RELEASE
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offering more than $500,000 in grants to improve health in the Upper Peninsula
Brianna Neace
| 2 min read
DETROIT, October 9, 2017 – Nonprofit agencies throughout the Upper Peninsula are invited to apply for funding to begin new projects or expand existing projects that address critical health care problems in their community. The funding is provided through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Investing in Upper Peninsula grant program. The partnership will allocate up to $65,000 to up to eight organizations from the following counties: Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft. Eligible organizations must submit letters of interest by October 31, 2017. “This targeted effort will empower local organizations to improve the health of individuals and families living in the Upper Peninsula,” said Lynda Rossi, executive vice president of Strategy, Government and Public Affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Michigan’s rural counties face barriers to health care. The goal of this initiative is to identify and support programs that address the following focus areas: expanding access to health care, improving quality of health care, and addressing critical health problems. These grants will address a broad base of health disparities throughout communities in the upper peninsula. “The goal of this grant program is to reach a diverse community in need of cost-effective, quality care,” said Audrey Harvey, vice president and CEO of the BCBSM Foundation. “We’re looking forward to extending our efforts to improve the health of our neighbors in the Upper Peninsula.” Full proposals from selected applicants will be due January 18, 2018. Those funded must share the results from this initiative with other communities for possible replication. Letters of Interest must be sent to upinvest@bcbsm.com by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 31. All instructions and application forms will be sent electronically to interested parties who have expressed interest by sending an email to upinvest@bcbsm.com. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.6 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies who reside outside the state. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com and MIBluesPerspectives.com.
