Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health Awards nearly $500,000 to non-profits
Fall grant cycle funds multiple projects aimed at improving health care needs for West Virginians
Dec. 9, 2022 | Parkersburg, W.Va.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (Dec. 9, 2022) — Five West Virginia-based non-profit organizations will receive funding from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health to support programs that will help meet the needs of residents in West Virginia. The grants, from the program's latest grant cycle, total nearly $500,000.
These grants are funded through Highmark's West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health, which provides critical funding to support West Virginia-based health and social service organizations. Since its launch in 2021, the Charitable Fund for Health has awarded nearly $3 million in grant funding for West Virginia-based non-profit organizations.
"We recognize the countless health-related needs for West Virginians throughout the state, and the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health is thrilled to offer much-needed funding to support non-profit organizations who share our mission," said Jim Fawcett, president of Highmark West Virginia. "The programs being funded today impact residents throughout the entire state of West Virginia, so we are pleased to support the well-being of our fellow neighbors."
The organizations and summaries of the funded programming for this grant cycle are:
- American Heart Association, Inc.: Support a comprehensive public awareness media campaign and student awareness campaign targeting tobacco/vaping prevention in West Virginia
- Facing Hunger Food Bank: Support the expansion of its Medically Tailored Food Box Distribution Program
- OVP Health Care Inc.: Support staffing needs to expand its Sustaining Access to Quality Dental Care in Tri-State Appalachia program
- United Way of Central West Virginia/United Way Collaborative: Support The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Project
- West Virginia Breast Health Initiative: Support the implementation of a statewide campaign to inform communities about the importance of mammography screening and the availability of screening services
Announced this past year, the West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health is a new funding extension of the Highmark Foundation and was established to specifically address and improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who live in West Virginia.
The Charitable Fund awards grants to West Virginia-based 501c3 non-profits with initiatives that target and improve health outcomes in priority health areas — community health, family health, access to care, service delivery systems, chronic disease and oral health.
Grant proposals to the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health are being accepted for 2023. Additionally, a Request for Proposals regarding Behavioral Health will be announced in early 2023. Interested non-profit organizations are encouraged to watch for additional communications and announcements by checking the Highmark Foundation’s website at www.highmarkfoundation.org.
About Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia serves approximately 240,000 members through the company’s health care benefits business and hundreds of thousands of additional members through the BlueCard® program. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of West Virginia holds the largest share of the commercial market, and more West Virginians carry a Blue Cross Blue Shield card than any other insurance carrier in the state. Highmark West Virginia employs approximately 600 people and serves as a key economic driver in the state with its total economic impact reaching $352 million.
About the Highmark Foundation
The Highmark Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) private, charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing, and quality of life for individuals who reside in the communities served by Highmark, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our missing by awarding high-impact grants to charitable organizations that implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health. Central to the Foundation’s mission is identifying and continuously reevaluating our region’s prevailing health care needs. By doing so, the Foundation remains at the forefront of those needs, well-equipped to pinpoint the issues that more urgently need support.
In 2021, two new restricted funds were established at the Highmark Foundation - the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health and the United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund. These funds support the ongoing work of the Highmark Foundation across its footprint and beyond. For more information, visit www.highmarkfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter.
About Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund
The Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health is a controlled fund of the Highmark Foundation. The Charitable Fund for Health‘s mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in all 55 counties in West Virginia. The Highmark WV Charitable Fund for Health strives to support programs that impact multiple counties and work collaboratively to leverage additional funding to achieve replicable models. For more information, visit www.highmarkfoundation.org.
Contact:
Cathy McAlisterExecutive Director
Highmark WV Charitable Fund for Health
304-347-7754
cathy.mcalister@highmarkhealth.org