Funding Guidelines

At the start of an annual funding cycle, potential applicants are encouraged to contact Blue Cross Foundation staff to discuss a project idea and the alignment of the proposed project with our funding priorities. Specific guidelines and application processes can be found at Growing Up Healthy: Kids and Communities and Healthy Together: Creating Community with New Americans.

Eligibility

The Blue Cross Foundation invites a wide range of organizations to apply for funding, including community- and faith-based organizations; health, environmental, housing, early childhood and civic groups; mutual assistance associations; state, county and municipal agencies; tribal governments and agencies; professional associations or collaboratives; and policy and research organizations. Applicants must be located in Minnesota or serve Minnesotans. Eligible applicants include units of government as well as organizations designated as nonprofit under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.

The foundation is unable to provide grants to or make loans for the following:

• Individuals
• Lobbying, political or fraternal activities
• Legal services
• Sports events and athletic groups
• Religious purposes
• Clinical quality improvement activities
• Biomedical research
• Capital purposes (building, purchase, remodeling or furnishing of facilities)
• Equipment or travel, except as related to requests for program support
• Endowments, fundraising events or development campaigns
• Retiring debt or covering deficits
• Payment of services or benefits reimbursable from other sources
• Supplanting funds already secured for budgeted staff and/or services
• Long-term financial support

As a statewide corporate health philanthropy, the Blue Cross Foundation seeks to support the work of organizations throughout Minnesota that share our priorities. For this reason, we do not typically award more than one grant to an organization during a given time period.