Blue Shield of California Foundation Awards $5 Million in Third-Quarter Grants

Funding will help integrate domestic violence prevention into California’s healthcare safety net to ensure access to care & services for the state’s most vulnerable

San Francisco, CA (September 16, 2014) — Today, Blue Shield of California Foundation announced more than $5 million in third-quarter grantmaking. This body of grants aims to support California’s safety net providers in implementing and spreading innovations in care delivery, as well as to develop new coverage and access options for the remaining uninsured. Grants will also strengthen the capacity of both domestic violence and healthcare organizations to become more culturally responsive and create new entry points for domestic violence screening and services.

“As we near the start of the second open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act, our grantmaking is evolving from simply expanding health coverage to improving access to effective health care for underserved and low-income communities across California,” said Peter Long, PhD, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation. "Through this quarter's grants, we are also leveraging the growing vibrancy of the domestic violence field to expand prevention and enhance collaboration among providers.” 

In addition to facilitating new partnerships between domestic violence and healthcare safety net organizations, the Foundation is also making a significant investment in Orange County to help build a comprehensive Domestic Violence and Healthcare system there. With $1.94 million in funding for Charitable Ventures of Orange County, this landmark project expands the Foundation’s cross-sector grantmaking to include the implementation of an unprecedented county-wide collaborative to improve the health and safety of communities across Orange County. 

This round of grantmaking also includes funding to build health journalism capacity in California. Through a grant to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, funds will support a 2015 Health Coverage Fellowship to train a rising California journalist on critical health issues facing the state. 

Blue Shield Against Violence grants by region

Health Care and Coverage grants by region

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About Blue Shield of California Foundation

Blue Shield of California Foundation is one of the state’s largest and most trusted grantmaking organizations. Our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians, particularly the underserved, by making health care accessible, effective, and affordable, and by ending domestic violence. For more information visit: www.blueshieldcafoundation.org.