Grants for Public Health

NOTE: Program grant applications are open year-round and prioritized based on the scope and nature of the request. 

Anthem Foundation

The Anthem Foundation funds specific public health–related initiatives that positively affect conditions identified through our signature Healthy Generations program.

Program Grants

Anthem Foundation Program Grants support ongoing community health programs with proven and measurable outcomes. Generally, our grant terms are one year, with a few exceptions (mostly for national grants).

Approach

We invest in traditional and nontraditional problem-solving approaches. These include programs that provide services directly to people and those that change systems to transform healthcare. Although we fund some research and policy requests, such proposals are by invitation only. 

Measurable Results

We favor initiatives that prioritize obtaining strategic, measurable results over isolated grant activities. For example, a physical fitness initiative that increases physical activity or improves diet in general as a key goal is less likely to be favored than an initiative that increases physical activity or improves diet as a specific means to reduce BMI for a target population. Our gauge for a successful grant is a measurable result that is evident within the grant period.

Operating Principles

We want to create the greatest human gain for the grant dollars we have available. Rather than try to cover many broad health-related needs in the community, the Foundation funds targeted grants that align with our signature Healthy Generations program.

The Anthem Foundation evaluates the projected ability of grant requests to yield meaningful results by asking three simple questions of each proposal:

• What results will be achieved?
• Will this organization deliver on its proposed commitments?
• Is this grant the best possible use of the Foundation’s resources?

Healthy Generations

We believe that targeting specific, preventable health concerns by making strategic charitable choices will help us create a healthier generation of Americans.

The Healthy Generations initiative uses innovative social mapping technology and analyzes public health data to provide a snapshot of the major health issues in each state. This allows us to drill down to the zip code level and target initiatives that positively affect the conditions that matter most. We call this putting science behind the art of grant-making.

Today, we’re emphasizing efforts in five areas, while also supporting behavioral health efforts and programs that benefit people with disabilities.

Healthy Hearts

The Anthem Foundation is investing in preventive programs that minimize controllable cardiovascular diseases and strokes, including efforts to reduce smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and stressful and inactive lifestyles. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with about 600,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary heart disease alone costs the U.S. $108.9 billion a year in healthcare services, medications and lost productivity.

Cancer Prevention

Prevention offers the most cost-effective, long-term strategy for the control of cancer. The Anthem Foundation partners with organizations that implement lifesaving cancer-prevention and early-detection programs. More than a million people in the United States get cancer each year. At least a third of all cancer cases are preventable if people make healthy choices such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating right, keeping active, and getting recommended screening tests.

Healthy Maternal Practices

The Anthem Foundation focuses on programs that encourage and facilitate first-trimester prenatal care and help at-risk mothers commit to behaviors that reduce the numbers of low-birthweight babies. Preterm birth is among the leading causes of newborn death, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Prenatal care is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, and known strategies can lower the risk of an early birth.

Diabetes Prevention

More than 25 million Americans are living with diabetes and a third of obese adults are at risk for developing this condition. The Anthem Foundation invests in programs that stem the spread of diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes and increased physical activity.

Healthy Active Lifestyle

The Anthem Foundation supports programs that raise awareness for, educate on, and encourage new behaviors, resulting in healthy, active lifestyles that offer long-term benefits. Regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, colon cancer and diabetes. It also improves mental well-being, assists with weight control, reduces depression and anxiety, and helps healthy muscles and joints.

The Anthem Foundation’s support of healthy, active lifestyles for individuals with disabilities seeks to reduce healthcare disparities and improve access to care.

NOTE: The Boards meet 10 times a year and applications are reviewed in the order they are received on a rolling basis with no deadlines. The Board will review up to thirty-five (35) applications per meeting. ​

Mission

The mission of the Henry E. Niles Foundation is to help in the nurturing and uplifting of people in need. The Foundation strives to support humanitarian efforts, including faith-based endeavors, that:

• strengthen education including special education, literacy and others; 
• fight economic hardships through self-help opportunities;
• enhance public health and sanitation on a global basis.

Primary Program Interests

The Board is currently highlighting the following areas:  

Education – Included in this interest area are primary, secondary and higher education for those motivated individuals who are unable to obtain the benefits of quality education without assistance.

Economic Self-Sufficiency – This program area includes but is not limited to: job training, the encouragement and support of entrepreneurialism, mentoring, and micro-credit initiatives.

Health & Independence – Special interests here include medical and public health assistance for the elderly, the poor, the disadvantaged and the disabled.

