Grant applications opening for Healthy Kids, Healthy Families

From Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana 

HELENA — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Families initiative’s 2017 grant application process will be open from April 1 through May 1.

BCBSMT will again award four $50,000 grants — one in each of the following Montana regions: western, north central, south central, and eastern — to nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children and their families in one or more of these five focus areas:

• Nutrition

• Physical activity

• Disease prevention and management

• Supporting safe environments

• Suicide prevention

“Nothing is more important to the future of our state than our children, and we recognize the important role we can play by supporting the organizations engaged in efforts to make their futures better,” said John Doran, senior director of public relations at BCBSMT. “Through this program, and in concert with our other community giving campaigns and volunteer work, we can make a real difference in the health and wellbeing of Montana children.”

Entering its third year, the HKHF initiative has already contributed $400,000 to programs benefitting the state’s youth and families. Past winners of HKHF grants include Montana Conservation Corps (statewide), oneHealth (Miles City), Project ECHO (statewide) and Thrive (Bozeman) in 2016; and Kay McKenna Youth Foundation (Helena), Thrive, Western Montana Mental Health Center (Missoula) and Riverstone Health Foundation (Billings) in 2015.

In addition to aligning with one or more of the five areas of focus, the following criteria are required for all HKHF grant proposals:

• The organization must hold a 501(c)(3) tax status

• The grant must primarily target individuals in Montana

• The program must be measurable and demonstrate how the goals will be met as defined in the grant proposal

To learn more about the application progress, or to apply for a grant beginning April 1, people can go online at http://www.bcbsmt.com/company-info and click on Healthy Kids, Healthy Families in the left column.

For more information or for questions on applications, contact John Doran at 406-437-6195 or via email at [email protected].