Health isn’t limited to the doctor’s office, it starts in our communities.

One of every three children in Idaho is overweight or obese, setting the stage for serious health risks down the road—such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

This doesn’t have to be our children’s future.

Every couple of years, Idaho communities are awarded Community Transformation Grants — up to $250,000 of grants and technical assistance — to initiate projects that improve the health of our children by increasing their physical activity and access to healthy, affordable foods.

We listen to the community needs, understand community assets and help craft a strategy to increase physical activity and access to healthy food for all children.

Congratulations to the 2019-2021 Community Transformation Grant Recipients.

The Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health is awarding two prestigious $250,000 Community Transformation Grants to Orofino and Twin Falls that will help those communities make sustainable changes that promote healthy living for youth.

The cities were chosen after a rigorous selection process that included a detailed application and site visits with Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health staff.

What is the Community Transformation Grant

The Community Transformation Grant will support community partnerships that focus on improving health conditions for youth in Idaho communities.

The health of communities depends on multiple factors and we seek grantees committed to working together to co-create sustainable solutions. Please note that this grant does NOT fund existing projects. The goal is to develop a community partnership that encourage healthy eating and physical activity. 

Grant Guidelines & Who Can Apply

We expect to award grants to two Idaho cities, each valued at up to $250,000 of grants and technical assistance. Funding will depend upon each city’s action plan that is developed by the community partnership. The Foundation will provide technical assistance and continuous support and expertise to grant recipients for the duration of the grant.

Grant applications are submitted by municipalities, but this grant cannot simply be a city project. While the city and mayor will be the backbone of the grant process, partnerships are key to the community impact. Awards are intended for cross-sector collaborative groups.

Application Process & Timeline

This year’s grant application process is now closed. Grant notifications will be made in April, 2019.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for a Community Transformation Grant?

This grant is open to Idaho municipalities in partnership with the community organizations. The municipality must be the lead applicant and the Mayor must be an active participant for the duration of this grant. Community partnerships are defined as collaboration between a municipality and at least four other sectors as mentioned in the proposal outline. Please note that community partnerships DO NOT have to be an existing collaboration. They CAN BE formed for the purpose of this grant.

What are you looking for in a community partnership?

We’re interested in partnerships that will engage and mobilize the community to create healthier environments for youth. Specifically, partnerships should focus on:

• Cross-sector collaboration to design strategies that focus on the reduction and/or prevention of childhood obesity.
• Improvement of healthy eating, physical activity, and the built environment for youth.
• Support of a data-driven strategy development process.
• Finding ways to sustain the work of the community transformation grant after the three-year period.

Will you fund partnerships outside of Idaho?

No, we will not fund community partnerships outside of Idaho.

Can prior community transformation grant recipients apply?

No, past grant recipients are not eligible to apply, but Ambassador cities can.

Are there community types you’re interested or not interested in funding, such as urban or rural areas?

We are seeking community partnerships that will focus on improving health conditions for youth in Idaho cities. There is no preference to city size and geographic area.

What is the dollar range of grant awards?

We expect to award two grants valued up to $200,000 for community partnerships. Funding amounts will be based upon the action plan submitted during phase three of the grant. Please note that we will NOT fund existing projects.

How will you evaluate our application?

We look for applications that align closely with the proposal’s stated priorities and include clear responses to the components of the each stage of the application.

What type of impact are you looking for community partnerships to make?

We’re looking for partnerships with the potential to make lasting changes in the communities we fund, and we want to understand the impact our funding has in these communities. The grant includes evaluation processes that will be used to measure progress. We’ll provide tools and technical assistance that you’ll be required to use. This will assist us in tracking common measures and aggregation of data.

Will we be asked to report on our progress if we’re awarded a grant?

Yes. If you are awarded a grant, you’ll be required to participate in an ongoing evaluation and submit progress reports. These reports will describe your partnership’s progress toward your stated goals and outcomes. You’ll also be asked to provide interim and final financial reports. Please note that these reports are a requirement of our grant contract.