Missouri Foundation for Health


Missouri Foundation for Health is an independent philanthropic foundation formed as a "health conversion foundation" in February 2000, following Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of Missouri's transformation from a nonprofit to for-profit company. Federal law requires that proceeds from the sale of tax-exempt entities be directed toward charitable purposes. Using those proceeds, the Foundation was charged with "identifying and filling the gaps in the myriad of public and private health care services already available to the uninsured, the underinsured and the underserved in the 84 counties plus the City of St. Louis."
Each year the organization awards between $40 and $50 million in grants.
Robert Hughes, Ph.D., joined the Foundation in 2012 as president and chief executive officer.
As the largest health foundation in Missouri, the Foundation works to maximize limited resources by identifying and funding health programs where it can have the greatest possible impact.

Strategy

The Foundation's strategy is broken into three main portfolios: Targeted, Responsive and Policy. The Targeted Portfolio focuses on making a measurable impact in four key health issues: childhood obesity prevention, increasing health insurance coverage, reducing infant mortality and improving access to oral health care.
The Responsive Portfolio seeks input from and collaborates with the community to meet self-identified health needs. The Portfolio supports communities and organizations in making a measurable impact on priority health needs of the uninsured and underserved.
The Policy Portfolio complements the Foundation's Targeted and Responsive work by addressing health issues from a systemic perspective. The Portfolio supports education advocacy, and analysis on issues significant to the health of uninsured and underserved Missourians.