Cigna Foundation announces availability of $5 Million in grants to address children’s mental health, childhood hunger
The Cigna Foundation is inviting nonprofits working to create greater access to mental health services to apply for funding through its Healthier Kids For Our FutureSM grant program. The program will provide up to a total of $5 million in grants to community organizations over the next year.
Healthier Kids For Our FutureSM is a five-year, $25 million global initiative to improve the health and well-being of children that launched in 2019. Phase I focused on reducing childhood hunger and improving nutrition, awarding more than $4.5 million in grants to-date.
In Phase II, the program will add an additional focus area, addressing the mental health and well-being of children. Nonprofits working to improve childhood hunger can still apply as well.
Many families across the country are facing increased stress and anxiety right now. Prior to COVID-19, up to 20 percent of children and adolescents worldwide experienced mental illness1, and the pandemic is shedding light on a worsening mental health crisis – as both children and adults are struggling with anxiety, loneliness, and isolation.2 Cigna’s 2018 Loneliness Index also found that Generation Z (ages 18-22) are the loneliest generation and claim to be in the worst health.3
“With Cigna and the Cigna Foundation operating around the world, we see how a lack of quality nutrition in children can lead to long-lasting physical and mental health problems,” said Susan Stith, executive director, Cigna Foundation. “That’s why we’re looking to continue to partner with organizations that are already working to positively impact the health and well-being of children. Given what we’re seeing play out through Cigna’s landmark loneliness study, and the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on childhood hunger and mental health, it’s more important than ever to connect the dots among communities and schools as we work together to reach more children in need.”
The Cigna Foundation is looking to partner with school systems and surrounding communities – including clinicians, local and national nonprofits – to supplement existing programming for children to help close gaps both within and outside the school environment.
Programming requirements should include:
Food insecurity, hunger or nutrition education programs.
Mental health programs with a focus on loneliness, anxiety, depression and suicide prevention.
Grants will be considered for school-based or non-school-based programming, and summertime programs. In some instances, multi-year requests will be considered.
To determine grant eligibility, start here.
Liberty Mutual Insurance Commits $15 Million in Crisis Grants to Community Partners
Liberty Mutual Insurance announced $10 million in additional grants to help Boston-based organizations on the front lines of treating those who are ill and stopping the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The support also helps provide food and shelter to the most vulnerable populations that have been impacted by the pandemic, including low-income residents and those experiencing homelessness.
This new funding is the latest initiative in Liberty Mutual’s strategic portfolio of community support in response to the coronavirus, which was launched early March with an initial philanthropic pool of
$4 million for its current 450 nonprofit partners. This original round of grants was designed to help current organizations address a wide range of immediate community needs such as providing students with computers for remote learning, setting up special training for community volunteers and helping fund increased facility cleaning. The company fast-followed that investment with $1 million in support of the Boston Resiliency Fund.
With this latest $10 million pledge, Liberty Mutual has committed a total of $15 million to coronavirus relief efforts to date.
“During this unprecedented time, providing extra help for our longtime nonprofit partners is not only critical in overcoming this pandemic, it is core to our value of being there for people when they need us most,” said Liberty Mutual Insurance Chairman and CEO David Long. “We are grateful for the nonprofit leaders and staff who are so selflessly caring for our most vulnerable populations.”
“COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting communities in greatest need and our nonprofit partners are responding urgently and with extreme care,” said Liberty Mutual Foundation President Melissa MacDonnell. “By offering this portfolio of funding, we are striving to help curtail the current emergency and support our partners as they continue to serve in varied ways.”
The additional $10 million in grants will be distributed to Boston-based nonprofits – the initial distribution of $5 million will include $1 million each to Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program; Boston Medical Center; Pine Street Inn; and $500,000 each to Friends of Boston’s Homeless; St. Francis House; and Greater Boston Food Bank.
“COVID-19 is presenting such unprecedented challenges for all of us, especially as we strive to care for the most vulnerable among us,” said Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program CEO Barry Bock. “I am so deeply grateful for this incredible support from Liberty Mutual – it is a true game-changer in these difficult times. It will allow us to be on the frontlines during this crisis and meet our tangible needs, and at the same time is providing a tremendous morale boost to our health care teams who are working so bravely and tirelessly to care for people affected by this virus.”
Liberty Mutual’s strategic support of its nonprofit partners in their response to the coronavirus also includes donations to each of the over 800 nonprofits the company partners with during its employee volunteering program; employee online charitable donations that are supported further by company gifts; employee phone outreach to those in the community who are socially isolated; and redeployment of catering teams in the Boston and Dover, New Hampshire offices to prepare 100 lunches per day for homeless individuals in the area.