Community Health Foundation will help to establish the Community Health Worker Institute to provide job training and serve as a thought-center to reimagine the role CHWs play in advancing health prevention and promoting wellness at the community level.

Launched by the Northwest Regional Primary Care Association (NWRPCA), the Community Health Worker Institute will serve as a training, technical assistance, and resource hub for community health centers to help them more effectively train, support and integrate CHWs into health center care teams. It will also promote ways to leverage the CHW model to strengthen the health care system while advancing public health.

Based in Seattle, Washington, the Community Health Worker Institute will:

  • Build capacity, leadership, and professional development for CHWs
  • Provide organizational development to integrate CHWs in community health center systems
  • Lead policy development to support the CHW workforce and strengthening the CHW model in health care

The Institute will also promote sustainable policy approaches to CHW engagement. To help develop the Institute’s work, NWRPCA will engage partners with expertise in public health, community health worker training, and professional development.

Contact: Feygele Jacobs at 212.246.1122.

St. David’s Foundation (Austin, TX)

St. David’s Foundation awarded $31,669,724 to 56 organizations in Central Texas as a part of its winter grant cycle.

Recipients represent organizations serving communities facing the greatest needs, including childhood and aging populations, and those working to improve critical infrastructure, innovation, and more. Many of the grants reflect unrestricted, general operating support to provide maximum flexibility and to ensure the stabilization of day-to-day operations while others, in particular those made to clinic partners, will support specific projects for these vital community resources.

For a full list of winter grant recipients, click here.

Contact: Laura Martinez at laura.martinez@edelman.com.

Tufts Health Plan Foundation (Watertown, MA)

Tufts Health Plan Foundation announced 10 new grants totaling $1.325 million. The new grants engage older people in systems-level change to remove barriers responsible for inequities in communities across the region.

The 10 grants are:

  • Community Catalyst—to engage and train a diverse group of older people to inform policy ideas for reforming Massachusetts’ long-term supports and services system. ($210,000 over three years)
  • End Hunger Connecticut!—to provide training in peer-to-peer SNAP outreach; leverage SNAP call center to assist with the application process; and identify issues for administrative advocacy to improve the application and redetermination experience for older people. ($130,000 over three years)
  • Massachusetts Law Reform Institute—to continue work on SNAP policy change and consumer-friendly practices and work with the state on additional federal flexibilities. ($60,000)
  • New Futures Advocate—for a balanced long-term care system in New Hampshire that ensures access to high-quality supports and services. ($225,000 over three years)
  • The Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island—to mobilize older people to develop an advocacy plan to rebalance Medicaid long-term supports and services spending to improve homecare options. ($180,000 over three years).
  • The Trust for Public Land—to ensure the voices of diverse older people are included in the planning and design of a new park in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. ($130,000 over three years)
  • University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement – The URI Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America—to train, educate, and provide technical assistance to agency staff working directly with older adults and create a team of staff and older people to work with policymakers on increasing SNAP utilization by people over 55. ($120,000 over two years)
  • Way Finders, Inc.—to support older adult community advocates working to advance age-friendly policies and initiatives in disinvested neighborhoods in Springfield, Massachusetts. ($195,000)
  • Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging—to continue promoting the adoption of dementia-friendly efforts in communities statewide. ($45,000 over six months)
  • SeniorCare, Inc.—to support leadership for an integrated age- and dementia-friendly effort on Cape Ann, Massachusetts. ($30,000 over six months).

Contact: Alrie McNiff Daniels at 617.301.2715 or alrie_daniels@tufts-health.com.

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation (Owings Mills, MD)

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation approved more than 50 grants totaling $24 million supporting the areas of housing, health, jobs, education, and community services. This does not include COVID-19 emergency grants, which are updated regularly on the website.

The following are health-related grants:

  • Action in Maturity—for general operations support. ($50,000)
  • AHARO—to support the Hawai‘i Telehealth Project, an initiative to adopt telehealth technology at five health centers serving rural communities. ($450,000)
  • Ceeds of Peace—to support the Resilient Community Schools Partnership that provides trauma-sensitive practices and wraparound prevention and intervention services for students at six elementary schools in rural communities. ($325,000)
  • CHAI: Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc.—to support the Baltimore County Age-Friendly Upgrades for Seniors (BCAUSE) program which enables older adult homeowners to remain independent by providing home modifications and repairs, as well as wraparound services. ($145,000)
  • Civic Works—to support the BCAUSE program, which enables older adult homeowners to remain independent by providing home modifications and repairs, as well as wraparound services. ($350,000)
  • Dundalk Renaissance Corporation—to support the BCAUSE program which enables older adult homeowners to remain independent by providing home modifications and repairs, as well as wraparound services. ($75,000)
  • Eliza Bryant Village—to renovate a wing of its new Elder Justice Center, which provides temporary, safe housing, including therapeutic support, socialization, and case management, for older adults who have experienced abuse or trauma. ($300,000)
  • EveryMind—to support ServingTogether, a program that connects veterans and their families to government and community-based services with the goal of reintegrating them into their communities and addressing mental health and wellness needs. ($600,000)
  • Heartly House—for general operating support. ($50,000)
  • Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island—to enhance and expand its Senior Citizen Transportation program, which enables older adults to remain independent, safe, and connected to family and supportive services. ($200,000)
  • Manna House—to renovate its facility to improve the delivery of essential services, including meals, showers, clothing, and case management for individuals experiencing homelessness. ($500,000)
  • Rebuilding Together Baltimore—to support the BCAUSE program which enables older adult homeowners to remain independent by providing home modifications and repairs, as well as wraparound services. ($230,000)
  • Responsive Caregivers Hawai‘i—to purchase four accessible vans with the goal of increasing community-based learning and independence for individuals with disabilities. ($100,000)
  • Roberta’s House—for general operations support. ($200,000)
  • A Sanctuary for Military Families—for general operations support. ($100,000)
  • Service Program for Older People—to support the construction of a behavioral health clinic at the Crotona Senior Residence, an LGBT-friendly affordable housing development for older adults. ($200,000)
  • UJA Federation of New York—to expand digital technology to food pantries to help individuals and families select healthy food options in a format that maintains choice and dignity. ($370,000)
  • UMRC Foundation— to construct an addition to its facility, as well as upgrades to the Thorne PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) center, which will enable older adults who are eligible for nursing home care to age in their communities with maximum independence and quality of life. ($250,000)

Contact: 410.654.8500.

Share this