Guiding Principles & Considerations

• Favors programs addressing long-term solutions to the causes of problems, as distinguished from programs that simply treat the symptoms.
• Added emphasis on programs and organizations that address the intersection of its various program interests.
• Encourages pilot initiatives that test new program models.
• Particular interest in organizations that promote collaborative efforts among groups and organizations.
• Qualities sought by the Foundation in its grantee organizations are: effective and dynamic personnel; passionate leadership; a bias against bureaucracy; prudent management & governance practices; and commitment to results and overall assessment of program impact.

Grants range from $2,500 up to $50,000. In unique circumstances, the Foundation does consider a more significant grant for a program having a major impact in one or more of its areas of interest.

NOTE: Applications for the Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposal Open Call for Ideas funding opportunity are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications for the current year are accepted until the deadline above. We review these applications on a rolling basis. Please allow up to eight weeks for a response.

Pioneering Ideas and a Culture of Health

The goal of the Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposal funding opportunity is to explore; to look into the future and put health first as we design for changes in how we live, learn, work and play; to wade into uncharted territory in order to better understand what new trends, opportunities and breakthrough ideas can enable everyone in America to live the healthiest life possible.

While improving the status quo is vital to the health and well-being of millions of people in America now, the Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposal opportunity reaches beyond incremental changes to explore the ideas and trends that will influence the trajectory and future of health. Ultimately, we support work that will help us learn what a Culture of Health can look like—and how we can get there.

What is a Pioneering Idea?

Good question! We don’t want to provide a checklist that limits your thinking—or ours. We do want to give you as clear a picture as we can about the kinds of proposals we hope to see, so you can best assess whether submitting an idea through our Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposal process is the right next step for you. Our application form allows you to introduce your idea; if it seems to be a fit for our portfolio we will reach out for more information.

We share some examples below of Pioneering Ideas we have funded in the past to give you a sense of where we’ve been. Keep in mind that ultimately, we need you to challenge us, and to tell us where we should be going and what ideas have the most potential to transform the way we think about health. As you review the examples below, you may notice some shared themes or characteristics which:

• Challenge assumptions or long-held cultural practices.
• Take an existing idea and give it a new spin—or a novel application.
• Offer a new take or perspective on a long-running, perplexing problem.
• Apply cutting-edge ideas from other fields to health.
• Explore the potential for emerging trends to impact our ability to build a Culture of Health.

Dollar Amount/Duration

For this funding opportunity, we generally fund projects within the $150,000-$350,000 budget range and with a project term of between 12-36 months.

About

The Zayed Sustainability Prize, an evolution of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, is the UAE’s pioneering global award in sustainability and a tribute to the legacy of the late founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Established in 2008, this annual award recognises and rewards the achievements of those who are driving impactful, innovative and inspiring sustainability solutions across five distinct categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water and Global High Schools.

Categories

Health

This category recognises organisations that can demonstrate innovative, impactful and inspirational sustainability solutions in the areas of health that include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring access to essential and affordable healthcare
• Ensuring access to maternal and new-born healthcare
• Ending epidemics (AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis etc.)
• Preventing and treating water-borne, communicable and non-communicable diseases
• Reducing illness from pollution, hazardous chemicals and contamination

Organisations must also demonstrate a clear vision and long-term plan to further deploy their solution and scale up their impact, as well as inspiring others to follow suit by advancing sustainable and human development.

Food

This category recognises organisations that can demonstrate innovative, impactful and inspirational sustainability solutions in the areas of food that include, but are not limited to:

• Decreasing hunger and malnutrition
• Increasing agricultural or other food processing productivity
• Enhancing sustainable food production

Organisations must also demonstrate a clear vision and long-term plan to further deploy their solution and scale up their impact, as well as inspiring others to follow suit by advancing sustainable and human development.

Energy

This category recognises organisations that can demonstrate innovative, impactful and inspirational sustainability solutions in the areas of energy that include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring access to affordable and reliable clean energy
• Increasing production of clean energy
• Improving energy efficiency
• Introducing new forms of clean energy or other technology innovations

Organisations must also demonstrate a clear vision and long-term plan to further deploy their solution and scale up their impact, as well as inspiring others to follow suit by advancing sustainable and human development.

Water

This category recognises organisations that can demonstrate innovative, impactful and inspirational sustainability solutions in the areas of water that include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring access to safe and affordable drinking water
• Ensuring access to sanitation and hygiene
• Increasing water use efficiency
• Improving water quality

Organisations must also demonstrate a clear vision and long-term plan to further deploy their solution and scale up their impact, as well as inspiring others to follow suit by advancing sustainable and human development.