Improving Access to Health Care Grants Program (IMPACT Health Care grants)

Overview

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, Inc., the philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF), accepts applications for the Improving Access to Health Care grants program during two proposal cycles in the summer and winter.  Grants are strategically awarded to diverse, philanthropic, community-based solutions that:

• Improve program capacity and reduce barriers to access
• Nurture community health leadership to reinforce local solutions, foster innovation and sustain quality
• Leverage financial, human and other resources to maximize measurable impact.

IMPACT Health Care grants are rich in diversity, from mobile clinics to provide health care to children, to training physicians on women's heart disease symptoms, to improving the lives of Hispanics with diabetes. These grants educate, train and improve the lives of individuals and families throughout Florida.

The current focus for the IMPACT Health Care grants program is on community-based health clinics and outreach programs.

Within the community health clinic arena, we prefer to focus funding on:

• Philanthropic, innovative approaches to health care education, awareness and training programs, especially those that have a grassroots or community outreach component;
• Demonstration and/or research projects that attempt to find a new way to deliver health care or to increase access to health care services for the uninsured and underserved;
• Projects that use innovative techniques or use collaborative methods to address a specific problem in a geographic area or target population.

We will consider funding for:

• Direct health care services, but must not serve as a replacement for insurance reimbursements or as a supplement to insurance reimbursements from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.
• General operating support alone or capital campaigns, but this is not a priority area.
• Equipment and supply purchases within proposals.

The Blue Foundation will not fund administrative overhead charges for universities or higher education institutions. 

Decision-Making Process

The Blue Foundation uses a four-step review process that spans approximately three months:

• Independent readers review all proposals submitted using the foundation's established grant criteria.
• Following this initial review, The Blue Foundation Employee Review Team receives selected proposals, conducts site review visits and makes funding recommendations to the Foundation board of directors grant committee.
• The grant committee submits its final recommendations to the Foundation board of directors.
• The Foundation board of directors approves the grants.

The Employee Review Team is composed of 18 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida employees from across Florida who are involved in the community and have various skills in planning, medical services, finance, marketing, communications and grantmaking. The members of the team serve alternating terms of service. Members are chosen through an application process and are selected by the Foundation board of directors.

Our proposal evaluation criteria includes, but is not exclusive to, the following characteristics:

• Compelling fit with The Blue Foundation mission and guiding principles.
• Quality of leadership within the organization must be strong and respected by the community.
• Financial strength of the institution with a record of stable funding and strong budgetary control.
• Organizational diversity, with representation of the population being served and a proven record of staff and board diversity.
• Quality of planning where there is a demonstrated commitment of a detailed planning process that engages the necessary resources and leadership with a credible evaluation strategy.
• Potential favorable impact with such components as an expected significant outcome, high quality intervention, appropriate number served relative to goals/budget, likelihood to influence other organizations, possible chance for positive systemic change, and a practical evaluation plan.

Proposals are not scored or ranked based on a grading or numerical system. We will not provide feedback on why your proposal was not chosen - many proposals meet our criteria and are similar to past grants we have made. It is often a matter of financial resources at The Blue Foundation that causes proposals to be denied.

Guidelines

Eligibility

Who can apply for an IMPACT Health Care grant?

The Blue Foundation makes IMPACT Health Care grants to the following types of organizations:

• Organizations recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
• Public agencies, including state and local governments (for example, health departments). A public entity may serve as a fiscal agent for a charitable organization or be part of a coalition or consortium applying for funding.

Who is not eligible to apply?

The Blue Foundation does not consider grant requests from:

• Individuals
• Fundraising events or celebrations
• Political or lobbying organizations
• Fraternal, athletic or social organizations
• Religious organizations for religious purposes
• Type III Supporting Organizations
• Private foundations
• Organizations that do not directly serve Floridians
• Organizations outside Florida
• Organizations to finance health care services through insurance or other coverage mechanisms.

If you have questions about your organization's eligibility, please contact us at 1-800-477-3736, ext. 63215, or thebluefoundation@bcbsfl.com .

Amount and length of grants

• Grants are made between $10,000 and $100,000.
• Multi-year commitments up to three years may be made, depending upon the request, the need and the funds available, but the total dollar request should not exceed $100,000.

How often can we apply?

• Organizations are limited to one application per 12-month period for the IMPACT Health Care grants program.
• Accredited colleges, universities, and community colleges may submit one proposal per school or college per 12-month period.
• Current IMPACT Health Care grantees may  not apply again until their grant is expiring.

Other

• Materials such as videos, reports and publications should be submitted ONLY at our request.
• Appointments for presentations or on-site visits will be scheduled only at our request.
• Because of the large number of proposals we anticipate receiving, we will not have an opportunity to discuss with you at length your proposal ideas before submission.
• Proposals become the property of The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida and will NOT be returned to the applicant.
• The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida reserves the right to share the requests with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida or other unaffiliated grantmaking institutions.  We make no representations or warranties regarding whether or not those organizations will fund your proposals.

The Application Process

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida has launched an online application process beginning with the Winter 2009 grant cycle for the Improving Access to Health Care grants program (formerly, competitive or responsive grants).  If you cannot complete an online application, please contact us at 1-800-477-3736, ext. 63215, or thebluefoundation@bcbsfl.com.

