Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is committed to helping everyone live their healthiest lives through community investment, advocacy, and partnership, while remaining responsive to the evolving health needs of all Minnesotans.
$16 million donated to charitable organizations – 99% within Minnesota
14,500 volunteer hours donated by more than 1,200 associates to local charitable organizations
46 grants – totaling $4.3 million – provided through the Blue Cross Foundation to support early childhood care and education, connected and welcoming communities, and access to healthcare coverage
600 charitable organizations received a total of more than $860,000 from the annual Blue Cross Community Giving Campaign
$1 million donated towards a five-year, $5 million pledge in support of the Rural Behavioral Health Clinic at Minnesota State University, Mankato
Ever since Blue Cross took on Big Tobacco and won a landmark settlement in the 1990s, we have been working tirelessly to reduce commercial tobacco use through community driven efforts that raise awareness, shift social norms, and influence organizational and local public policy. In 2024, we funded seven local community organizations and three tribal nations to advance policies that reduce the availability of commercial tobacco. Additionally, we supported coalitions to advance local and statewide policy change and collaborated on tobacco awareness communications campaigns.
The Quit the Hit program, an innovative 30-day behavior change campaign that provides young adults a socially connected platform on Instagram, had a successful third round of implementation in Minnesota with 1,516 participants—more than five times the amount from the first year of the program. Each participant was added to an Instagram group DM with others who also wanted to quit vaping. Each day, support from a real guide was sent to participants in the form of proven quit strategies. Vaping among participants significantly decreased after participation in the program.
Co-chaired by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation is a coalition of more than 40 community organizations leading the fight against youth commercial tobacco use by supporting policies like Tobacco 21, keeping tobacco prices high, and limiting access to candy, fruit, and menthol flavored tobacco.
Addressing the total impact caused by commercial tobacco use is crucial for improving overall health outcomes in our state. The overall smoking rate in Minnesota continues to decrease, yet Big Tobacco continues to target populations that have disproportionately higher percentages of cigarette smoking and tobacco use. We commissioned a report that shows that smoking is responsible for 6,530 deaths and $9.4 billion in healthcare expenses and lost productivity costs across Minnesota. The report highlights the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address smoking related health issues in Minnesota.
With our support, the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota (ANSR) achieved significant milestones in 2024 by fostering collaborations, empowering youth, and engaging diverse communities. ANSR built a coalition of more than 40 organizations supporting Nicotine-Free Generation policies and worked with city councils to advance flavored tobacco restrictions. More than 25 young leaders were trained in advocacy, outreach, and media strategies, playing key roles in various campaigns and events. ANSR also deepened community ties through events like Rondo Days, partnered with Recycling Electronics for Climate Action to address vape waste, and worked with St. Paul’s Department of Safety and Inspections to enforce tobacco ordinances.
All people should have access to healthy and affordable foods without barriers, as it is core to maintaining healthy lives. We work to make healthy eating possible for all communities.
Community-led efforts to reclaim Indigenous foods are vital to improving health and addressing disproportionately high rates of diet-related illness in Indian Country. American Indians experience some of the worst health gaps in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Indians and Alaska Natives have a greater chance of having diabetes than any other group and are almost three times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. Food Sovereignty Funding is designed to support Tribal Nations and Indigenous-led organizations in improving community health by increasing access to and consumption of traditional foods. The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the White Earth Nation are the first recipients of Food Sovereignty Funding — receiving a total of $260,000 in 2024.
The Food Justice funding initiative supports communities working to address the root causes of gaps in health outcomes. Funded projects are implementing community led strategies to improve health and uplift the needs of those most impacted by food insecurity. In 2024, twelve Minnesota nonprofit organizations received a total of $1.2 million in funding. Below are three examples of funded projects.
Urban Roots MN empowers local youth through nature, healthy food, and community building. In 2024, with support from youth interns and community partners, Urban Roots produced over 15,000 pounds of produce on approximately 1.5 acres. Urban Roots hired 90 youth interns to serve in paid, job training internships, and distributed fresh food to over 10,000 community members.
The University of Minnesota Morris is working to eliminate food insecurity on campus and empower students as leaders. Through the Morris Food Justice Initiative, new food shelves and food recovery programs have been created on campus.
Foundation for Essential Needs (FFEN) is changing the food distribution system by supporting food shelves to become more community centered. In 2024 they created a manual for food shelves on how to better engage community and supported five food shelves in piloting community engagement strategies.
