Austin-Bailey Health and Wellness Foundation (Canton, OH)

The Austin-Bailey Health and Wellness Foundation approved grants totaling $160,700 to nine schools and 11 nonprofits. The foundation supports programs that promote the physical and mental well-being of the people residing in Holmes, Stark, Tuscarawas, and Wayne counties in Ohio.

The foundation provides $43,000 in scholarships to students engaged in health-related studies at Aultman College, Kent State University Stark, Kent State University Tuscarawas, Malone University, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Stark State College, University of Akron Wayne College, University of Mount Union, and Walsh University.

Organizations receiving grants include:

  • AHEAD—to assist students with behavioral challenges through its Behavioral Coach Program. ($5,400)
  • Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank—to enhance food distribution in Wayne County, Ohio. ($10,000)
  • Beacon Charitable Pharmacy —for operational support. ($40,000)
  • EN-RICH-MENT—to support administrative staff who will oversee programming. ($20,000)
  • Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry—to support food banks by providing processed ground venison. ($3,500)
  • Habitat for Humanity—to provide safety and security for a family with an autistic child. ($7,200)
  • John Knox Presbyterian Church—for food pantry support. ($2,400)
  • Legacy Project of Stark County—to support the upgrading of its new location known as The 708. ($12,500)
  • Light After Loss—to upgrade its new facility. ($9,000)
  • The Wilderness Center—to purchase a child’s all terrain vehicle chair to enable those with physical limitations to utilize their trails. ($5,000)
  • Wooster Christian School—for the necessary equipment to provide CPR and AED training for all students in grades 9-12. ($2,700)

Contact: Don Sultzbach at 330.580.2380.

Blue Shield of California Foundation (San Francisco, CA)

Blue Shield of California Foundation announced $11.5 million in grants to organizations that are helping to make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. The grants align systems with community priorities, break the cycle of domestic violence, strengthen economic security and mobility, and other grants that support its mission.

Highlights include:

  • Budget Power Project ($800,000 over two years)
  • California Economic Mobility Initiative ($400,000 over two years)
  • BUILD Health Challenge ($1 million over four years)
  • Alliance for Boys and Men of Color ($864,000 over two years)
  • Small Business Majority ( $450,000 over two years)
  • Center on Gender Equity and Health at University of California, San Diego ($800,000 over three years)
  • Center for Health Journalism at the University of Southern California ($476,000)
  • Hope and Heal Fund ($200,000)

For a complete list of current grants and more information on all of the foundation’s grantmaking, click here.

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

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation recently awarded 10 research grants to Michigan researchers. Among the grantees are:

  • Eric Brandt, MHS, MD, University of Michigan—to determine the utilization of medical nutrition therapy in the management of patients during or after hospitalization for cardiovascular disease. ($10,000)
  • Natoshia Cunningham, PhD, Michigan State University—to implement an evidence-based program to train school nurses and allied professionals to manage student pain in rural Northern Michigan. ($55,000)
  • Anne Ehlers, MD, University of Michigan—to understand the patient’s experience with non-operative ventral hernia care. ($10,000)
  • Joseph Ladines Lim, MD, University of Michigan—to examine the knowledge and attitudes about antimicrobial use and resistance in refugees resettled in Michigan. ($3,000)
  • Adrienne Lapidos, PhD, University of Michigan—to test a group intervention in a behavioral health setting delivered by Peer Support Specialists and Peer Recovery Coaches to improve oral health knowledge and dental care utilization among individuals with psychiatric disabilities. ($55,000)
  • Gloria Lee, PhD, Michigan State University—to adapt a group intervention to teach individuals with mental illness stress management coping skills and support them to engage in self-care and healthy behaviors. ($45,000)
  • Kimberly Rollings, PhD, University of Michigan—to evaluate the prevalence of health-related housing, neighborhood, health care utilization, and health-promoting attributes across Michigan’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit supported housing. ($35,000)
  • Anjali Shah, MD, University of Michigan—to examine how metabolic dysfunction impacts diabetic macular edema, and the need for intraocular injection treatment to retain vision. ($10,000)
  • Pasithorn Suwanabol, MS, MD, University of Michigan—to examine the effect of providing patients with ileostomies post-operation hydration beverages and barriers to adherence. ($45,000)
  • Heatherlun Uphold, PhD, Michigan State University—to support the evaluation and dissemination of the Greater Flint Health Equity Report Card to improve health equity in Greater Flint and support the creation of a Greater Flint Health Equity Master Plan. ($67,500)

Contact: Elba Huerta at foundation@bcbsm.com.

