In North Carolina, one of the biggest health insurance firms in the state, was criticized for refusing to offer grants to nonprofits with white CEOs.
According to the website BizPacReview.com, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina’s foundation last month offered ten three-year grants to nonprofit organizations that were “led by, serving, and accountable to American Indian, Black, Latino, other People of Color and members of immigrant communities.”
The idea of the “Advancing Healthy Food Equity” initiative was to promote “food equity” — but only to a select few.
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Yet, the foundation’s Healthy Food Director Merry Davis said during a Jan. 31 briefing that nonprofits “that have a majority people of color staff and staff leadership, and (a) white CEO” would not be eligible for the grants.
BizPacReview noted that the standard has been revoked.
“Since we released this funding opportunity in early January, we have received inquiries from potential applicants and others working in the community whose work aligns with the goals of this opportunity, yet whose organizations don’t quite match all aspects of the stated eligibility criteria,” BCBS’s website says.
“After careful consideration, we have decided to expand both the number of organizations being supported by this grant funding, as well as the eligibility criteria for those seeking an award.”
The number of grants was increased from 10 to 14, and the targeted recipients also include “rural” groups.
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“If ever there was a bad idea, the notion that we should start to separate our country along racial lines is amongst the worst,” said Stanley Goldfarb, chairman of Do No Harm, a medical watchdog group that criticized the BCBS promotion.
“The plan by the North Carolina Blue Cross Blue Shield company takes divisiveness to a new level.”
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