Highmark Foundation: School Grants Program

Highmark Foundation: School Grants Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Highmark Foundation
Amount: Up to US $7,500
Last Updated: July 21, 2025

Summary

The Highmark Foundation's School Grants Program offers up to $7,500 for schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia to enhance children's health and well-being. The program supports initiatives focusing on basic needs, environmental health, mental and social health, physical health, and school nursing support. By empowering schools with these resources, the foundation aims to create nurturing environments that foster healthy habits and improve educational outcomes for all students.

Overview

Highmark Foundation School Grants For two decades, the Highmark Foundation has been a leader in improving children’s health in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Recognizing the vital role schools play in children’s lives, the School Grants Program aims to empower schools with the resources needed to promote healthy habits and well-being among students. Highmark Foundation is pleased to offer schools throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia grants of up to $7,500 to improve health and wellness and empower schools to create a nurturing and supportive environment for all students. Applications will be considered for programs that fall within the following updated categories: Basic Needs Support (formerly Supportive Services): Programs for economically disadvantaged schools. Grant subcategories include child health and wellness grants or school equipment and supplies challenge grants. Environmental Health: Initiatives that address air and water quality, green cleaning practices and the creation of fragrance-free environments to enhance student well-being. Mental/Social Health: Programs that connect students and families to essential social services, including food insecurity, social-emotional learning, positive school climates and housing instability. Physical Health: School-based physical health initiatives that promote physical activity, healthy eating, hygiene education and disease prevention. School Nursing Support: School-based healthcare programs aimed to better educational and health outcomes, such as school nurse training, injury prevention, and health care for students with special needs.

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

School Grants
Program
Supporting schools in promoting
physical and social health

IntRoductIon
Highmark Foundation School Grants
For two decades, the Highmark Foundation has been a leader in improving children’s
health in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Recognizing the vital role schools play in
children’s lives, the School Grants Program aims to empower schools with the resources
needed to promote healthy habits and well-being among students.
2 | Highmark Foundation

IntRoductIon
When it comes to wellness, we’ve done our homework.
Health and wellness in schools has always been a top priority for the Highmark Foundation.
that’s why we’re proud to present the 2025 – 2026 School Grants Program.
HIGHMARK FOUNDATION SCHOOL GRANTS
Highmark Foundation is pleased to offer schools throughout Pennsylvania and West
Virginia grants of up to $7,500 to improve health and wellness and empower schools
to create a nurturing and supportive environment for all students. Applications will be
considered for programs that fall within the following updated categories:
• Basic Needs Support • Mental/Social Health
(formerly Supportive Services) • Physical Health
• Environmental Health • School Nursing Support
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
You may be eligible for an award up to $7,500 to implement programs that advance child health
in your school! School applicants must:
1. Be located in Pennsylvania or West Virginia.
2. Be a public, private, charter, or parochial school, or a vocational high school.
3. Have a programmatic need in one of the award categories.
Please note the following exceptions:
• Equipment is only considered when necessary for the implementation of the program.
• Grants will not be awarded exclusively for equipment such as elliptical machines, stationary bikes,
street/mountain bikes, bike storage sheds, treadmills, weight room power racks and storage,
weight room benches, or other large, single pieces of equipment.
• Grants will not be awarded to support the purchase of iPads, Fitbits, televisions, water bottles,
t-shirts, or pedometers.
Applications will be evaluated on the strength of the proposal, the specific project and need,
the use of funds, and outcomes.
Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria, are submitted incomplete, or submitted under
the wrong category will be declined.
Apply today at highmarkfoundationrfp.versaic.com. Application deadline is April 15, 2025.
School Grants | 3

4 | Highmark Foundation

WHat'S nEW?
Here’s some key changes to this year’s program.
Each year, the Highmark Foundation explores new opportunities to serve schools
by researching best practices in school settings, as well as incorporating feedback
from our applicants. the goal is to maximize the impact of a grant.
UPDATED CATEGORIES
To better serve schools, the Foundation is adding two new grant categories for 2025 – 2026:
• Environmental Health
• Basic Needs Support (formerly Supportive Services)
These changes reflect increased needs in these areas and simplify the application process.
GRANTS WILL NOW BE ISSUED VIA ELECTRONIC PAYMENT
The Highmark Foundation is excited to share that you will now be able to receive your grant
payment via ACH. With ACH, your payment will be automatically deposited into your school district’s
bank account. Whether you know it as direct deposit, direct pay, or electronic check, ACH is a new
way for us to get our payments to you quickly and securely.
If you are selected as an awardee, you will receive additional information on how to sign up.
If you choose not to participate, you will continue to receive any future payments in the form
of a paper check.
School Grants | 5

