Motto A Catalyst for Change | Founded 2000 | |
Type Philanthropic foundation Focus Health and wellbeing with an emphasis on the underserved Location 415 South 18th Street, Suite 400, St Louis, MO (314) 345-5500, United States Area served 84 counties in Missouri plus the City of St. Louis | ||
Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) 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."
Since its founding the Foundation has cumulatively issued more than half-a-billion dollars in grants and awards. Each year approximately $45 million is awarded to health-focused nonprofits.
Robert Hughes, Ph.D., joined the Foundation in 2012 as president and chief executive officer. Hughes has nearly 30 years of philanthropic leadership, public health, and health policy experience. After his arrival, Hughes joined with his staff and the Board of Directors to refine and update the Foundation’s strategic plan and vision.
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.