To achieve the Healthy Active Communities vision of North Carolinians of all ages having access to opportunities for physical activity and/or healthy, local food, the BCBSNC Foundation offers both Healthy Eating Equipment Grants and Physical Activity Equipment Grants on an annual basis.

Equipment-only grant cycles provide an opportunity for organizations to access the tools they need to start, enhance or expand their work towards helping their communities achieve the health gains of increased physical activity and access to healthy food.

Equipment-only grants are for requests up to $5000, for one year.  This is a competitive grant cycle.  We are seeking to invest in those proposals showing the strongest anticipated health gains as well as the greatest intensity and duration of use/interaction to achieve those health gains.  Each grant cycle may have differing parameters regarding area of focus, both in terms of agency and geographic location. Please review the specific parameters for the current grant cycle to determine if this opportunity is a fit for your agency.

Healthy Eating Equipment Grant Cycle

The Healthy Eating Equipment Grant application is now closed. All applications were required to be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 25.

In partnership with the North Carolina Council of Churches, and to help advance the Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative, the BCBSNC Foundation is focusing the 2013 Healthy Eating Equipment Grants on faith-based organizations in the following 16 counties, where Partners in Health and Wholeness has concentrated its efforts and is able to provide on-the-ground support and technical assistance:

• Anson
• Bladen
• Columbus
• Cumberland
• Davidson
• Davie
• Forsyth
• Guilford
• Montgomery
• Randolph
• Richmond
• Robeson
• Rockingham
• Scotland
• Stokes
• Surry

We are seeking to invest in projects that result in increased access to healthy, local food. Our investments will be prioritized by the strongest correlation between equipment purchased and subsequent increase in access to healthy food, with the most competitive proposals being those that demonstrate a significant increase in access at least three times per week over the course of the project for the target population. As the focus of this cycle is to help advance the Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative, and their certification program in particular, applicant organizations must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Those congregations not currently certified at any level must begin the certification process by March 6, 2013. To begin the certification process, please visit the Partners in Health and Wholeness certification page or contact your county’s Partners in Health and Wholeness representative listed below:
  • Joy Williams, cell: 919-357-8625, email: joy@ncchurches.org: Anson, Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Montgomery, Richmond, Robeson and Scotland counties
  • Shannon Axtell Martin, cell: 336-912-0976, email: shannon@ncchurches.org: Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes and Surry counties
• Those congregations currently certified at the Bronze or Silver levels must be actively working to advance to either the Silver or Gold levels. To begin this process, congregations must contact their county’s Partners in Health and Wholeness representative by March 20, 2013.
• Those congregations currently certified at the Gold level must recertify at the Gold level for the 2013 calendar year.
• Congregations are not required to be members of the Council of Churches to apply for this grant or to go through the certification process.

Examples of equipment that may be purchased as a part of a Healthy Eating Equipment Grant include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Commercial refrigerators or freezers
• Kitchen equipment (pots, pans, slicers, sectionizers, etc.)
• Materials to start a garden (gardening tools, landscape timbers, irrigation, storage, seeds, etc.)
• Food transport (vans, trucks, etc.)

Partners in Health and Wholeness representatives are available to answer any questions and to provide additional assistance during the application and implementation phases of the current grant cycle.  Applicants are also encouraged, but not required, to review and put into practice the North Carolina Council of Churches’ faith-based curriculum about the food we eat and why it matters.  The resource – Eating Well: For Ourselves, For Our Neighbors, For Our Planet – is available for free download from the North Carolina Council of Churches.

Key dates for the 2013 Healthy Eating Equipment Grant Cycle:

• February 14: Grant opens, all materials available online
• February 18: Webinar - "Grant Cycle Overview and How to Apply" [slides, recording]
  (to view the webinar recording, which requires Adobe Flash Player for viewing, right-click on the link and choose "Save Link As", choose a location such as your desktop, choose Save, then browse to the file and double-click to open)
• March 25: Grant proposals due by 5:00 p.m.
• Week of April 22: Grant selection announced
• May 8: New Grantee Webinar at 11:00 a.m. - "Grantee Communications, Results and Reporting"

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Healthy Eating Equipment grant only limited to these 16 counties (Anson, Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Scotland, Stokes and Surry)? 

Yes.  This grant is a partnership with the North Carolina Council of Churches and Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative.  We have limited the geographic scope of the grant focus area to where Partners in Health and Wholeness have on-the-ground support and technical assistance available to applicant/grantee congregations.

Does a congregation need to be a member of the Council of Churches in order to apply? 

No. 

Does my organization have to be a church in order to apply?

No. While all eligible applicant must be faith organizations, both this grant as well as the PHW Certification program are open to all denominations and faith organizations including but not limited to churches, mosques, temples and synagogues.

Why is this grant cycle in partnership with the Council of Churches? 

The Council of Churches is a grantee of the Foundation, and has been working since 2008 to address faith community policies, practices, and environments to ensure health is a key component of their faith.  This partnership is focused on advancing the number of congregations certified as Partners in Health and Wholeness congregations.

Will these healthy eating grants always focus on faith communities?  

No.  The Healthy Active Communities focus area seeks to increase physical activity and healthy eating in child care, schools, faith and community settings and over time grant opportunities will reflect that comprehensive vision.
 

Physical Activity Equipment Grant Cycle

The next physical activity grant cycle will be made available in the fall of 2013.

We are seeking to invest in projects that result in increasing physical activity.  Our investments will be prioritized by the strongest correlation between equipment purchased and subsequent increase in physical activity.  Eligible target populations must either be located in a rural county or be a high-risk low income population in an urban county.

Examples of equipment that may be purchased as a part of a Physical Activity Equipment Grant include (but are not limited to) the following: 

• Portable exercise equipment: Pedometers, resistance bands, jump ropes, free weights, kettlebells, exercise balls, aerobic steps, Wii stations
• Fixed exercise equipment: Treadmill, elliptical, stationary bicycle, step machine, rowing machine
• Playground Equipment
• Portable Play Equipment: Balls, parachutes, bikes/trikes
• Materials to develop a trail/enhance an outdoor learning environment