Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation to Provide Grants for Smaller, Rural Nonprofit Groups

Chapel Hill, NC – The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (BCBSNC Foundation) is seeking to assist smaller nonprofit organizations that provide health-related services in rural communities.

The BCBSNC Foundation recently launched its Mini-Grants program to provide funds to organizations that may not be able to compete against larger organizations for funding because of the size and scope of the organization or a particular program. The grants will range from $1,500 to $5,000.

Nonprofit organizations with an annual budget of less than $500,000 that deliver services in one or more of North Carolina's 85 rural counties (http://www.ncruralcenter.org/) are eligible to apply for funding in this category. Mini-Grants will be offered four to five times per year, and programs must align with the BCBSNC Foundation's focus areas.

"Our goal in creating this new funding opportunity is to make the Foundation more accessible to all North Carolina nonprofits throughout the year," said Kathy Higgins, vice president of the BCBSNC Foundation. "We hope this new category will enable us to provide timely funding and to help more nonprofits that are in need."

The application deadline for the next round of Mini-Grants is December 1. For complete information on Mini-Grants and to obtain an application for funding, interested parties should visit the BCBSNC Foundation Web site at www.bcbsnc.com/foundation. The new, user-friendly Web site provides comprehensive information about the BCBSNC Foundation, funding opportunities, and signature programs.

Until recently, the BCBSNC Foundation accepted applications only twice per year with an average grant size of $10,000 to $15,000. The Mini-Grants program is part of the BCBSNC Foundation's effort to make significantly more funding opportunities available to North Carolina nonprofits.

BCBSNC Foundation grants are awarded to organizations focusing on community needs consistent with the Foundation's four focus areas. The four focus areas include providing access to health care for the uninsured and underinsured, minimizing and eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities, providing screening and health education (related to cardiac care, diabetes, obesity, and women's health), and promoting physical activity.