Health New England’s Health Equity Mini Grant

Health New England, a health insurance provider headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, administers a Community Benefits Program with the goal of enhancing the health and lives of individuals throughout Western Massachusetts. As a regional healthcare insurer, Health New England has a longstanding commitment to serving the communities within its operational footprint, including Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties. Through targeted investments and initiatives aligned with its Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), the organization aims to address social determinants of health and promote health equity in underserved and high-need populations. The Health Equity Mini Grant is a component of Health New England’s broader Health Equity Grant Program. For 2025, the organization has allocated $185,000 in total funding to support projects that advance health equity and address disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. Eligible nonprofit organizations can apply for individual awards of up to $10,000. Each application must focus on at least one social determinant of health, such as the built environment (including transportation and food access), education, employment, housing, social environment (e.g., social isolation, institutional racism), or experiences with violence and trauma. To qualify, applicants must be registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations with programs that serve communities within the five-county service area of Western Massachusetts. Health New England emphasizes that only one application per nonprofit will be accepted, and programs should directly address the health equity goals outlined in the CHNA. Proposals must be submitted using Health New England’s online grant application platform. The deadline to submit an application is noon on August 4, 2025. Only complete online submissions will be considered. The review process will take place during August, and selected applicants will be notified of their award status by the end of that month. No details were provided regarding evaluation criteria or scoring methodologies, and no pre-application technical assistance or Q&A sessions were noted in the program description. Interested applicants or those seeking clarification may direct questions to Katie Bruno, MPH, Manager of Quality Improvement Programs at Health New England. Contact details include a direct line at (413) 787-4004, toll-free support at (800) 310-2835, and TTY access via 711. The organization's administrative office is located at One Monarch Place, Suite 1500, Springfield, MA 01144-1500. Business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with Member Services available until 6:00 p.m. The Health Equity Mini Grant operates on an annual cycle. Although the current deadline is August 4, 2025, the description suggests a recurring structure, implying that organizations may prepare for future rounds of funding in subsequent years. Notifications are expected by the end of August 2025, completing the current funding cycle.