Initiatives Equip Nonprofits & Communities for Health Policy Engagement
Nonprofits work closely with and within their communities, often developing a unique and invaluable understanding of the needs and lived experiences of the people they serve. Many are from the community. That’s why the Health Fund continues to invest in efforts that...
Pushing Back Against Dementia Stigma
National Council of Dementia Minds members addressed our Healthy Aging grantee convening in 2023 June is Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, which offers an opportunity to draw attention to the impact of stigma on people living with dementia, as well as...
Announcing $2.25 Million+ in New Capacity Building Grants
The Health Fund has approved 11 new grants totaling $2,255,017 to support health-focused nonprofits and collaboratives in Michigan through our 2026 Capacity Building grant initiative. Nine of the awards are Organizational Capacity Building grants, which help...
Feedback and Resources Help Capacity Building Applicants Strengthen Submissions, Seek Alternatives
Image: Health Fund grantees at our 2025 Capacity Building Convening. Photo by Chris Amos.The Health Fund’s Capacity Building Initiative is a highly competitive grant program, and each year we decline requests from incredible organizations doing important work...
Working Together on Workforce Development
It’s no secret. Michigan — like most states — faces serious health professional shortages and imbalances. The health of current and future Michigan residents depends on a robust health workforce that is ready, willing, and able to address the needs of our communities....
Previewing our First Healthy Kids Grant Round
The Health Fund has been deeply invested in children’s health dating back to some of our very first grants. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy, and we have a responsibility to nurture those opportunities for kids across Michigan....
Weaving Behavioral Health Across our Grant Programs
As one of the Health Fund’s eight strategic focus areas, behavioral health is ingrained in our approach to creating healthier communities across Michigan. Since 2016, our Behavioral Health Initiative has awarded nearly 200 grants for efforts that broaden access...
Healthy Aging Initiative Continues Evolution
Helping Michiganders maintain their health, well-being, and independence as they age is one of the Health Fund’s core purposes. Support for older adults is called out in our mission, alongside caring for the health of Michigan’s children. Our Healthy Aging Initiative...
Updating Grantmaking Practices to Increase Flexibility and Reduce Restrictions
As we developed our Strategic Framework for 2026-2031, the Health Fund team took a close look at our grantmaking processes and requirements with an eye toward removing unnecessary barriers for organizations and increasing flexibility. These explorations were shaped by...
Latest Behavioral Health Access Study Reveals Progress, Persistent Challenges
Michigan saw modest, but meaningful, increases in residents’ access to behavioral health care from 2019 to 2022, though high levels of unmet need remained in some communities. Meanwhile, a much smaller percentage of those in need of treatment for substance...
Introducing Our New Strategic Framework
The Michigan Health Endowment Fund is pleased to launch a new six-year Strategic Framework. While the framework is intended to be brief, clear, and straightforward, we also want to share the thinking and learning behind it. Let’s start with context. We are the largest...
New Grants Deploy $13 Million+ for Healthy Michigan Communities
The Health Fund Board of Directors approved 52 new grants totaling $13,009,067 to strengthen aging supports, nonprofit capacity, community-driven solutions, and collaborative approaches to address statewide health challenges. Together, these investments aim to support better health for residents across Michigan.