Research shows that uninsured people are far more likely than those with insurance to delay healthcare or go without it entirely. The effects of this can be devastating, particularly when preventable or life-threatening conditions are left untreated, or chronic diseases undetected. Through its Equitable Care and Coverage program, the Blue Cross Foundation partners with nonprofits throughout the state to increase healthcare coverage, support community solutions to accessing equitable care, and increase awareness about communities most impacted by a lack of healthcare access.
Throughout 2024, the Foundation supported 24 grantee partners in their efforts to increase access to care and coverage throughout Minnesota.
These efforts include expanding enrollment in public health insurance programs, increasing access to oral healthcare, advancing birth equity and maternal child health, and ensuring access to culturally informed and patient-centered care.
Increasing access to oral healthcare is a critical part of increasing overall health. The Foundation’s commitment to oral healthcare access is part of its broader efforts to support nonprofit organizations who deliver high quality, community based, culturally relevant patient-centered care.
Foundation grantee partner Children’s Dental Services (CDS) provides affordable, culturally focused dental care and education to over 30,000 patients annually across 500+ clinical locations around Minnesota. In 2024, the Foundation helped support CDS’s efforts to expand oral health access to 3,000 residents across Anoka, Beltrami, Brown, Hennepin, Houston, Itasca, Pine, St. Louis, and Stearns Counties – particularly children from families with low incomes who are most at risk for dental disease.
Way to Grow works to improve access to high quality early childhood programs, childcare and early learning, home visiting and early childhood screenings.
Way to Grow became one of the Foundation’s Healthy Generations partners in 2024, with the Foundation supporting Way to Grow’s efforts to reach families across Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs. This outreach connects families to health education and services, early education, and basic support resources — all in an effort to stabilize households and help parents ensure their children are born healthy, stay healthy and are prepared for school.
More than half of our members reside outside of the Twin Cities area. Blue Cross is committed to addressing the unique challenges that Greater Minnesota members face related to accessing quality healthcare, healthy food, and behavioral health services. According to a 2022 report from the Minnesota Department of Health, only 20% of healthcare providers serve rural communities, with more than a quarter of rural physicians planning to leave the workforce within the next five years. By investing in the health of these communities, Blue Cross can help pave the way for everyone to achieve their healthiest life. In 2024, Blue Cross supported multiple rural health initiatives across Minnesota.
In 2024, Blue Cross pledged the first $1 million of a five-year, $5 million agreement in support of a new rural behavioral health clinic in Mankato. The Rural Behavioral Health Clinic, located at Minnesota State University Mankato, made possible by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, is one of the first rural behavioral health centers in the nation. As a training clinic that is part of Minnesota State University, Mankato, it offers high-quality care while preparing the next generation of mental health providers. Rural communities face significant barriers to accessing mental health services. The clinic provides specialized services around highly complex behavioral health conditions for rural residents – especially youth – through in person and virtual appointments.
Transportation to medical appointments can be a significant barrier to healthcare, especially for those living in communities where smaller populations are spread across larger areas. Our Blue Plus HMO has committed to a rural transportation strategy that brings together community partners, county relationships, and medical providers to help improve access to care in outstate Minnesota. Our goals are to improve access to care using Non-Emergency Transportation in rural Minnesota and increase awareness of the transportation benefit.
In 2024, Blue Ride – the medical transportation benefit provided to Medicaid enrollees through our Blue Plus HMO – provided over 180,000 rides in rural Minnesota, totaling seven million miles driven across Minnesota.
Associates at Blue Cross can use up to 20 hours of volunteer paid time off each year to give back to the community in a meaningful way. In 2024, more than 1,200 associates donated their time and talents to organizations across the state. More than 14,500 hours were donated to help those in need. The following projects are just some examples of the work accomplished by associates in 2024.
Since 2018, the Allies of the Military (Allies) Associate Resource Group has volunteered at the Hastings Veterans Home. As part of this work, members of Allies built raised garden beds for residents to plant and harvest vegetables – providing a therapeutic activity and a healthy food source for prepared meals. Last year, the Hastings Veterans Home harvested around 800 pounds of vegetables, saving an estimated $2,000 on food costs. In addition to vegetable planting, volunteers also planted flower beds and performed general landscaping maintenance across the campus.
Dress for Success teaches career and workplace skills to women experiencing low incomes, helping them achieve career advancement and economic stability. Blue Cross has been a proud supporter of Dress for Success for many years and volunteered in 2024 at the Power of You fundraiser. Donated clothing, shoes, accessories, and purses were processed by associates at the event.
In 2024, dozens of Blue Cross associates opted to use their volunteer paid time off with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, devoting more than 300 hours of time with the organization, building up opportunities for greater housing stability that allows more people to live their healthiest lives.