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Special Note:
Online Application for Regular Grants Now Available:
The Blue & You Foundation has a new, online application process for its regular grants of $5,000 to $150,000, with a July 16 application deadline. (The information required in the online application is shown in the Grant Guidelines section.) Paper applications will no longer be accepted. Go to online application.
New Mini-Grant Program:
In addition to its regular grants program outlined on this site, the Blue & You Foundation offers a new, simpler application for $1,000 mini-grants to support health improvement projects in Arkansas. (See "Grants Eligibility Criteria" below.) Applications for mini-grants will be accepted in the months of February, April and June, with 25 mini-grants allotted for each of the three months. You may receive only one mini-grant in a 12-month period, and any organization that has received a mini-grant or regular grant from the Blue & You Foundation in the last three years is not eligible to apply for a mini-grant. You will be notified of mini-grant awards within approximately 30 days of your application. Your application will remain eligible for all three of the grant selection months (February, April and June), so there is no need to re-submit your application. If you receive a $1,000 mini-grant, you will be asked to submit a one-page report of your program results within six months. Go to online mini-grant application.
The Blue & You Foundation for a
Healthier Arkansas anticipates awarding approximately $1.5 million in grants
annually to non-profit or governmental organizations and programs that positively
affect the health of Arkansans. Particular emphasis will be given to projects affecting
health-care delivery, health-care policy and health-care economics. (List of Grants
Awarded)
Projects must demonstrate strong community, regional or statewide support, such
as co-funding by other community, regional, or statewide organizations or groups.
Projects should also demonstrate operational and financial viability that will survive
and continue after funding from the Foundation ends.
Grants awarded will generally range from $5,000 to $150,000.
The Blue & You Foundation will accept proposals for its grants through July
16, 2012, with awards being announced by December 31, 2012. Foundation grants will
be made to non-profit or governmental organizations only and not to individuals.
In addition to these grants, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield expects to continue
its support of Arkansas charitable organizations through direct corporate contributions.
Grant Eligibility Criteria
Organizations eligible to receive grants from the Blue & You Foundation:
- Must be an Arkansas-based organization or governmental agency (or if the applying
organization is located outside of Arkansas, the project to be funded must specifically
benefit Arkansans)
- Any 501(c)(3) public charity, public school, governmental agency or nonprofit hospital in Arkansas is eligible to apply. Churches are eligible, but their health improvement program must reach beyond its own congregation. Grants are not made to individuals.
- Cannot be a private foundation under IRC § 509(a)
- Primary grantee cannot have a contractual relationship with Arkansas Blue Cross
and Blue Shield, its subsidiaries or affiliates
A "contractual relationship" is defined as an arrangement whereby an organization
has a contract to provide a service or product to the corporate entities of Arkansas
Blue Cross, its subsidiaries or affiliates (in the nature of a "vendor" relationship).
Such a relationship would make the organization ineligible for a foundation grant.
Organizations whose sole relationship is that of purchasing health insurance for
its employees from Arkansas Blue Cross, its subsidiaries or affiliates (in the nature
of a "customer" relationship), and do not provide a service or product to these
corporate entities, are not considered to have a "contractual relationship" within
this definition, and therefore are eligible for grants, if other eligibility criteria
are met.
Also, an organization that has a contractual relationship to provide a service or
product to individuals or groups that have health insurance through Arkansas Blue
Cross, its subsidiaries or affiliates (in the nature of a "provider" relationship),
are eligible to receive grants, if other eligibility criteria are met. For example,
participating providers (physicians or hospitals) are not considered ineligible
simply because they provide a service to individuals insured through Arkansas Blue
Cross, its subsidiaries or affiliates.
An exception to the "provider" guideline above involves those several hospitals which
have a joint venture contractual relationship with Arkansas Blue Cross, its subsidiaries
or affiliates. A grant application from a joint venture hospital would be ineligible.
However, a qualifying Foundation of such a joint venture hospital could be eligible
to apply for a grant, if other eligibility criteria are met.