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ScHool GRantS
A little extra support goes a long way.
these grant programs could be available to your school. they are
provided as examples of how the Highmark Foundation can help bring
about healthy change. apply today for up to $7,500 in one of these
five categories.
BASIC NEEDS SUPPORT A healthy environment includes
the physical, emotional, and social
Highmark Foundation will continue to
conditions that affect the well-being
support economically disadvantaged
of students.
school districts identified as high-needs
schools throughout Pennsylvania and Highmark Foundation will provide a
West Virginia with supplemental funds grant up to $7,500 for programmatic
to meet the basic student health activities including (but not limited to):
needs. Applicants will choose one
• Air quality improvements.
of the following:
• Water filtration systems.
• Green cleaning initiative.
Child Health and Wellness Grants:
Highmark Foundation will provide • Fragrance-free environments.
grants up to $1,000 to assist with
paying for items such as socks, MENTAL HEALTH/SOCIAL
coats, backpack meals, clothing, and HEALTH SUPPORT
undergarments to meet students’
Recognizing that social health factors
supportive, social, and health needs.
are an important part of a person’s
overall health, programs under this
School Equipment and
category seek to connect students and
Supplies Challenge Grants:
families to the services and supports
Highmark Foundation will match up they need outside of the school
to $2,500 for the purchase of necessary community to be healthy. Highmark
items. Schools must provide a detailed Foundation will provide a grant up
invoice or purchase order and show to $7,500 for programmatic activities
evidence of secured funding from including (but not limited to):
additional sources (PTOs, other
• Food security.
foundations, local business donations,
• Social-emotional learning.
or school fundraisers).
• Positive school climates and
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT school connectedness.
Factors that influence the physical • Housing and homelessness
environment include the school building interventions.
and surrounding areas, any biological
or chemical agents that are detrimental
to health, and physical conditions such
as temperature, air quality, safe routes
to schools, noise and lighting, and fresh
drinking water.
6 | Highmark Foundation

ScHool GRantS
A little extra support goes a long way.
these grant programs could be available to your school. they are PHYSICAL HEALTH SUPPORT
provided as examples of how the Highmark Foundation can help bring Schools are an important contributor to physical
health, not only because they serve as the
about healthy change. apply today for up to $7,500 in one of these
environment in which students spend a majority
five categories.
of their days, but they also provide the setting for
health education, physical education, breakfast
and lunch meals, and nutrition education, all of
which contribute to strong physical health and help
individuals develop lifelong healthy habits.
Highmark Foundation will provide a grant
up to $7,500 for programmatic activities
including (but not limited to):
• Increasing physical activity.
• Healthy eating/nutrition education.
• Personal hygiene.
• Health promotion and disease
prevention education.
SCHOOL-BASED NURSING SUPPORT
Numerous studies have conclusively linked school-
based health care to educational and health-related
outcomes, such as increased use of vaccination
and preventive services, reduced asthma morbidity,
fewer emergency department visits and hospital
admissions, and lower illegal substance use and
alcohol consumption, to name a few.
Highmark Foundation will provide a grant up
to $7,500 for programmatic activities including
(but not limited to):
• Training and development/standards
of practice for school nursing.
• Injury prevention and the prevention
of high-risk behaviors.
• Special needs/students with disabilities
health care.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
APRIL 15, 2025
School Grants | 7

REGIon maP
At your service.
School grants improve the health and wellness of students in Pennsylvania
and West Virginia.
Erie
Warren McKean Potter Tioga Bradford Susquehanna
Crawford Wayne
Forest Wyoming
Venango Elk Cameron Sullivan Lackawanna
Mercer Lycoming Pike
Clarion Clinton Luzerne
Columbia Monroe
Lawrence Union Montour
Butler Centre Carbon
Armstrong Snyder Northumberland Northampton
Beaver Indiana Mifflin Schuylkill Lehigh
Juniata
Allegheny Cambria Blair
Perry Dauphin
Lebanon
Berks
Bucks
Westmoreland Huntingdon
Washington Cumberland Montgomery
Greene Fayette Somerset
Bedford
Fulton Franklin Adams York
Lancaster
Chester
Delaware
Philadelphia
Western PA
Central PA
Northeastern PA
West Virginia
Southeastern PA
8 | Highmark Foundation

PublIcIty and mEdIa GuIdElInES
See something, share something.
We love to see our grant recipients celebrating their achievements, but we have a few
guidelines for you to follow.
PHOTOS SHARE IT
When you capture and share your photos • Share the story and photos of your school
with us, we’ll share them with future applicants community’s achievement on your own social
on the Highmark Foundation website and in media platforms by using #HighmarkFoundation
annual reports. Here are some tips for capturing when posting.
great shots: • Include acknowledgment of the Highmark
• Use a plain background where possible. Foundation funding in all press releases,
newsletters, brochures, annual reports,
• Use flash only when necessary.
websites, and any promotional materials.
• Move in close instead of zooming.
• Take advantage of natural light.
• Take both vertical and horizontal photos.
• Share the original photo with us, not what
was uploaded to the internet.
• If you’d like to share photos to be used
on social media, we require signed consent
from the parents of each student pictured.
Please contact Katie Kemmerer at katie.kemmerer@highmark.com
for a Highmark Health photo consent form.
School Grants | 9

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Visit the Highmark Foundation at highmarkfoundation.org.
Call: 1-866-594-1730 | Email: info@highmarkfoundation.org
01/25 MX4542755