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

The John A. Hartford Foundation approved $17,051,782 for seven grants that will spread age-friendly care to older adults and family caregivers, support a pipeline of leaders in aging policy, disseminate evidence-based messaging about serious illness care, and improve state policies on access to palliative care and home and community-based services.

  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement—to deepen the adoption of age-friendly care and the 4Ms framework within health systems and broaden the movement by engaging more sites of care. The grant will also support embedding age-friendly care in state and federal regulations, payment mechanisms, and policies, while building new revenue-generating services to sustain the movement beyond this funding period. ($7,578,812 for three and a half years)
  • Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene—to support The Health and Aging Policy Fellows program providing professionals in health and aging with a year of financial support, project placements, career opportunities, and expanded networks to directly influence the policymaking process and become effective advocates for older adults. This grant will support at least 48 new Fellows. ($3,026,263 for four years)
  • University of Washington—to improve the care of older adults and address disparities in outcomes by widely disseminating evidence-based palliative and end-of-life care messaging. ($2,900,000 for three years)
  • Rush University Medical Center—to improve the care of older adults by addressing the needs of family caregivers through Rush’s Caring for Caregivers Model. ($1,854,890 for three years)
  • National Academy for State Health Policy—to support 10 states in advancing legislation, payment, and regulations for people with serious illness; engage policymakers from all 50 states in activities to increase access to palliative care; launch the State Palliative Care Cost Calculator; and provide state Medicaid agencies with data identifying the population to be covered under a palliative care benefit. ($924,816 for three years)
  • ADvancing States—to support the membership organization that represents state-level aging and disability agencies, as well as Medicaid directors, who oversee long-term services and supports. The project includes technical assistance to six to 10 states, policy research and promotion of best practices, and hosting a convening to disseminate lessons learned to other states. ($465,000 for 1.5 years)
  • Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation—to support its aging and health reporting desk to increase awareness and knowledge of older adults’ health care issues among the public, policymakers, and health systems by producing at least 25 news stories to inform national health care debates. It will also support the Navigating Aging column, which provides practical health care information for older adults and family caregivers. ($302,001 for 15 months)

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

The Merck Foundation (Rahway, NJ)

The Merck Foundation announced the launch of the Alliance for Equity in Cancer Care (the Alliance), a $20 million, five-year initiative, designed to make cancer care more equitable in the United States by helping patients living in underserved communities receive timely access to high-quality, culturally responsive care.

As part of the initiative, the foundation is providing grants to select nonprofit health care organizations to help develop and implement evidence-informed, innovative programs that advance equity in cancer care. Alliance program grantees include:

  • Boston Medical Center
  • Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University
  • Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation
  • Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • RWJBarnabas Health
  • University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center

The foundation is also supporting a National Program Office at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Cancer Center, in partnership with the VCU Center on Health Disparities, which will assist Alliance program grantees in building partnerships with community-based organizations and provide technical assistance to support their programs. Additionally, the National Program Office will evaluate the effectiveness of Alliance programs and identify and promote best practices to enhance the delivery of cancer care in the United States.

Contact: Patrick Ryan at 973.275.7075.

The Mt. Sinai Health Foundation (Cleveland, OH)

The Mt. Sinai Health Foundation approved grants totaling $6,017,908 in September.  Supported projects highlight Mt. Sinai’s orientation towards primary prevention and early intervention; its commitment to advancing health equity, particularly in the Black community and other communities of color; its investment in the well-being of children and families; and its strategy to support solutions that promote health at-scale across Greater Cleveland, Ohio.

