Nonprofits Can Now Apply for Excellus BCBS Health Equity Innovation Award Funding

Rochester, NY – Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is accepting applications for its 2024 Health Equity Innovation Awards, which provide funding to community-based organizations to support health and wellness programs that address racial and ethnic health disparities in upstate New York. The online application portal opened today, Thursday, September 5, 2024, and will close on Friday, October 4, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

"The Health Equity Innovation Award funding is designed to support initiatives that confront the fundamental causes of health disparities, particularly those linked to structural racism. By providing funding for projects that tackle social, economic, and systemic issues, we aim to create a healthcare system that is fair and equitable for everyone," said Simone E. Edwards, DrPH, MPH, Vice President of Health Equity and Community Investments at Excellus BCBS.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Excellus BCBS’ 31-county service area* can apply for funding of up to $30,000.

Applications should propose innovative projects with measurable outcomes, expansion potential, and clearly outlined goals to reduce health disparities and address social disadvantages. Funding is dependent upon a project’s ability to demonstrate tangible improvement in racial and ethnic health equity.

Priority categories for the Health Equity Innovation Awards include:

·       Improved maternal health outcomes

·       Behavioral health or mental health conditions

·       Acute and chronic disease management

·       Social determinants of health such as economic stability; education access, and quality; health care access and quality; neighborhood and built environment; and social and community context

For more information and to apply, please visit the application portal here.