Foundation invests $5.2 million toward preventing domestic violence and making California the healthiest state
March 28, 2024
Blue Shield of California Foundation’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved, at its first meeting of 2024, a package of 15 grants directing $5.2 million to communities statewide.
The Foundation’s mission is to end domestic violence and make California the healthiest state, focusing on Californians of color with low incomes, who are most affected by violence and inequity.
“We partner with organizations across California on policy and systems change, so we can have large-scale impact and reach many more people with sustainable change over time,” said Debbie I. Chang, MPH, president and CEO of the Foundation. “Many of the grants this quarter extend long-term relationships, building on them further, and continue existing investments in our communities, deepening them.”
Two of the largest grants build on previous work with groups organizing for change in California: $1 million for the California Domestic Workers Coalition and $1.5 million for Safety and Healing in Networks of Equity (SHINE) collaboratives that are finding innovative ways to prevent domestic violence.
Align systems with community priorities: total grants of $2.3 million
One of the Foundation’s approaches to achieving its mission is to align systems – such as public health – with community priorities. This quarter, a grant of $1.5 million is going to a cohort of five collaboratives known for influencing systems from Humboldt to San Diego counties. The group now called SHINE benefits from the technical support and statewide reach of Prevention Institute.
“Support from Blue Shield of California Foundation has afforded SHINE collaboratives (formerly Safety Through Connection) the opportunity to build community-centered, multisector solutions to prevent domestic violence, grounded in equity and cultural strengths,” said Rachel A. Davis, executive director of Prevention Institute. “Looking ahead, Prevention Institute and our SHINE partners will be lifting up our lessons and successes over the last five years, while advancing policies for housing and economic justice, holistic supports for families and youth, and community-based healing for communities and populations most impacted by domestic violence.”
The SHINE cohort members are The Center at McKinleyville, in Humboldt County; RYSE, in Contra Costa County; Mujeres Poderosas Amorosas, in Fresno County; Promesa Boyle Heights, in Los Angeles County; and East African Men and Boys Collaborative, in San Diego County.
Break the cycle of domestic violence: total grants of $700,000
In the Foundation’s efforts to change policy and systems in California, it’s often necessary to change hearts and minds first, with compelling stories from the communities of color we serve. Two grants this quarter, of $100,000 to Alianza Metropolitan News and $150,000 to California Health Report, support journalism that will highlight emerging solutions in domestic violence prevention.
“More Californians will learn about restorative justice through our partnership with Blue Shield of California Foundation,” said Hannah Hough, editor and executive director of California Health Report. “It will enable us to share the groundbreaking work that the Foundation's grantees are doing to expand access to domestic violence healing and prevention. As we work to share restorative justice insights with communities and policymakers, we are grateful for the Foundation's support of solutions journalism and storytelling that leads to change.”
Other grants in the Foundation’s work to break the cycle of domestic violence include $200,000 to Homeboy Industries, for groundbreaking efforts to use restorative practices in healing from domestic violence; and $250,000 to a leading sexual violence prevention organization, ValorUS.
Strengthen economic security and mobility: total grants of $1.78 million
The Foundation is proud to partner with coalitions that are strengthening economic security and mobility for millions of Californians – an important way to make ours the healthiest state and end domestic violence.
A $150,000 grant to Equal Rights Advocates will help the Stronger California Advocates Network, which focuses on the economic security, safety, and wellness of women and families in California and which has logged 50 legislative wins in the last 10 years.
“When women and low-income families face barriers to economic security, they do not confront them in silos. They experience a combination of challenges,” Jessica Ramey Stender, the network’s policy director and deputy legal director said. “That is why the Stronger California Advocates Network takes a comprehensive approach to combating the myriad obstacles facing women and families and we remain nimble in responding to emerging threats including, most recently, adding a health and reproductive rights pillar where we are explicitly making the connection between access to reproductive health care and economic security.”
A $1 million grant to the California Domestic Workers’ Coalition, a Foundation partner since 2019, is an example of our long-term support for care workers, many of them undocumented and underpaid women. The coalition excels at bringing the voices of workers into advocacy and policy change statewide.
Other grantmaking to advance our mission
The Foundation’s evaluation and data strategy team is partnering with organizations that can improve the quality and quantity of data about the health equity and domestic violence challenges facing Californians of color with low incomes. Grants this quarter include $200,000 to train youth experiencing homelessness in community-based research, and $200,000 to Public Policy Institute of California.
“We share the vision of our grantee partners, of a California where everyone has an opportunity to live a healthy life,” Chang said. “In a variety of ways, and across our large and diverse state, we will continue to work together to achieve health equity and end domestic violence.”
For a complete list of current grants and more information on all the Foundation’s grantmaking, please see our grants database. We also support grantees on social media (find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram), and feature their work in our newsletter, Intersections.
To advance policies and practices that expand access to a range of housing solutions for survivors of domestic violence in Los Angeles and across California through advocacy and cross-sector collaboration.
To advance the economic security and mobility of underserved women and families in California through chairing the cross-sector Stronger California Network which engages in policy advocacy, community building, and strategic communications.
To organize California's domestic workers to advance the development and implementation of local and state policies that will improve their wages, benefits, and job quality.
To create a statewide, tiered model for scaling homecare worker cooperatives that will increase wages, benefits and job quality of predominantly immigrant homecare workers.
To change the way domestic violence is covered by and for the Spanish-speaking Latinx community in California through funding solution-based and culturally responsive journalism that focuses on changing attitudes to prevent domestic violence across generations.
To support engagement in the restorative justice cohort learning community and implementation of restorative practices that are responsive to intimate partner violence for formerly incarcerated populations that promotes healing and prevents domestic violence in California.
To change the way domestic violence is covered by funding journalism that increases awareness and understanding of restorative approaches for domestic violence healing and prevention with a focus on survivors and communities of color in California.
To provide general operating support to ValorUS to support its work with California organizations and communities to prevent and end sexual violence through advancing equity, advocating for prevention resources, and promoting restorative practices.
To support implementation of data disaggregation policies in local health departments to better reflect the diverse experiences and needs of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.
To provide continued support for The Funders Forum on Accountable Health to promote federal policy changes that facilitate the spread of the Accountable Communities for Health model via funding and capacity building.
To provide general operating support for Human Impact Partners, which works to transform the field of public health to center equity by collaborating with communities in California by changing public health practices and policies that lead to improved health and well-being for those most impacted by
To provide general operating support to Prevention Institute, a leading California policy research and advocacy organization, to build prevention and health equity into key policies and actions at the state, local, and organizational levels to foster health, safety, and wellbeing.
To support the implementation and sustainability of five multisector collaboratives advocating for community-driven policy and systems change that prevent domestic violence in California.
To provide general operating support to Public Policy Institute of California, a leading California research institute that produces new data and research for economic mobility, social determinants of health, and sustainable policy solutions through its Economic Policy Center.
To implement, evaluate and disseminate internship program that trains up to 30 youth experiencing homelessness in community-based research.
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