Baton Rouge, La. — The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation has announced its commitment of $5 million to meet the needs of communities rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
The Foundation will make grants of up to $250,000 available for nonprofits providing services in the parishes with the highest level of disaster declarations outlined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Nonprofits can use grant funds to meet immediate needs like food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and more. Grants can also be used to meet long-term needs such as ongoing patient education and care navigation, economic recovery efforts and more.
Grants of up to $50,000 are available to nonprofits providing relief outside of those parishes included in the disaster declaration. Community Crisis and Disaster Response Grants support general operating costs as long as those costs are in support of relief efforts.
“The scope of relief required after Ida is immense. Nonprofits are often on the front lines of providing support, so we hope to give them the tools and flexibility they need to support their communities,” said Michael Tipton, president of the Foundation, who noted that the Foundation is accepting applications immediately.
The Foundation will continue to work with funders and government agencies across the state to meet immediate needs and coordinate philanthropic spending for maximum impact, said Dan Borné, chair of the Foundation’s board of directors.
“As we’ve seen with COVID-19 and the other disasters that have hit our state since March, 2020, recovery is a long, difficult and expensive road. But when people come together, we can meet any challenge,” Borné said.
In 2020, the Blue Cross Foundation’s board allocated $10 million for organizations providing support to those affected by COVID-19 and Hurricane Laura. This additional $5 million investment means that the Foundation has committed $15 million over the past 18 months to supporting communities, on top of the Foundation’s normal grant-making.
The full request for proposals and the applications for all grant programs are online at www.bcbslafoundation.org/disastergrants.
About the Blue Cross Foundation
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation works each day to improve the health and lives of Louisianians by empowering everyday people to do extraordinary good. By building and funding coalitions of friends, families and neighbors, the Foundation hopes to build a healthier Louisiana, particularly for its children. The Foundation is funded solely by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, but is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. Together, Blue Cross and the Blue Cross Foundation invest $3.5 million each year into Louisiana’s communities and nonprofits.
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