BCBSM Foundation: Perinatal Health Initiative Grant

BCBSM Foundation: Perinatal Health Initiative Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
Amount: US $30,000 - US $60,000
Last Updated: June 04, 2025

Summary

The BCBSM Foundation's Perinatal Health Initiative aims to address critical health disparities faced by people of color in Massachusetts, particularly in pregnancy-related outcomes. Through grants of $30,000 to $60,000 per year for two years, the initiative supports community organizations in enhancing perinatal health. The focus areas include community education, policy advocacy, and strengthening the perinatal care team, ultimately working to improve health outcomes and reduce maternal morbidity.

Overview

Perinatal Health Initiative Structural racism and barriers to accessing health care resources lead to direct adverse health impacts for people of color. While disparities in health outcomes across racial and ethnic groups are often narrower in the Commonwealth than they are in the nation, clear disparities persist across many key outcome measures in Massachusetts. These disparities in health outcomes occur at an alarming level when it comes to pregnancy-associated mortality and severe maternal morbidity. The new Perinatal Health Initiative grant program provides community based organizations with grants ranging from $30,000-$60,000 a year for two years to support efforts to improve perinatal health outcomes in Massachusetts. These grants are intended to fund an organization’s work in one of the three following categories: Community Education & SupportsPolicy & AdvocacyBuild, Support & Sustain the Perinatal Care Team

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Application Details

Perinatal Health Initiative
2025 Grant Guidelines
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation Mission and Definitions
The mission of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation is to ensure equitable
access to health care for all those in the Commonwealth who are economically, racially, culturally,
or socially marginalized. Achieving the mission requires a focus on three major aspects of equitable
access: Coverage and Care, Behavioral Health and Structural Racism and Racial Inequities in
Health. You can review our goals and theory of change here.
The Foundation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The Foundation recognizes that structural racism is
a public health issue and that access to affordable, quality health care is a racial and social justice
issue.
The Foundation will use the term perinatal in its description of this funding program’s goals and
activities to include all birthing people regardless of gender. “Perinatal” refers to approximately the
one-year period before becoming pregnant until approximately one year after giving birth.
Background
Structural racism and barriers to accessing health and health care resources lead to direct adverse
health impacts and outcomes for people of color. While disparities in health outcomes across
racial and ethnic groups are often narrower in the Commonwealth than they are in the nation, clear
disparities persist across many key outcome measures in Massachusetts.1
These disparities in health outcomes persist at an alarming level when it comes to pregnancy-
associated mortality and severe maternal morbidity. A report by the MA Department of Public
Health (DPH) found that severe maternal morbidity nearly doubled for all pregnant people during
2011-2020 and that the outcomes were worse for Black and Hispanic individuals.2 Data from the
Boston Public Health Commission also demonstrated maternal health disparities within the city of
Boston – with neighborhoods with the highest concentration of Black residents having worse
maternal health outcomes.3 Research shows nationally the strong association between race and
1 https://www.bluecrossmafoundation.org/publication/racism-and-racial-inequities-health-data-informed-primer-
health-disparities
2 https://www.mass.gov/news/new-dph-report-reveals-rates-of-severe-maternal-morbidity-in-massachusetts-
nearly-doubled-over-a-decade
3 https://www.boston.gov/news/new-bphc-report-highlights-persistent-racial-inequities-maternal-health

maternal mortality, even after controlling for age, income and receiving maternal health care
services.4
Important steps have been taken in Massachusetts to elevate the need to improve the health
disparities for birthing people including the establishment of Special Commission on Racial
Inequities on Maternal Health, the publication of data and reports from Massachusetts
Department of Public Health, numerous community-led and driven education and support
services, and the signing into law of the Maternal Health Omnibus legislation in August of 2024.
In early 2024, the Foundation’s grantmaking team met with over 30 stakeholders working in
perinatal health to better understand the landscape, existing efforts at the local, state and
institutional level, and to gain input about where potential Foundation resources could be useful.
Three themes surfaced:
1) Increased access to maternal and perinatal health education and supports within the
community and led by community members on topics before, during, and after pregnancy.
2) Support for doulas to participate in the MassHealth benefit (i.e., how to get doulas trained,
billing support, recruitment).
3) Resources for community leaders and organizations to effectively engage in policy and
advocacy discussions at the state and local level (including issues like perinatal mood and
anxiety, birth center regulations, reimbursement rates for doulas and midwives) –
particularly as the state makes perinatal health a priority.
The Foundation used these findings to launch the 2024 Perinatal Health Initiative grant program,
which provided one-year grants to support organizations working in the areas above.
2025-2027 Perinatal Health Initiative
Program Goals
In early 2025, the Foundation went back to many of the stakeholders originally interviewed to
determine if the three categories identified in 2024 remained the right focus for an updated
iteration of the grant program and to identify any emerging areas to be addressed – particularly
given the signing of the Maternal Health Omnibus legislation in August 2024.
The Foundation used those conversations and an updated scan of the birth equity environment to
build off the 2024 program to launch a new two-year grant program, the 2025-2027 Perinatal
Health Initiative, that will focus on the following categories:
• Perinatal Community Education & Supports
• Policy & Advocacy
• Build, Support & Sustain the Perinatal Care Team
4 Racial Disparity in Pregnancy-Related Mortality Following a Live Birth Outcome,” Annals of Epidemiology. Apr. 2004.

