The Anthem Foundation funds targeted grants that align with their Healthy Generations initiative.This initiative covers the following focus areas:Food InsecurityConsistent access to nutritious food is an essential part of maintaining good health—yet an estimated 54 million Americans will face food insecurity this year. As the most commonly reported unmet social need, food security hits close to home, affecting every community in our nation. That’s why Anthem is leading the way to expand access to nutritious foods and improve health.Behavioral HealthOne in five Americans struggles with diagnosable mental health issues in a given year, yet 56 percent of those individuals will not receive treatment. Acknowledging the interconnectivity of the mind and body, the Anthem Foundation is focused on a holistic, preventive approach to issues of suicide, domestic violence/child abuse, and substance abuse—supporting programs designed to increase access to resources for behavioral health conditions and provide education about the importance of whole-person health.Healthy HeartsThe Anthem Foundation is investing in preventive programs that minimize controllable cardiovascular diseases and strokes, including efforts to reduce smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and stressful and inactive lifestyles. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for about 647,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary heart disease alone costs the country $219 billion a year in healthcare services, medications and lost productivity.Cancer PreventionPrevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer. The Anthem Foundation partners with organizations that implement lifesaving cancer-prevention and early-detection programs. More than a million people in the United States get cancer each year. At least a third of all such cases are preventable if people make healthy choices such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating right, keeping active and getting recommended screening tests.Healthy Maternal PracticesThe Anthem Foundation focuses on programs that encourage and facilitate first-trimester prenatal care and help at-risk mothers commit to behaviors that reduce the numbers of low-birthweight babies. Preterm birth is among the leading causes of newborn death, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Prenatal care is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, and known strategies can lower the risk of an early birth.Diabetes PreventionMore than 30 million Americans are living with diabetes, and a third of all obese adults are at risk for developing this condition. The Anthem Foundation invests in programs that stem the spread of diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes and increased physical activity.Healthy Active LifestylesThe Anthem Foundation supports programs that raise awareness of, educate people about and encourage new behaviors, resulting in healthy, active lifestyles that offer long-term benefits. Regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, colon cancer and diabetes. It also improves mental well-being, assists with weight control, reduces depression and anxiety and helps muscles and joints.The foundation favors projects and programs that prioritize obtaining strategic, measurable end results over isolated grant activities. For example, a physical fitness initiative that increases physical activity or improves diet in general as a key goal is less likely to be favored than an initiative that increases physical activity or improves diet as a specific means to reduce BMI for a target population. The foundation's gauge for a successful grant is a measurable result that is evident within the grant period.The Foundation’s primary charitable support base is spread across the states in which Anthem, Inc., does business.Program grant applications are open year-round and prioritized based on the scope and nature of the request.Notes from your Grant Gopher Team: The funding priorities have changed slightly in the past year, and food security has been added as a priority. If you have saved or passed on this grant in the past, be sure to review the priorities to see if they are now a match for your funding needs. 9/17