A version of this article first appeared in RACMonitor News on 8/5/21 and is published with explicit permission

What a surge in funding for SDoH and SDoMH! UnitedHealthcare recently announced granting $11.4 million to community-based organizations (CBOs) across the U.S.! Such entities remain the best-kept secret for the industry when it comes to addressing the SDoH and MH. Over 1,000 entities partner at community levels to bridge service gaps in health literacy, education, employment, housing, childcare, caregiver support, home weatherization, and more. An array of social service agencies, nonprofit organizations, and formal and informal community groups, such as neighborhood groups or recreational or special-interest clubs, appear on the Community Action Partnership website; there’s also an interactive map of sites and service provider. But back to that money!

UnitedHealthcare’s  Empowering Health initiative has been providing grants to programs in underserved communities since 2018, with over $40 million distributed across 29 states. The newest grants will be awarded across 84 CBOs as follows, so take note:

• $1 million each will go to programs in Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and New York;
• $900,000 to Virginia programs;
• $795,000 to programs in Washington, D.C.;
• $750,000 to programs in Michigan; and
• Programs across 11 other states will receive from $200,000 to $555,000.

Included in this mix are funds for expansion of the following areas, all of which reflect emphasis on ACEs and the mandate for trauma-informed practices.

• Home visitation programs to address high rates of maternal and infant mortality across low-income families;
• Mobile food pantries with linkages to schools and low-income residents;
• Support for minority-owned businesses, farms, and faith-based organizations;
• Mental and behavioral health across rural communities and refugee populations; plus
• Mental health crisis training for first responders.

A detailed listing of grant recipients appears on the UnitedHealth Group website.

Not to be outdone, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas opened their annual 2022 Healthy Families® Grant Cycle Campaign Aug. 2! Close to $2million is available for nonprofit organizations prepared to partner on health and wellness initiatives, particularly those focused on the SDoH. The criteria call for community-led organizations that:

• Are nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations;
• Have financial capacity and qualified staff to oversee and manage the project (“financial capacity” is defined as organizations operating at a current annual budget of $2 million or more); and
• Will collaborate on the proposed program with a health partner (hospital, clinic, federally qualified health center, etc.).

This week’s Monitor Mondays Listeners Survey asked: how readily do our listeners’ organizations partner with CBOs, whether for grants or patient resources? The answers appear here!