Dedicated to giving back to Idaho by addressing the root causes that impact health, the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation (BCIF) for Health funds projects in all 44 Idaho counties using transformational approaches that meet communities where they are.
BCIF’s Senior Program Officer Courtney Frost provides more information about the root causes of health in Idaho and the foundation’s belief behind philanthropy. “The root causes can also be called the social influencers of health,” says Courtney. “These are factors that impact the overall health of a community such as housing instability, behavioral health, childcare, the quality of local food systems, the built environment and educational spaces. As a foundation, we believe in meeting communities where they are, especially our rural communities who make up the majority of our grant recipients.”
One of the foundation’s core programs, the Community Transformation Grants (CTG), was launched in 2013 and is currently under evaluation for a relaunch that will reintroduce the program to Idaho communities.
“Because this was our first multi-year grant, we really wanted to ensure it was designed to be fully immersive and a tool to the counties we serve. The first round ran from 2013 to 2016, then the second round from 2017 to 2019, the third round was 2019 to 2021,” says Courtney. “COVID hit in 2020, so instead of a fourth round of grants in 2022, we used the time to examine and evaluate the Community Transformation Grants and improve what we had. Our grant isn’t solely financial. It’s composed of several steps that include technical assistance to positively influence communities in the long-run. Success is measured by the standards they set for themselves such as having the community learn about health together and set goals for their grant and the outcomes they want to see. Basically, we’re about uplifting and amplifying community voices to make sure communities are able to reach their full potential.”
Since CTG’s launch in 2013, 78% of community stakeholders agreed they are making changes to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Along with the success of CTG, there have been a few hurdles that have turned into larger foundational lessons.
“In rural areas, trust is really important. If you’re coming into these towns as an outsider and don’t take the time to get to know the people, well, why would they want to work with you? If you’re not willing to get to know them, you’re not going to listen to them,” says Courtney. “Think about it. It makes sense, right? And because our Community Transformation Grants program is multi-year, having that trust is absolutely necessary. There’s no way around it, not if you actually want to make a difference. We believe, a big step to building trust is including all community members, especially youth whose voices often get left out. It’s easy to think we adults always know what the kids want but experience has taught that’s not the case.”
When asked about any particular grant recipient that stood out, Courtney named Bonners Ferry, a city located in northern Idaho. “Bonners Ferry was great to work with because they took the grant money, used it thoughtfully and wanted to work side-by-side with us,” says Courtney. “It was a real partnership and I believe their communities are seeing the fruits of their labor.”
Moving forward, the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health is excited to continue partnering with rural communities both financially and programmatically to better the overall health of Idahoans.
