Mental Health, Resilience and Well-Being Grants

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is offering a funding opportunity aimed at enhancing mental health, resilience, and well-being among nonprofit professionals who support youth in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. This initiative stems from the Foundation's ongoing commitment to improving the health of North Carolina residents through direct investment in community-led solutions. The Foundation was established in 2000 as an independent charitable organization and has since provided over $269 million in support of more than 1,600 grants, community partnerships, and special initiatives across the state. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, many youth-serving organizations in western North Carolina stepped in to provide urgent and ongoing mental health services to children and families. In response, this grant program acknowledges the toll this crisis has taken on nonprofit professionals, many of whom have continued their essential work despite personal hardships. This funding aims to provide these frontline workers with the resources and time necessary to prioritize their own recovery, mental health, and holistic well-being. Each selected organization will receive $25,000 in flexible funding over a one-year period. A total of up to 20 grants will be awarded. Funds can be used in a variety of ways, depending on staff needs and organizational priorities. Examples include full-team interventions such as counseling services, wellness coaching, and staff retreats, or individual stipends for services like therapy, stress management tools, gym memberships, and meal support. The program explicitly allows for recipient organizations to choose how best to support their staff without prescribing a specific model. To be eligible, organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits (or fiscally sponsored programs with a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent) that are not currently funded by the Blue Cross NC Foundation. Additionally, they must be located in one of 16 designated counties deemed most impacted by Hurricane Helene as of February 2025, including Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, and Yancey. Organizations must focus on youth mental health and resilience and serve children and families affected by the hurricane. Entities such as universities, government agencies, hospitals, pass-through intermediaries, and professional associations are not eligible. Applications will be reviewed by Foundation staff, with priority given to organizations lacking access to previous staff support resources. Clear strategies for staff involvement and geographic distribution will also be considered. The application process requires submission via the Foundation’s online portal by October 16, 2025. A 30-minute Q&A session will be held on September 25, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. Awardees will be notified by October 30, 2025. The application includes four narrative questions regarding current youth support efforts, existing well-being initiatives, proposed use of funds, and how staff will be involved in implementation. No project budget is required. For questions or alternate submission formats, applicants may contact the Foundation at grants@bcbsncfoundation.org.

Organizations are encouraged to consult their staff when planning their proposed use of funds.