Cigna Foundation Announces Availability of $5 Million in Grants to Reduce Child Food Insecurity

Funding is part of Healthier Kids For Our Future, a five-year, $25 million global initiative to improve the health and well-being of children

The Cigna Foundation is inviting nonprofit organizations working to reduce child food insecurity to apply for funding through its Healthier Kids For Our Future grant program. The program will provide grants to community organizations totaling up to $5 million over the next year.

Regular access to nutritious and sufficient food is the starting point for a healthier, more productive life. More than 12 million children in America experience food insecurity, which can significantly impact their physical and mental health. Lack of quality nutrition can lead to physical and mental health problems, emotional and behavioral problems, obesity and preventable chronic conditions that may be carried into adulthood.1

The Cigna Foundation seeks to immediately address this challenge by funding programs that bracket or augment school-related efforts to provide food and nutritional education to children. U.S. schools are a focal point for addressing child health issues, and many already have programs and partnerships offering food and nutrition support.

“We want to make an immediate impact on the health and well-being of children, and feel we can best do so by supporting organizations that are working to reduce hunger and food insecurity in their communities and schools today,” said Susan Stith, executive director, Cigna Foundation. “Collaborative efforts between public, private and nonprofit organizations are key to sustainable improvements, and we look forwarding to working together to help reach more children in need, quickly.”

Examples of programs eligible for funding through the Healthier Kids For Our Future grant program include:

• Community-based programs that support access to healthy meals and nutritional education outside the school setting, on weekends and during the summer.
• Food and nutritional programs that provide support for expectant mothers and caregivers.
• Programs that address the food and nutrition needs of preschool children.
• Health care provider efforts that navigate patients to nutritional education and/or food as prescription programming.
• School-based programs that enhance or augment state and/or federal assistance efforts.

To determine grant eligibility, start here.

About the Cigna Foundation

The Cigna Foundation, founded in 1962, is a private foundation funded by contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna employees live and work.

1 American Psychological Association, 2019. https://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty.

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Ellie Polack 860-902-4906 [e-mail]