Blue Cross Blue Shield Grants Almost $1 Million To Oklahoma Nonprofits

Several nonprofits around the state are getting a little bit of extra help to keep their services going. Blue Cross Blue Shield granted almost $1 million to 24 nonprofits in Oklahoma.

One nonprofit that received part of the grant is the Tulsa Higher Education Consortium. It helps students discover their passions through an ambassador program, and offers 400 college degree options, but was lacking a large one.

"The Blue Cross Blue Shield grant will help us to expand that program to be able to provide a medical track," Dr. Sarah Wyatt, the Director of Strategy and Operations at Tulsa Higher Education Consortium, said.

She said this grant will broaden the playing field for many Tulsa students.

"Many of them said, 'I didn't know I could go to college in Tulsa, I didn't know this hospital was wanting to hire me, I didn't know Tulsa was so eager for educated professionals to join the workforce,'" Wyatt said.

This is the first year Blue Cross Blue Shield has launched the Blue Impact grant. It's giving $935,000 to 26 different nonprofits, with grant sizes ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 depending on the need and size of the organization.

"It's important to us that we are really handing over those dollars to let those organizations do the good work and then they're coming back to us and really telling us what those outcomes are," said Brooke Townsend, the Director of Community Affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma.

She said the grants have to be used within the year and can be spent on new projects, expanding current projects, and expanding the community they serve.

"So really this is our way to allow organizations to do bigger and bolder things and allows us to invest in innovative programs and areas that we maybe hadn't invested in before," Townsend said.

Blue Cross Blue Shield will continue Blue Impact grants every year as a way to stay connected to the communities they serve.