Funding Opportunity
Comprehensive Plan Grants

Data supports that your zip code predicts your health more than your genetic code. The Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health is offering a grant to cities to support the explicit and detailed incorporation of a health focus to the city’s comprehensive plan. This is to help determine if communities can address systemic issues of individual health at the community level.
We stand beside and support our community partners as they embed health into the design and expansion of our communities throughout Idaho – truly creating healthier environments for children and families.
The Foundation recognizes that the health of a community has multiple facets. It certainly includes the reduction of chronic diseases and accidental injuries and death, but it also entails the economic vibrancy, social connectedness and energy, and environmental well-being (resilience against flooding, drought and wildfires, for example) and housing as important aspects of a community’s health. Comprehensive plans can address all of the above.
Applications closed at 3 pm MST, November 27, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Incorporated Idaho cities that have completed the Foundation’s Community Health Academy who are interested in updating their comprehensive plan to include a health focus or lens. Improving the health of the community should be a focus of the applicants.
WHY SHOULD YOUR CITY APPLY?
There are very few grants that support this work in Idaho. Our goal is to help cities that have a desire to improve the health of their community through planning.
WHEN IS THE APPLICATION DEADLINE?
Applications are due by noon MST on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.
WHEN WILL GRANTEES BE ANNOUNCED?
We are expecting to finalize and announce the grantee in December 2024.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE GRANT?
Up to $20,000.
WHAT ARE THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH?
The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These conditions impact our health. Learn more by viewing this report about social determinants of health in Idaho.
WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASPECT OF THIS GRANT?
Supporting healthy communities for all community members is one of the Foundation’s core values. Enhanced inclusive community engagement produces more education, information and public input around health needs and outcomes of the community. Grantees should plan on engaging a variety of community members in creative ways providing education and a place for community input. Educational community opportunities may include pop-up demonstration projects, multilingual materials, place-based audits in underserved communities or focus group meetings with nontraditional partners such as churches, cultural centers or youth centers.
USEFUL RESOURCES FOR GRANT APPLICANTS
Driggs Plan: https://www.driggsidaho.org/comprehensive-plan
APA toolkit : https://www.planning.org/publications/document/9201866/
Change Lab Solutions: https://www.changelabsolutions.org/
Building A Healthier Idaho Report: https://www.bcidahofoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BCIF_FSG_SDOH-Report_FINAL.pdf