In summary, "vendors" are ineligible, but "customers" and "providers" as defined
above are generally eligible for grants, if other eligibility criteria are met.
- Grants will not be made to: individuals; fundraising events or celebrations; political
or lobbying organizations; fraternal, athletic or social organizations; organizations
that do not directly serve Arkansas; religious organizations for religious purposes;
capital or endowment of organizations; proposals that are principally for facilities
and/or large equipment; or for attendance at conferences.
- In making grants, please note that the Foundation disfavors funding of "indirect
costs." Therefore, when applying, please omit “indirect costs” from your request
and budget.
- Because of the availability of funding in Arkansas from the Tobacco Settlement,
the Foundation will not fund proposals that are principally tobacco-related.
- Any organization that has received Foundation "regular grant" funding for a specific program for
a total of two years is not eligible to reapply for subsequent "regular grant" funding for the same
program.
Grant Application Deadline
For calendar year 2012, the Blue & You Foundation will conduct a round of grant-making to be completed before December 31, 2012. The deadline for online submission of electronic applications in 2012 is midnight July 16, 2012. Paper applications will no longer be accepted.
Grant Evaluation Criteria
Criteria used in evaluating grant applications include:
- Relevance to Blue & You Foundation priorities
- Project design and feasibility
- Documentation of need
- Evidence of broad-based community involvement
- Innovativeness/learning opportunity
- Portability (usefulness in other locales)
- Leveraging potential
Grant Application Requirements
The electronic, online grant application submitted to the Blue & You Foundation includes the following five elements:
- Executive Summary
- The Executive Summary is designed to provide information about your organization and a summary of your grant proposal, in a brief and consistent format. It is important that the Executive Summary presented be a clear and concise statement that captures the essence of your proposed project. Include your most compelling points on why your project should be funded.
- Mission of your organization (suggested character count: 200 or less)
- Project name
- Requested dollar amount of grant
- Why undertake this project: The need (suggested character count: 1,000 or less)
- Primary condition or health topic targeted
- Project objectives (suggested character count: 2,000 or less)
- Activities or methods your project will implement (suggested character count: 2,000 or less)
- Number of people impacted
- Target demographics
- Target geographic area
- How you will use the grant funds requested (suggested character count: 500 or less)
- Project Super Summary (suggested character count: 300 or less)
- Project Details (maximum length: 15,000 characters)
- Goals and measurable objectives.
- Principal activities or methods you will implement to achieve these goals.
- Timeline: Milestones throughout the year needed to achieve success.
- Geographic area to be served
- Target population to be served (age, gender, etc.)
- Assumptions on which the project is based
- Barriers to success
- Financial and human resources to be applied to the project, including expected support from the community or other organization
- Likelihood of project continuing after the grant period (including other potential funding sources)
- Evaluation of the Project (maximum length: 3,000 characters)
- How success will be measured
- Data or measurement tools you will use to verify success
- Timeline for evaluation
- How project problems will be identified and corrected
- Project Budget
- The total project budget, including income sources and project expense items, requested from the Blue & You Foundation and other sources. (Please note that grants will not be made to proposals that are principally for facilities and/or large equipment. In making grants, please note that the Foundation disfavors funding of "indirect costs." Therefore, when applying, please omit "indirect costs" from your requests and budget.)
- Attachments
- Brief history of the sponsoring organization
- 501(c)(3) tax exemption letter from IRS
- Most recent independent audit
- Current annual operating budget for applying organization
- Most recent IRS Form 990
- Current Board of Directors, including their business or professional affiliations,
and frequency of board meetings
- Most recent Annual Report
- List of other major business or foundation supporters for the last three years
- Resume of Project Manager or Director
Submission of Applications
Applications must be submitted electronically, using the new online application system, by midnight July 16, 2012. If you submit earlier than this date, you may still go back and change or edit your application, as long as it is done before midnight July 16, 2012. Paper applications will no longer be accepted.
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