Florida Blue Foundation announces $3.5 million in health equity grants

Florida Blue President and CEO Pat Geraghty announced on Friday that the Florida Blue Foundation awarded nearly $3.5 million in grants to nine nonprofits across the state to enhance health equity by strengthening diversity and inclusion within their organizations.

“People’s racial, sexual, gender, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and other factors impact the quality of health care they have access to and their health outcomes. Our mission of helping people and communities achieve better health requires us to understand the impact of those social determinants and to work across the health ecosystem to support all Floridians. We believe it is a foundational step in the long journey to achieving health equity,” said Geraghty.

The three- to four-year grants will provide the nonprofits with the ability to incorporate, operationalize, and execute ongoing health equity, diversity, and inclusion programs. The programs will be designed to better equip the organizations to understand and meet the unique needs of the diverse populations and communities they serve.

“All of us at Florida Blue are proud to have our Foundation support nonprofit organizations in their quest to eliminate health disparities and help Floridians reach their optimal health regardless of their social position or other social circumstances,” noted Geraghty.

The recipients of the health equity, diversity and inclusion grants include:

• Health Care for the Homeless, Orlando
• Hope CommUnity Center, Apopka
• The Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville
• United Way Emerald Coast, Fort Walton Beach
• YMCA of Florida’s First Coast, Jacksonville
• Foster Care Review, Miami
• Legal Services of Greater Miami
• Advocate Program, Miami
• Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay

About the Florida Blue Foundation 

The Florida Blue Foundation enables healthy communities by making grants, building coalitions and embracing solutions that create a meaningful impact in its communities. More than 8 million Floridians have received services as a result of its community investments since its founding in 2001. The Florida Blue Foundation’s programs are focused on advancing mental well-being, improving health equity, impacting food security and addressing systemic racism and resulting health disparities. Florida Blue Foundation is a trade name of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, Inc., an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit www.FloridaBlueFoundation.com.