Nominations for $30,000 grant awards open through April 5, 2024

(Baton Rouge, LA) – The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation is asking Louisianians to nominate people doing extraordinary good for local children for The Angel Award®. The Foundation will accept nominations through April 5, 2024 online at www.bcbslafoundation.org/nominate

Each year, the Foundation selects eight angels, everyday people who have given their time, talent and resources to improving the lives of young people in the state. In recognition of the program’s 30th anniversary, the Foundation will make a $30,000 grant to a Louisiana-based nonprofit chosen by each 2024 honoree.

Each year, the Foundation also recognizes one “Blue Angel,” an employee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana who has impacted the lives of children through volunteer work. Members of the public, including nonprofits with whom employees volunteer, may nominate a potential Blue Angel. The Foundation will also make a $30,000 grant to that honoree’s nonprofit of choice.

“What makes our Angels stand out is their persistence, commitment, and deep connection to the work that they’re doing to benefit children,” said Michael Tipton, president of the Blue Cross Foundation. “But the success of this program is largely because of nominators – people who are actively looking for people in their communities who are doing good work and deserve recognition. We ask anyone who knows someone deserving to submit a nomination.”

Past Angel Award honorees have made their mark in education, housing, the arts, support services of children with disabilities and much more. Profiles of all past honorees can be found at www.bcbslafoundation.org

Persistence Pays Off

Tipton encourages those who have filled out nominations before to update and resubmit them again. The Foundation receives hundreds of submissions, but is only able to select nine honorees each year.

“Persistence pays off. Sometimes it takes three or four years before someone’s nomination is selected. So, if you’ve nominated someone before and they weren’t chosen, don’t be discouraged — submit it again,” Tipton said.

Louisianians can nominate as many people as they feel are deserving of this honor. There is no cost to nominate someone. The online nomination form asks for responses to a short series of questions and should take 30 minutes or less to complete.

About the Blue Cross Foundation

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation makes grants to improve Louisiana’s health outcomes. Its grant programs are particularly focused on the social determinants of health, which are the everyday circumstances that influence a person’s health.

Since 2020, the Foundation has made more than $30 million in grants to nonprofits addressing public health, COVID-19 response, and natural disasters. The Foundation also facilitates connections between the communities, leaders, and everyday people who are working to make life better for their friends, families, and neighbors. We invite you to learn more by reading our most recent annual report.

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