BlueCross BlueShield opens 2019 'Blue Fund' grant cycle

Awarded $2.7 million in 8 counties of WNY in 2018

BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York’s “Blue Fund” is accepting letters of intent online through Feb. 4 for grants to organizations and initiatives that align with at least one of its key focus areas. These include behavioral health, cardiovascular health, diabetes, health-care workforce development, healthy children and the opioid epidemic.

Submitting a letter of intent is a required first step in the grant-making process. Selected applicants will then be invited to submit a full proposal.

“Blue Fund” will consider requests for $100,000 to $500,000 grants from not-for-profit organizations in the eight counties of Western New York for initiatives that are ready to implement and demonstrate enhanced and measurable community outcomes. Applicants should demonstrate how the proposed project or initiative will deepen and broaden current work by supporting the expansion or creation of a program, based on the success of earlier work or evidence-based best practices.

The region’s largest not-for-profit health plan launched the “Blue Fund” in July 2018, and awarded more than $2.7 million to nine local organizations November in its first round of grants. Those grants were awarded in addition to the health plan’s current corporate partnerships and sponsorships, which see annual investments of more than $2 million in Western New York charities, community groups and cultural organizations.

To learn more about “Blue Fund,” or to submit a letter of intent online for the 2019 grant cycle, visit bcbswny.com/bluefund.

Funding decisions will be announced in the fall.