Proposal Development Award

The Proposal Development Award is offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, a philanthropic arm of a major health insurer dedicated to improving health outcomes and access to care across the state of Michigan. The foundation focuses its funding on initiatives that strengthen community health systems, address disparities, and expand access to care. Recognizing that many smaller nonprofit organizations lack the internal capacity to develop competitive grant proposals, the foundation created this award to build grant-seeking capacity by funding external proposal development support. The primary purpose of the Proposal Development Award is to enable Michigan-based nonprofit organizations to secure professional grant writing assistance for health-related funding opportunities. Rather than directly funding program implementation, this award is specifically designed to support the preparatory phase of grant acquisition. Organizations can use the funding to contract freelance grant writers, consultants, or technical assistance providers who can help develop and submit proposals to other funders such as the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation itself, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, federal agencies like the Health Resources and Services Administration, or local and community foundations. Funding under this program is capped at a maximum of 3500 dollars per award. The funds are restricted exclusively to proposal development activities and cannot be used for program delivery, capital expenses, or operational costs unrelated to grant preparation. Eligible expenses include hiring freelance proposal writers, obtaining technical assistance, and covering other reasonable costs directly associated with preparing a grant application. Projects are explicitly deemed ineligible if the proposal has already been completed prior to applying for this award, ensuring that funds are used prospectively to build new submissions. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit community organizations based in Michigan. Applicants must demonstrate that they are pursuing health-related funding opportunities and that the proposed grant writing support will directly contribute to developing a competitive submission. Certain individuals are ineligible, including employees of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, its affiliates, and their immediate family members. The program is inclusive of a wide range of nonprofit organizations working across health, social determinants of health, and community wellness, provided they meet the geographic and nonprofit status requirements. The application process is open on a rolling basis, with submissions accepted at any time throughout the year. Applicants must complete an application form and provide supporting documentation, including resumes or CVs of the project director and key personnel, organizational mission and history documents, proof of federal tax-exempt status under section 501c3, and the most recent tax return or audited financial statement. Following submission, applications are reviewed by foundation staff to assess alignment with health-related priorities in Michigan and the likelihood that the resulting proposal will secure funding from the intended target funder. Evaluation criteria focus on the relevance of the proposed grant to health issues in Michigan and the applicant organization’s readiness to benefit from professional grant writing support. The foundation also considers the strategic fit of the targeted funding opportunity and the potential impact of securing that funding. After review, applicants are contacted by a Senior Program Officer via email regarding next steps, which may include further clarification or guidance. The program operates continuously without fixed deadlines, reflecting its rolling structure. There is no specified award cycle or recurring annual deadline, as applications are reviewed as they are received. While no explicit performance period is defined, the expectation is that funds will be used promptly to support proposal development activities. For questions or additional information, applicants are directed to contact the foundation via email at foundation at bcbsm dot com or consult the help section for frequently asked questions.

Ensure proposed grant aligns with health-related issues in Michigan and clearly identify target funder to improve likelihood of success