Deadlines

The Blue Foundation accepts applications during two grant cycles - Summer and Winter. Deadlines for the next three cycles are:
Winter 2009 Deadline:  September 11, 2009
Summer 2010 Deadline:  March 12, 2010
Winter 2010 Deadline:  September 10, 2010.

How to Submit an Application

• Check your Internet Browser to make sure it is compatible with The Blue Foundation Online Grant Application.  The following are compatible:  Internet Explorer 7.0 (for PC); Safari 2.0 (for Mac); Mozilla Firefox 2.0.
• Enable cookies:  The Blue Foundation online applications place a cookie on your computer to enable the "Save and Finish Later" functionality.  Please check the user's manual for your Internet browser to enable cookies if you receive an error message.
• Know your Employer Identification Number (EIN)/Tax ID.  It is required to submit the application.  If your organization is new, please contact us at 1-800-477-3736, ext. 63215, or thebluefoundation@bcbsfl.com.
• Review the Guidelines, Mission and Guiding Principles and focus of our grantmaking.
• Review the Application Overview and gather all of your attachments.
• Download to your computer the Attachment forms and read the instructions. Full instructions for uploading completed attachments are included in the online application form.

Application Overview

To begin the application process, you will create an online grant application account.  You will receive an email notification that includes the email address and password required to access your saved application and account.  The email will also include the web address of the Account Login page. The following is the web address for the Account Login page:  https://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_1085?S=AM.  All applicants must use this address to access your account and continue any saved applications, review submitted applications and/or change email addresses and passwords.  If you do not use the above link, you will be prompted to start an entirely new application.

Once you have created your Account login, you may proceed with the application, save and finish later, or review and submit. 

You will be able to print a copy of the application as you are filling out the form.  Click on the Printer Friendly Version link located in the top right hand corner of each application page.

The application can be completed in one online session or over several sessions.  Just click the "Save and Finish Later" button located at the bottom of each application page.

Once the application is completed online, you will click the "Review & Submit" button at the bottom of the last page of the application to submit your application electronically on the Internet.  Once your application has been submitted, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address that you used to create your online grant application account.

The information below gives an overview of the questions you will be asked.

• Eligibility Quiz - questions related to the eligibility requirements noted in the Guidelines. 
• Cover Sheet - general information on the organization (date, name, address, etc.).
• Contact Information -- for key staff.
• Organization Information - includes mission, population served, programs and activities, history and accomplishments, board of directors, annual operating budget and donors.
• Request Summary - program/project title, description and costs; amount requested, numbers to be served; communities to be served (geographic area, demographics)
• Request Narrative - target population, goals, objectives, activities, outcomes, program staff, dissemination plan, sustainability plan.

All proposals will receive an acknowledgement that includes a tracking number.

Attachments

The Blue Foundation requires receipt of certain documents before an application can be considered. Please download to your computer the forms required. Following are brief descriptions and acceptable file formats:

• IRS Tax Status Letter, or Government Entity Document as an Adobe PDF document (.pdf).
• Line-Item Budget Form and Instructions. Download and save a copy of the Line-Item Budget Form and Instructions to your computer before completing and attaching to the application.
• Budget Narrative. Please attach a brief explanation of each item on the Line-Item Budget Form as a Microsoft Word document (.doc) or Excel spreadsheet (.xls), Adobe PDF document (.pdf) or simple text document (.txt).
• Operating Budget. Attach the operating budget (revenues and expenses) for the current fiscal year as a Microsoft Word document (.doc) or Excel spreadsheet (.xls), Adobe PDF document (.pdf) or simple text document (.txt).
• Financial Statements. Attach the profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the most recently completed fiscal year as a Microsoft Word document (.doc) or Excel spreadsheet (.xls), Adobe PDF document (.pdf) or simple text document (.txt).
• Audited Financial Statements. If available, please attach copy of last/most recent audited financial statements as a Microsoft Word document (.doc) or Excel spreadsheet (.xls), Adobe PDF document (.pdf) or simple text document (.txt).
• Program/project staff resumes/CVs.  The Blue Foundation requires the resume or curriculum vitae (CV) of the person who will be directing (i.e., ultimately responsible for) the proposed program/project, as well as those of other key staff members/personnel.  Please combine all applicable resumes and/or CVs into one document as a Microsoft Word document (.doc) or Excel spreadsheet (.xls), Adobe PDF document (.pdf) or simple text document (.txt).
• Program/project job descriptions. The Blue Foundation requires job descriptions for all positions the requested grant will be used to fill/hire.  If the requested grant will be used for multiple positions, please combine the job descriptions into one document as a Microsoft Word document (.doc) or Excel spreadsheet (.xls), Adobe PDF document (.pdf) or simple text document (.txt).
• Empowerment Evaluation Matrix. Please download and save a copy of the Empowerment Evaluation Matrix and Instructions to your computer before completing and attaching to the application.

Submit an Application
The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida prefers to receive electronic grant applications through our online application form.  If you cannot complete an online application, please contact us at 1-800-477-3736, ext. 63215, or thebluefoundation@bcbsfl.com.