Grants approved include:

  • Collaboration Station—to expand its medically tailored, home delivered meals program that includes nutritional counseling through home and telehealth visits. ($66,557)
  • First Year Cleveland—to address racial disparities in infant mortality throughout Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, Ohio. ($700,000)
  • Friendship Circle—to connect caregivers of children with developmental disabilities to mental health and other resources. ($75,000)
  • Greater Cleveland Food Bank—to support a facility manager and equipment for a new client-choice food pantry and client service center. ($200,000)
  • Jewish Federation of Cleveland—to support a collaborative effort among community funders to return Menorah Park to financial stability. ($2,000,000)
  • Jewish Federation of Cleveland—for the 2023 Campaign for Jewish Needs. ($1,800,000)
  • Koinonia Homes—to hire a therapist to expand its whole person integrated care model for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ($60,000)
  • MedWorks—to deliver medical care to under-resourced patients, connect patients to medical homes, and help address other health-related needs. ($230,000 over two years)
  • Ohio Women’s Alliance and collaborators Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, and Preterm Cleveland—for reproductive health education, research, and regulatory compliance through the Reproductive Justice & Reproductive Health Collective. ($500,000)
  • PRE4CLE—to expand the Cleveland Early Learning Spaces initiative that provides child care and Head Start programs with resources for facility renovations that support health, safety, learning, and development. ($100,000)
  • Pregnant with Possibilities Resource Center—for strategic planning, including sustainability planning, diversification of funding streams, and board growth and development. ($47,000)
  • University Hospitals—to support start-up costs for a food pantry to be located in a new affordable housing complex with co-located health care services in the Glenville neighborhood. ($50,000)

Contact: Mitchell Balk at 216.421.5500 or mitchell.balk@mtsinaifoundation.org.

RRF Foundation for Aging (Chicago, IL)

RRF Foundation for Aging approved $1.5 million in grants supporting aging-related efforts across its priority areas. The highlights include:

  • Aging Care Connections—to advance a partnership with BEDS Plus Care, a provider of services to homeless people in Southwest Suburban Cook County, Illinois that helps medically complex, homeless older adults stabilize their physical and mental health and find permanent housing. ($117,461)
  • Boston College—to study trends in high-risk debt accumulation among vulnerable older adults and the factors that lead to an increase in debt in later life. ($96,430)
  • Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly—to conduct outreach efforts specifically designed to connect isolated or lonely limited-English-proficient older adults to local resources. ($55,000)
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center—to adapt an existing anxiety intervention to be culturally appropriate for Latinx caregivers and to examine its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. ($184,806 over two years)

To see a full list of grant awards is click here.

Contact: info@rrf.org.

The Weinberg Foundation (Owings Mills, MD)

The Weinberg Foundation approved more than $13 million in grants that span its five focus areas, including support for housing for older adults and people experiencing homelessness; health services; job training; professional development for educators; and nonprofits that serve the Jewish community.

The health-related grants include:

  • Aiding Women from Abuse and Rape Emergency—to support the renovation of an existing facility into housing for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. ($350,000)
  • Family Rescue—to provide comprehensive services, including shelter and prevention education for those escaping domestic violence, as well as survivors of domestic violence. ($60,000)
  • Maryland Food Bank—to expand its headquarters with the goal of increasing comprehensive services and support for those receiving food access. ($750,000)
  • Maternal and Family Health Services—to support the expansion, relocation, and general operations of the Circle of Care health clinic with the goal of increasing access to essential and preventative health services for women, children, and families. ($1,000,000)
  • Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence—to provide comprehensive services for those escaping domestic violence. ($50,000)
  • Scranton Primary Health Care Center—to support the renovation of a Federally Qualified Health Center, which will expand its existing dental clinic, as well as add a behavioral health department and increase accessibility. ($600,000)
  • VIP Community Services—to support the development of a community dental clinic, which will provide a range of comprehensive oral health care services. ($200,000)
  • Waikiki Community Center—to support renovations to its primary facility by leveraging state funding with the goal of increasing building and program access for older adults and people with disabilities. ($100,000)

Contact: 410.654.8500.

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