The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation is seeking applications for its 2025 Perinatal Health Initiative Grant Program.
Donor Name: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/08/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The new 2025 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:
- 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.) led by and located in 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.
- 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).
Eligibility Criteria
- 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 equity, 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 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.
- Demonstrated experience in perinatal health policy, advocacy, or engagement in policy or stakeholder conversations about improving perinatal health and birth equity.
- 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.
For more information, visit BCBSMF.
