← Back to US Funders Directory

Michigan Health Endowment Fund

Annual Giving
$35.2M
Grant Range
$50K - $0.5M
Decision Time
4mo

Michigan Health Endowment Fund

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $35,232,446 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program; typically 3-6 months from concept to decision
  • Grant Range: $50,000 - $500,000 (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: Michigan only (all project activities must occur in Michigan)

Contact Details

Address: 9829 Spencer Rd, Suite 201, Brighton, MI 48114
Phone: 517-374-0031
Website: https://mihealthfund.org
Email: grants@mihealthfund.org
Pre-Application Support: Health Fund staff are available to meet, answer questions, and discuss potential projects by emailing grants@mihealthfund.org

Overview

Established in 2014 with an initial endowment of $1.56 billion from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund has awarded more than $261 million in grants to date. Led by CEO Neel Hajra (appointed 2021), the organization's mission is to improve the health of Michigan residents and reduce the cost of health care, with special emphasis on the health and wellness of children and seniors. In 2023, the Fund invested more than $35 million through 150 grants to organizations across Michigan. The Fund has earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator with a score of 96%, reflecting its strong commitment to transparency and effectiveness. The organization operates under a five-year strategic plan that includes expansion of grant-making and innovative, community-driven approaches to health equity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Healthy Aging: Up to $500,000 - Invests in programs, partnerships, and models to better integrate Michigan's aging programs into the broader health care landscape, increase capacity, and generate new solutions for critical gaps
  • Behavioral Health Initiative: $50,000 to $500,000 - Aims to improve access to high-quality, integrated mental health and substance use disorder care, bridging health equity gaps and strengthening the health workforce
  • Nutrition & Healthy Lifestyles: $50,000 to $500,000 - Addresses critical nutrition and lifestyle challenges affecting Michigan's children and older adults, working with communities to overcome barriers limiting access to healthy food and physical activities
  • Community Health Impact: Up to $500,000 - Supports community-based organizations utilizing local data, building collective impact, and empowering community-driven solutions (concept paper required; invitation to apply)
  • Capacity Building: Up to $200,000 - Provides organizational strengthening support for health-focused nonprofits; two annual cycles
  • Special Projects & Emerging Ideas: Up to $500,000 - Supports innovative approaches and emerging health priorities
  • Attend/Present Scholarships: Rolling basis - Supports professional development for health sector workers (apply at least four weeks before event; applications accepted on a rolling basis)

Priority Areas

The Fund prioritizes applicants who:

  • Clearly demonstrate how communities of concern are involved in planning, design, implementation, and/or evaluation of projects
  • Incorporate lived experience: Programs require applicants to seek out and incorporate the voice of those with lived experience of the health issues they address
  • Address health disparities and social determinants of health
  • Emphasize collaboration with other organizations or stakeholders to enhance impact
  • Inform policy through analysis, collaboration, and education
  • Spark innovation and build sustainability
  • Use local data to drive decision-making

What They Don't Fund

  • Health-related emergencies (though longer-term rebuilding support may be considered)
  • Clinical research
  • Tuition and related educational fees (though salaries for student contributors are allowable)
  • Capital projects
  • Loans
  • Litigation
  • Lobbying activities
  • Existing operations and ongoing program staffing costs
  • Organizations that discriminate based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender
  • Grants larger than 20% of an organization's annual operating budget

Governance and Leadership

CEO: Neel Hajra - Appointed in 2021 after serving as CEO of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation since 2015. Hajra emphasized his commitment to "working alongside Health Fund staff to continue to support Michigan residents through collaborative leadership and innovative, equitable, community-driven care."

Board of Directors: Nine members appointed by the governor, representing various constituencies:

  • Kathryn Boles (Grand Blanc) - Retired President and CEO of Valley Area Agency on Aging; represents the interests of older adults
  • Michael Williams (Westland) - Retired President and CEO of Orchards Children's Services (Michigan's largest foster care and adoption agency); represents the interests of minor children
  • Leila Kello (Bloomfield Hills) - Director of Development, Chaldean Community Foundation
  • Lynn Chen-Zhang - CEO of Zhang Financial
  • Elizabeth Boyd (Lansing) - Owner of Liz Boyd Public Relations
  • Gilda Jacobs - Former state senator, state representative, and Oakland County commissioner; represents the general public
  • Zaineb A. Hussein - Nominee of the Speaker of the House of Representatives (reappointed 2024)

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Concept Paper Process (Strongly Encouraged):

  • Submit a brief concept paper (maximum two pages, including abbreviated draft budget) at any point during the year or during designated time frames
  • For Community Health Impact and Capacity Building programs, concept papers are required and applicants must be invited to apply
  • Staff provide constructive feedback to help strengthen full applications

