Funding

The WellPoint Foundation believes we must champion healthy behaviors, health-risk prevention and healthy environments. We fund specified public health–related issues that positively affect key health conditions and systems.

The Foundation invests in domestic initiatives that help improve the lives of people and the health of our communities. We support fellow community investors who commit to increase access to health care, keep health care quality high and reduce costs associated with quality care.

Approach

We invest in traditional and nontraditional problem-solving approaches. These include programs that provide direct services to people and changes in systems to improve community health. Although we fund some research and policy requests, such proposals are by invitation only.

Measurable Results

We favor initiatives that prioritize obtaining strategic measurable end results over isolated grant activities. For example, a physical fitness initiative that increases physical activity or improves diet as a key goal is less likely to be favored than an initiative that increases physical activity or improves diet as a means to measurably reduce BMI for a target population. Our gauge for a successful grant is a measurable result that is evident within the grant period.

Operating Principles

We want to create the highest levels of human gain for the grant dollars we have available. Rather than try to cover many broad health-related needs in the community, the Foundation funds targeted grants that align with our signature Healthy Generations initiative.

The Foundation predicts the ability of grant requests to yield meaningful results by asking three simple questions of each proposal:

1. What results will be achieved?
2. Will this organization deliver on its proposed commitments?
3. Is this grant the best possible use of the Foundation's resources?

Funding Eligibility

Organizational Status

The majority of organizations we support are from those classified by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt public charities under Section 501(c)(3). We occasionally support initiatives from nonpublic charities that are:

Government agencies supported by taxpayer funds (e.g., government health agencies or public schools), seeking funding to support charitable public projects or initiatives.

Faith-based organizations seeking funding to support secular, community-based charitable projects or initiatives.

Locations

The Foundation’s primary charitable support base is spread across the 14 states in which WellPoint, Inc., does business. These states are:

• California
• Connecticut
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Indiana

• Kentucky
• Maine
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• New York

• Nevada
• Ohio
• Virginia
• Wisconsin