Sapphire Awards: Nominated Programs & Organizations Grant

The Sapphire Awards, organized by the Florida Blue Foundation, celebrate exemplary programs, organizations, and individuals who have made significant contributions to community health since 2005. With awards totaling up to $525,000, this program recognizes transformative partnerships, innovative solutions, and measurable impacts on health outcomes. Nominees must be Florida-based and demonstrate a commitment to addressing health disparities and promoting overall well-being, aligning with the Foundation's priorities of improving health, food security, and mental health.

NOTE: The Sapphire Awards are not a grant program. The Sapphire Awards are designed to recognize what has been accomplished (demonstrated success), not what is hoped to be accomplished.
Background and Purpose
Since that first year, 139 Sapphire Awards, totaling $8 million, have been awarded.
The 2026 Sapphire Awards will honor, through a competitive external review process, outstanding programs, organizations, and individuals whose services are distinguished by exemplary leadership, innovation, and documented impacts in improving health in local communities. They will excel at:
Transformational Partnerships: Developing and sustaining robust connections, collaborations, or partnerships that leverage diverse resources, strategies, and relationships to address health disparities, drive meaningful improvements in community health outcomes, and contribute to a culture of health and well-being. Innovation and Creativity: Demonstrating novel approaches, innovative solutions, or creative strategies that highlight the power of connections and improve community health outcomes.Leadership: Exhibiting strong leadership with a focus on amplifying marginalized voices and promoting community-driven solutions.Measurable Impact: Demonstrating clear, quantifiable, and sustained improvements in health outcomes and quality of life as a direct result of innovative partnerships, collaborations, or connections.Sustainability and Scalability: Showcasing a clear plan for sustaining and scaling successful partnerships, collaborations, or initiatives to maximize impact and reach.Foundation Priorities: Aligning with one or more of the three priority areas of the Foundation (Improving Health, Food Security, Mental Well-being) and demonstrating a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of these areas in achieving holistic community health.
Examples of local solutions for local issues could include: a mobile outreach clinic serving the specific needs of the local population; an alliance of organizations in a community, engaging representation from civic organizations, educational institutions, residents, and others, coming together to solve an issue that improves the health of the local population; or an innovative program that provides access to food in rural communities.
Funding
The Sapphire Awards are not a grant program. While there is a financial award, nomination applications should not be submitted with the sole intent of fundraising. The Sapphire Awards are designed to recognize what has been accomplished (demonstrated success), not what is hoped to be accomplished.
Award funds total up to $525,000 and will be distributed to the awardees based on the level of recognition and announced at the Sapphire Awards dinner and program.

Eligibility

Nominated Programs:An Organization seeking recognition for a single health-related program should submit a PROGRAM nomination application.
Organizations submitting a Program application for a Sapphire Award must be incorporated in the state of Florida and the programs for which they are seeking recognition, either individually or collectively, must be currently conducted in the state of Florida.
The nominated program must be in operation for a minimum of three years.
Organizations submitting a Program nomination application must possess exemption by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3), or be a unit of Florida government (e.g., county health department, K-12 school, college, university, etc.).
Program nomination applications must include two References from non-staff people such as current/former patients/clients, community leaders, elected officials, funders, or representatives from partner agencies/organizations. Nominated Organizations:An Organization may submit a Sapphire Award nomination application to seek recognition for the collective impact of all its health-related services and interventions.
An Organization seeking recognition for a single health-related program should submit a PROGRAM nomination application.
Organizations submitting applications for a Sapphire Award must be incorporated in the state of Florida and the programs for which they are seeking recognition, either individually or collectively, must be currently conducted in the state of Florida.
The nominated organization must be in operation for a minimum of five years.
Organizations applying for a Sapphire Award (all categories) must possess exemption by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3), or be a unit of Florida government (e.g., county health department, K-12 school, college, university, etc.).
Organization nomination applications must include two References from non-staff people such as current/former patients/clients, community leaders, elected officials, funders, or representatives from partner agencies/organizations. Organizations may submit one nomination application per category. However, large organizations that have many divisions—like a university, college, hospital—may submit only one nomination per category. If you are with a university, college, hospital, or other entity with multiple affiliates located across the state, please reach out to your development office or foundation to determine which nomination to submit.All chosen finalists must be available for interviews and recording by the Foundation and must be present at the Sapphire Awards program and dinner on the specified date.

Ineligibility

Nominated Programs:Programs named as “First Place Winners” of the Sapphire Awards in previous years for the impact of a single health-related program are not eligible to reapply for the same program. These First Place Winners may submit a nomination application seeking recognition for a different program.Spouses and family members of staff may not be references or nominators.Type III Supporting Organizations and private foundations are not eligible to submit a nomination application in any category.Nominated Organizations:Organizations named as “First Place Winners” of the Sapphire Awards in previous years for the collective impact of all their health-related programs are not eligible to submit another ORGANIZATION nomination application. They may submit an INDIVIDUAL nomination application or a PROGRAM nomination application if the two potential nominees have not been named First Place Winners.Spouses and family members of staff may not be references or nominators.Type III Supporting Organizations and private foundations are not eligible to submit a nomination application in any category.Current and former employees, retirees, and board members of the Florida Blue Foundation, Florida Blue (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida), the subsidiaries and affiliates of Florida Blue and GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation, as well as spouses and family members, cannot be nominated nor serve as a nominator or reference. Additionally, current and former members of the Sapphire Awards Review and Selection Committees, as well as their spouses and family members, cannot be nominated, submit a nomination or serve as a reference.Florida Blue Foundation does not make grants or charitable contributions to organizations that discriminate in their provisions of goods and services based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, or marital status.