Highmark Foundation: School Grants Program

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.

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.

Application Details

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.

IntRoductIon
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 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.

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
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.

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.
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

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.
which contribute to strong physical health and help
individuals develop lifelong healthy habits.
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.

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.
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.

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Visit the Highmark Foundation at highmarkfoundation.org.