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Awards to Florida Nonprofits, Agencies, Schools, IHEs, and Individuals to Recognize Contributions to Community Health

Sapphire Awards


Agency
Foundation

GrantWatch ID#
160578

Funding Source
Florida Blue Foundation
Array ( )

Geographic Focus
USA: Florida

Important Dates
Deadline: 09/26/23 5:00 PM Save

Grant Description
Awards to Florida nonprofit organizations, government agencies, K-12 schools, academic institutions, and individuals working with qualified organizations to recognize outstanding work in community health. Specific programs may also be nominated. Awards are intended to honor achievements that demonstrate innovation and documented outcomes in providing or creating services and programs related to mental and physical health and food insecurity.

The 2024 Sapphire Awards will highlight and honor, through a competitive external review process, outstanding programs, organizations, and individuals that excel at one or more of the following:

  • Focus at a hyper-local level on improving physical health, mental well-being, or access to health care and/or health care services.
  • Build cross-sectional collaborations and partnerships at the local level to help achieve goals and outcomes that improve either the physical health or mental well-being of the residents of local communities.
  • Leverage local resources and relationships to impact and amplify long-lasting change within communities by improving access to health and/or healthcare services.
  • Create innovative solutions that both address local health-related issues and may be successfully replicated in other communities.
  • Demonstrate clear and impactful results in improved access to health care and/or health outcomes.
  • Focus on one or more of the three priority areas of the Foundation—Health Equity, Mental Well-being, or Food Security.

Examples of local solutions for local issues could include a mobile outreach clinic serving the specific needs of the local population; an alliance of organizations in a community, engaging representation from civic organizations, educational institutions, residents, and others, coming together to solve an issue that improves the health of the local population; or an innovative program that provides access to food in rural communities.



Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria
Nominated Organizations:
- Organizations named as “First Place Winners” of the Sapphire Awards in previous years for the collective impact of all their health-related programs are not eligible to submit another ORGANIZATION nomination application. They may submit an INDIVIDUAL nomination application or a PROGRAM nomination application if the two potential nominees have not been named First Place Winners.
- An Organization may submit a Sapphire Award nomination application to seek recognition for the collective impact of all its health-related services and interventions.
- An Organization seeking recognition for a single health-related program should submit a PROGRAM nomination application.
- Organizations submitting applications for a Sapphire Award must be incorporated in the state of Florida and the programs for which they are seeking recognition, either individually or collectively, must be currently conducted in the state of Florida.
- The nominated organization must be in operation for a minimum of five years.
- Organizations applying for a Sapphire Award (all categories) must possess exemption by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3), or be a unit of Florida government (e.g., county health department, K-12 school, college, university, etc.).
- Organization nomination applications must include two References from non-staff people such as current/former patients/clients, community leaders, elected officials, funders, or representatives from partner agencies/organizations. Spouses and family members of staff may not be references or nominators.
- Type III Supporting Organizations and private foundations are not eligible to submit a nomination application in any category.

Nominated Individuals:
- Individuals named as “First Place Winners” of the Sapphire Awards in previous years are not eligible for nomination for another Sapphire Award.
- Nominated Individuals must be licensed healthcare professionals, administrators, or volunteers who have worked and/or volunteered in the state of Florida with “qualified” health-serving organizations that are physically located in Florida. Qualified health-serving organizations must be a 501(c)(3) organization, or a unit of Florida government (e.g., county health department, K-12 school, college, university, etc.).
- Nominated Individuals must have a proven record of more than five years of work, expertise, and accomplishments in the field.
- Can be active or retired.
- Must be alive and a resident of Florida at the time the nomination application is submitted. Posthumous nomination applications will not be considered.
- Individuals may be nominated:
a. For their work as a professional, service as a volunteer, or a combination of both, and the nomination should focus heavily on the individual’s professional work and/or volunteer service performed in Florida.
b. For a career that spans more than one organization or community, with a focus on Florida.
c. By a peer, colleague, co-worker, staff member, board member, volunteer, patient, client from the organization where the individual works and/or volunteers, or from separate organizations. Spouses and family members may not be nominators nor references for the individual category.
- Self-nomination applications for the individual category will not be accepted.
- Nominations from spouses and family members will not be accepted.
- Organizations submitting an Individual nomination application must possess exemption by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3), or be a unit of Florida government (e.g., county health department, K-12 school, college, university, etc.).
- Nomination applications for individuals must include two References from people who know the work of the individual. The references may come from two non-staff people, including, a board member, volunteer, patient, client from the organization where the individual works and/or volunteers, community leaders, elected officials, funders, or representatives from partner agencies/organizations. Spouses and family members of the individual and staff may not be references.
- Type III Supporting Organizations and private foundations are not eligible to submit a nomination application in any category.

Nominated Programs:
- Programs named as “First Place Winners” of the Sapphire Awards in previous years for the impact of a single health-related program are not eligible to reapply for the same program. These First Place Winners may submit a nomination application seeking recognition for a different program.
- An Organization seeking recognition for a single health-related program should submit a PROGRAM nomination application.
- Organizations submitting a Program application for a Sapphire Award must be incorporated in the state of Florida and the programs for which they are seeking recognition, either individually or collectively, must be currently conducted in the state of Florida.
- The nominated program must be in operation for a minimum of three years.
- Organizations submitting a Program nomination application must possess exemption by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3), or be a unit of Florida government (e.g., county health department, K-12 school, college, university, etc.).
- Program nomination applications must include two References from non-staff people such as current/former patients/clients, community leaders, elected officials, funders, or representatives from partner agencies/organizations. Spouses and family members of staff may not be references or nominators.
- Type III Supporting Organizations and private foundations are not eligible to submit a nomination application in any category.

For additional requirements see the Special Notes section on the Full Grant Text RFP.

Ineligible
Nomination applications should not be submitted with the sole intent of fundraising. The Sapphire Awards are designed to recognize what has been accomplished (demonstrated success), not what is hoped to be accomplished.

Pre-Application Information
Timeline:
- August 22, 2023: Nomination Applications Open and webinar recording available
- September 26, 2023: Deadline to submit Nomination Applications
- January 22, 2024: All applicants receive notice of status

Award funds will be distributed to the awardees based on the level of recognition and announced at the Sapphire Awards dinner and program on April 3, 2024.

Webinar recording: https://kvgo.com/bcbsflorida/2024_Sapphire_Award_Application_Clarification_Webinar

Additional Funding Information

Estimated Total Program Funding:

$525,000

Contact Information
Submit a Nomination Online: https://floridablue.smartsimple.com/welcome/gms/?u=1

Individuals who wish to submit a nomination and prefer to not nominate under their organization name, or who are retired or between jobs, should send an email to floridabluefoundation@floridablue.com with the subject line: Sapphire Award Nomination by Individual.

Please direct questions to the email address above or call 800-477-3736, ext. 63215.

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