Eligibility and Criteria by Category
Each applicant will select one category of work during the grant period 1) perinatal community
supports and education, 2) policy and advocacy, or 3) build, support, and sustain the perinatal care
team. More information about each category and its eligibility criteria is described below.
Applicants will choose one category of work for their grant. Please see the eligibility and criteria
below for each field.
Perinatal Community Education & Supports
Selected grant partners will provide perinatal health education and supports (i.e. education about:
healthy pregnancy; prenatal and postpartum care for the birthing person, family and baby;
pregnancy loss; perinatal mood and anxiety disorders; preparation for labor and birth;
breastfeeding etc.)5 led by and located in communities most impacted by perinatal health
disparities.
Perinatal Community Education & Supports Eligibility Criteria:
• Organizations with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit designation from the IRS or that
operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit.
• Community-based organizations that primarily serve birthing people and families who have
been socially, economically, culturally, or racially marginalized.
• Demonstrated experience in birth equity6, perinatal health education and supports (i.e.
education about: healthy pregnancy; prenatal and postpartum care for birthing person,
family, and baby; pregnancy loss; perinatal mood and anxiety disorders; preparation for
labor and birth; breastfeeding, etc.)
• Organizations located in and reflecting communities most impacted by perinatal health
disparities.
Policy & Advocacy
Selected grant partners will work to strengthen the birth justice policy and advocacy community to
create and advance community-based policy activities, increase community participation in the
public policy process, and promote collaboration among birth justice policy and advocacy
organizations.
Applicants should include the specific issues within birth equity and justice they will concentrate
on and include other organizations/stakeholders they will work with during the grant period. The
Foundation understands the environment is evolving and issues may change during the grant
period.
Policy & Advocacy Eligibility Criteria:
5https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9829111/#:~:text=Perinatal%20education%20involves%20education%2
0about,the%20topics%20into%20separate%20sessions.
6 The National Brith Equity Collaborative defines birth equity as the “assurance of the conditions of optimal births
for all people with a willingness to address racial and social inequities in a sustained effort.”

• Organizations with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit designation from the IRS or that
operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit.
• Organizations that primarily serve birthing people and families who have been socially,
economically, culturally, or racially marginalized.
• Demonstrated experience in perinatal health policy, advocacy, or engagement in policy or
stakeholder conversations about improving perinatal health and birth equity.
*Funding cannot be used to support lobbying or voter registration activities.
Build, Support & Sustain the Perinatal Care Team
The perinatal health workforce is made up of trained professionals who provide care during
pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. The Foundation’s Perinatal Health Initiative grant program is
intended to support and expand access to doulas, midwives, those trained in perinatal mood and
anxiety disorders, lactation consultants, childbirth and perinatal health educators. The program is
also looking to develop the perinatal health workforce that is racially and ethnically diverse and
reflects the communities they serve (which may include having similar lived experience, speaking
various languages, understanding and respecting cultures of communities).
The goal for this category is not only to increase the number of individuals in these positions. These
providers also need support to make their positions and work sustainable and meet the needs of
their clients. Proposed projects may include efforts that focus on recruitment, training, retention
efforts, and other support to help improve the sustainability of these positions.
Build, Support & Sustain the Perinatal Care Team Eligibility Criteria:
• Organizations with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit designation from the IRS or that
operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit.
• Organizations that primarily serve birthing people and families who have been socially,
economically, culturally, or racially marginalized.
• This grant program focuses on the following members of the perinatal care team: doulas,
midwives, lactation consultants, childbirth and perinatal health educators.
• Efforts should include a focus on recruitment, training, retention efforts, and other support
to help improve the sustainability of this workforce.
Funding
The BCBSMA Foundation will make approximately 11-15 grants ranging between $30,000 - $60,000
per year. Please be sure your budget reflects the size of your organization and the proposed
project. Selected grant partners will be eligible for two years of funding. This is an open call for
proposals. Current (2024) Perinatal Health Initiative grant partners are eligible to apply.
Applicants will focus their proposal on one of the three categories listed above.
Funds can be used to expand the existing capacity and work of the organization to serve more
birthing people and their families and/or to develop new projects/programs.
The Foundation is committed to funding community- based organizations located within and
serving those most impacted by disparities in birth outcomes and located within communities who
are racially, economically, culturally, or socially marginalized.