Application Requirements:

  • Organizations must be nonprofits, federally recognized Tribes, local units of government, or the State of Michigan
  • Must hold IRS tax-exempt status
  • Must have current audited or independently reviewed financial statements (preferred) or Form 990 (accepted)
  • Must have at least one paid full-time equivalent employee
  • All project activities must occur in Michigan (organization need not be based in Michigan)
  • Budget template or own format acceptable (Excel or PDF required)
  • Keep narrative sections within specified page limits
  • Indirect/administrative costs may be requested up to 30% of total grant budget (beginning 2026 cycles)

Application Deadlines (Vary by Program):

  • Capacity Building: Two annual cycles
    • Cycle 1: Concept papers due January; full proposals due February; grants announced May
    • Cycle 2: Concept papers due June; full proposals due July; grants announced November
  • Nutrition & Healthy Lifestyles: Applications typically due May 1 by 5 p.m.
  • Attend/Present Scholarships: Rolling basis (apply at least four weeks before event)
  • Other programs: Check individual RFPs on mihealthfund.org for specific deadlines

Decision Timeline

  • Concept to Decision: Typically 3-6 months depending on program
  • Grant Start Dates:
    • Grants awarded in May may begin as early as June 1
    • Grants awarded in September may begin as early as October 1
    • Grants awarded in November may begin as early as December 1
  • Notification: Staff follow up during review process as necessary to strengthen applications

Success Rates

While specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed, recent grant activity shows:

  • 150 grants awarded in 2023
  • 165 grants awarded in 2022
  • 170 grants awarded in 2021
  • Recent grant cycles have approved 52-65 grants per cycle, totaling $13-15 million

Reapplication Policy

  • Previously funded organizations must resubmit all administrative documents (financial statements, current operating budgets) when applying again
  • The Fund seldom makes multiple grants to the same organization within a single grant cycle
  • Organizations with multiple project ideas should use the concept paper process to receive feedback on which ideas are most competitive

Application Success Factors

Demonstrating Community Voice and Lived Experience (Critical): The Fund explicitly requires and prioritizes applicants who "can most clearly describe how communities of concern are involved in the planning, design, implementation, and/or evaluation of their projects." Successful examples include:

  • University of Michigan's Feeding MI Families project, which supports Michigan parents with lived experience of hunger to be advocates for improved food access
  • Kent County Health Equity Council, which works to elevate the voices and experiences of community members related to health equity issues

Use of Data: According to the Fund's resources, "data helps us understand the 'why' of your work, giving us a sense of the gaps that need filling and the context of those gaps." The Fund offers resources on developing logic models, theories of change, and measurement plans.

Collaboration is Valued: Successful proposals emphasize collaboration with other organizations or stakeholders as a means of enhancing the project's impact.

Submit Concept Papers Early: The Fund's stated goal is "for you to have the strongest application possible," and staff will follow up during the review process. Early submissions allow time for clarification questions during review.

Matching Funds Are Favorable: Matching funds are viewed favorably, especially when the applicant is a health system, university, or a nonprofit with a significant operating budget.

Recent Grant Examples Show What Works:

  • Access Health Inc.'s How YOU Birth Doula Initiative built a collaborative cohort of 10 trained doulas reaching more than 140 Black pregnant people in Muskegon County
  • Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services' pilot pediatric psychiatric urgent care clinic addressing youth behavioral health service shortages in West Michigan
  • Health Care Association of Michigan's dementia quality-of-life training program for assisted living staff across 44 communities with plans to scale to all 235 HCAM members

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Community engagement is non-negotiable: Build meaningful involvement of people with lived experience into every phase of your project—planning, design, implementation, and evaluation
  • Use the concept paper process strategically: This is your opportunity to get free feedback from program staff before investing time in a full proposal. They want to help you succeed
  • Data should tell the story of need: Use local data to demonstrate the gaps you're addressing and the context of those gaps. The Fund provides resources on logic models and measurement plans
  • Think collaboration: The Fund values partnerships and collective impact approaches. Show how you're working with others to amplify impact
  • Keep grants proportional: Remember the 20% rule—don't apply for a grant larger than 20% of your annual operating budget
  • Submit early: Give yourself and Fund staff time for questions and clarification during the review process
  • Address health equity explicitly: Show how your project addresses health disparities and social determinants of health, not just symptoms
  • Contact staff with questions: The Fund actively encourages reaching out to grants@mihealthfund.org to discuss potential projects before applying

References

← Back to US Funders Directory