Thursday, July 14, 2022
Parkersburg, W.Va. (July 14, 2022) — Eight West Virginia-based non-profit organizations will receive funding from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health to support programs that combat substance use disorders (SUD). The grants, which were submitted in response to the Charitable Fund’s SUD Request For Proposals (RFP) earlier this year, total more than $600,000.
“The tremendous response we received illustrates the true need that exists in our state and remains a struggle for many in our communities,” said Jim Fawcett, president of Highmark West Virginia. “Focusing on improving SUD outcomes supports Highmark Health’s multipronged opioid strategy to combat addiction, and we are thrilled to lend our support to these eight organizations that are accomplishing life-changing work for West Virginians experiencing the effects of SUD.”
The RFP was available to health, community and social service organizations that specifically address SUD programs and initiatives. Due to the overwhelming RFP response, the total amount to be awarded was increased from $500,000 to $600,000. The funded grants focus on initiating effective SUD health programs and services or expand existing services that offer viable approaches to prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and support for long-term recovery. The following grantees were funded:
This is the third RFP the Charitable Fund has offered within its inaugural year. In its first year, the Charitable Fund awarded nearly $2 million in major grants to more than 50 non-profit organizations that address Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), Oral/Dental Care, and Family Health.
Additional grants will be awarded throughout the remainder of 2022. Interested non-profit organizations may visit www.highmarkwvfund.versaic.com for future RFP opportunities.
About Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia serves approximately 240,000 members through the company’s health care benefits business and hundreds of thousands of additional members through the BlueCard® program. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of West Virginia holds the largest share of the commercial market, and more West Virginians carry a Blue Cross Blue Shield card than any other insurance carrier in the state. Highmark West Virginia employs approximately 600 people and serves as a key economic driver in the state with its total economic impact reaching $352 million.
Highmark Foundation
The Highmark Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) private, charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing, and quality of life for individuals who reside in the communities served by Highmark, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our missing by awarding high-impact grants to charitable organizations that implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health. Central to the Foundation’s mission is identifying and continuously reevaluating our region’s prevailing health care needs. By doing so, the Foundation remains at the forefront of those needs, well-equipped to pinpoint the issues that more urgently need support.
In 2021, two new restricted funds were established at the Highmark Foundation - the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health and the United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund. These funds support the ongoing work of the Highmark Foundation across its footprint and beyond. For more information, visit www.highmarkfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @HighmarkFdn.
About Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund
The Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health is a restricted fund of the Highmark Foundation. The Charitable Fund for Health‘s mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in all 55 counties in West Virginia. The Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health strives to support programs that impact multiple counties and work collaboratively to leverage additional funding to achieve replicable models. For more information, visit www.highmarkfoundation.org
For more information, contact
Cathy McAlister
Executive Director
Highmark WV Charitable Fund for Health
304-347-7754
cathy.mcalister@highmarkhealth.org