Applicants may apply in partnership with other organizations.
The Foundation does not: accept applications from religious institutions, for-profit institutions, or
individuals; fund proposals to support direct medical or clinical care, long-term care, hospice, and
palliative care; fund events, conference sponsorships, or capital expansion projects.
Deadlines and Submission Requirements
All applications must be submitted via the Foundation’s online grantmaking portal.
Please note: The Foundation is moving to a new grant application portal. The portal for the PHI
Application will open June 9th, 2025.
Proposal Narrative Questions are listed below for your reference. Please start your application in a
document and then copy and paste the text into the online application. Budget templates can be
downloaded from the portal, filled out, then uploaded.
We will update the Foundation website and the Perinatal Health Initiative webpage with the portal
link on June 9th.
All users will need to register with the new portal. Registration approval can take up to 48 hours. We
encourage interested applicants to set up their registration early.
May 19th, 2025 Request for Proposal Released
May 29th, 2025 Foundation Webinar about grant program
12:30 – 1:30 PM EST Register here.
June 5th, 6th, 12th and 16th – various times see Foundation will hold office hours over zoom to
below. answer questions. Details below.
12:00 Noon July 8th Proposal Deadline: Only complete proposals,
including all attachments, will be considered
for funding.
End of October 2025 Grant Awards Announced
All proposals are due by 12:00 p.m. on July 8th. Please note there will be no technical support
available for the online portal after the noon deadline.
Full Proposal Narrative Instructions and Questions
The proposal questions are below. Budget documents can be downloaded through the portal, then
uploaded. Please use the questions below to draft your application in a Word document. You can
then copy and paste your text into the narrative part of the portal.
Character counts include spaces.
Proposal Narrative

1. Brief Project Summary (2000 characters)
• Provide an overview of what you will do with this funding and who it will impact.
2. Organization Description/Mission (2000 characters)
• Describe your organization’s mission, core activities, and communities served.
3. Program Qualifications (3000 characters)
• What makes your organization qualified to meet the goals of this program?
4. Population of Focus (3000 characters)
• Describe the population of focus for your work. To describe the population, you may want to
include information such as race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, geography, health or
behavioral characteristics, etc.
5. Goals/Strategies/Activities (4000 characters)
• Describe the goals (overarching outcomes or results), strategies (plans or methods to meet
goals – the how) and activities (specific tasks or actions) your team will undertake to meet
the grant program goals. Please be sure to include goals that are SMART (specific,
measurable, attainable, and realistic).
6. Impact/Indicators of Success (4000 characters)
• How will you know if this project was a success? What indicators will you use to measure
success?
7. Collaboration and Partnerships (3000 characters)
• If applicable, identify partners in this work. Be specific about the roles they will play during
the grant period. Please include information about any formal or informal agreements to
support your collaboration.
• Project Management and Staffing-- Who are the people that will lead this effort, and what
experience do they bring to this work?
8. Community Engagement (3000 characters)
• If applicable, what is your community engagement, building, or organizing strategy and how
will community members be involved in this project? How has the community been
involved in identifying the need for this project?
Required Attachments
Project Budget and Budget Narrative documents are available to download in the portal.
• Project Budget and Budget Narrative: Utilizing the budget worksheets describe how the
funding will be allocated to cover expenses.
• Organization Budget: Upload your organization’s board or department-approved budget
for the most recent full year.
• Tax Exempt Letter: Upload your organization’s IRS 501c3 letter. If you have a fiscal agent,
upload the 501c3 letter of the fiscal agent.

Questions
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions document on the website. Applicants may contact the
Foundation staff with questions. We will add questions received to the FAQ document.
• For questions about the program, please contact: Reena Singh, Senior Program Officer at
Reena.Singh@bcbsma.com.
Reena will also hold office hours over Zoom to answer questions. Please register for any of
the following times to “stop in” and ask a question.
o Thursday, June 5th | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
o Friday, June 6th | 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
o Thursday, June 12th | 12:00 p.m. – 2 p.m.
o Monday, June 16th | 12:00 p.m. – 2 p.m.
• For technical questions related to the online grantmaking portal, please contact: Evelyn
Monteiro, Grants Management Administrator at Evelyn.Monteiro@bcbsma.com.