BCBSM Foundation: Catalyst Fund Grant

BCBSM Foundation: Catalyst Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
Amount: Up to US $7,500
Last Updated: March 20, 2026

Summary

The BCBSM Foundation's Catalyst Fund Grant offers non-renewable grants of up to $7,500 to Massachusetts-based community organizations focused on enhancing health access for low-income and marginalized residents. Applications will be accepted starting July 1, 2025, aiming to support capacity-building initiatives rather than ongoing operational costs. The fund prioritizes organizations with limited resources that directly impact vulnerable populations, facilitating innovative projects that address health care disparities.

Overview

NOTE: The Catalyst Fund will accept applications starting July 1, 2025. Grants will be reviewed in September. Please continue to check back for more information. BCBSM Foundation Catalyst Fund The Catalyst Fund provides one-time non-renewable grants up to $7,500 for a twelve-month period to help community-based organizations strengthen their capacity to expand access to health and health care in Massachusetts. The Catalyst Fund is intended to help organizations pay for activities that can strengthen their infrastructure, build capacity, or plan for the future, and as its name implies, help spark innovation. These small one-time, fast-turnaround grants can make a lasting and outsized impact on organizations and the communities they serve. Context Nonprofit organizations often operate with limited resources and capacity to fulfill the needs of community members and staff. As a result, launching new initiatives to strengthen their infrastructure, or taking time to plan for the future, can be a luxury. The Catalyst Fund is intended to help organizations pay for these types of capacity building activities and as its name implies, help spark innovation. As such, the Catalyst Fund does not fund ongoing programmatic expenses, or general operating costs, such as salaries. Key Program Elements and Eligibility Criteria The Catalyst Fund provides one-year, non-renewable grant awards up to $7,500 to Massachusetts community-based and/or grassroots organizations to address a health or health-related component of their work. Grant funds can be used for expenses that support the organization to strengthen their infrastructure, build capacity, or prepare for the future. From hiring a trainer on best practices in trauma-informed or equitable service delivery, to crafting a fundraising plan to make fresh produce freely available to families with low income, and for purchasing technology to support health education outreach to residents who speak languages other than English – these small one-time, fast-turnaround grants can make a lasting and outsized impact on organizations and the clients they serve. The Foundation will accept applications from community-based organizations, community health centers, and social service organizations, even from those for which health is not a core activity or emphasis, if the proposed work has a compelling connection to health or health care.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Grants will only be made to Massachusetts-based organizations that serve the health or health care needs of low-income and vulnerable residents of the state.Proposals for the Catalyst Fund will be accepted from organizations that are tax exempt under section 501c3 of the IRS code.

Ineligibility

The following expenses and activities are ineligible for funding from the Catalyst Fund: Ongoing expenses, or general operating funds, including but not limited to:Staff salariesRecurring expenses, ongoing program costs, or membership duesConference or gala sponsorshipsCapital campaignsMedical equipment and associated training (e.g., automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are not eligible). Those excluded from consideration for Catalyst Fund grants: Nonprofits awarded a Catalyst Fund grant in the previous 24 months *Hospitals and hospital affiliated organizationsNonprofits incorporated outside of MassachusettsNonprofits that do not primarily serve residents of Massachusetts with low-income and those who have been economically, socially, racially, or ethnically marginalizedIndividuals, for-profit entities, academic institutions, or religious institutionsNonprofits with organization budgets over $5 million *Organizations that receive a Catalyst Fund award are not eligible again until one year following the end of their grant period and have submitted a final report