Independence Blue Cross Foundation

PHILADELPHIA, PA EIN: 36-4685801

The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is a private charitable foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving as the philanthropic arm of Independence Blue Cross, one of the largest health insurers in Pennsylvania. Established in October 2011, the Foundation catalyzes ideas into action to improve the health and well-being of communities across southeastern Pennsylvania. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded nearly $90 million in grants to nonprofits and research organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

Annual Giving

$8.7M

-7.4% YoY

Grant Count

70

-51.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$124K

+90.4% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Foundation's mission is to positively impact health through leading initiatives for a healthier community. The organization operates under four guiding principles:

  • Engagement: Connecting stakeholders to strengthen relationships
  • Collaboration: Solving together to meet evolving needs
  • Innovation: Catalyzing change to move ideas into action
  • Sustainability: Driving impact to improve health for everyone

The Foundation is committed to three key focus areas:

  • Improving healthcare access
  • Strengthening the health workforce
  • Enabling solutions for better community health

Grantmaking

The Foundation operates the **Blue Safety Net Program**, which includes an annual application cycle. In 2024, the program distributed nearly $38 million in total impact.

Grant Range

**: $5,000 to $500,000

Average Grant

**: Approximately $50,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation focuses exclusively on southeastern Pennsylvania, specifically serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

Grant Distribution by State

8states

Cities

AbingtonAstonBensalemBlue BellBryn MawrCambridgeChesterCoatesvilleCollegevilleConshohockenDOYLESTOWNDoylestownEddystoneElkins ParkExtonGwynedd ValleyHarrisburgHollandImmaculataJenkintown

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

  • Total Assets: $130,668,288
  • Total Revenue: $4,487,181
  • Total Expenses: $10,665,804
  • Total Liabilities: $707,000
  • Total Grants Distributed: $8,782,710

The Foundation maintains substantial assets relative to annual giving, positioning it as a significant funder in the region.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$0.275$0.55$0.8250000000000001$1.120202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$3M$6M$9M$12M111 grants2020140 grants2021165 grants2022144 grants202370 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

HealthShare Exchange of …$500KDelaware Valley Communit…$340KDrexel University$306KGreater Philadelphia You…$280KMain Line Health Inc$250KOshun Family Center$250KGreater Philadelphia Hea…$235KKids Smiles Inc$220KPublic Health Management…$200KChesPenn Health Services…$190K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

131<$50K63$50–100K49$100–250K6$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Independence Blue Cross Foundation

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • President: Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake
  • Executive Director: Heather Major

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
CHARISSE R LILLIE ESQCHAIRMAN OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS0.5
LORINA L MARSHALL-BLAKEPRESIDENT/DIRECTOR1.5
JUAN A LOPEZ JRTREASURER0.5
EMILY ZITSERSECRETARY0.5
JOAN P HILFERTYDIRECTOR0.5
CHRISTOPHER CASHMANDIRECTOR0.5
RICHARD L SNYDER M DDIRECTOR0.5
NICHOLAS A GIORDANODIRECTOR0.5
SIDNEY HARGRODIRECTOR0.5
PAMELA SARNE-MCCORMICKDIRECTOR0.5
VALERIE HJELM ESQASSISTANT SECRETARY0.5
ROBERTA WAITEDIRECTOR0.5
JESSICA C LAMANNA ESQSECRETARY0.5

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

In 2025, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation distributed $8.2 million in nonprofit grants, earned national recognition, engaged cross-sector leaders on public health issues, and reached national and global audiences. Foundation leadership has been actively representing the organization at statewide and regional speaking engagements focused on healthcare access and workforce development.

IBX Foundation Awards $3 million to Improve Healthcare Access

The Foundation released the fourth and final season of its "Someone You Know®: Facing the Opioid Crisis Together" podcast, exploring the power of connection in addiction recovery.

Contact Information

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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