Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and other underserved groups experience higher rates of illness and death across a wide range of health conditions, limiting their potential to achieve optimal health. As a foundation focused on ensuring everyone in the South Florida region has the opportunity to live a healthy life, we must address these inequities if we are to improve our region’s overall health and economic prosperity. The Health Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to embed racial equity across its investments. 

The Health Foundation’s Racial Equity Investment Portfolio includes $3.8M in active grants aligned with the Foundation’s racial equity investing framework priorities: community-driven, place-based, and targeting root causes of health and economic disparities. 

In 2023, the Health Foundation continued its support for BIPOC-led organizations by investing in leaders tackling health, social, and economic justice issues that are barriers to community health and well-being. Community-driven initiatives include the Circle of Brotherhood’s Peacemakers Program, addressing neighborhood violence and trauma in Liberty City, and the City of Lauderhill’s cross-sector Health and Prosperity Partnership, focused on creating a healthier community for its residents. 

An investment in Dade County Street Response supported the re-opening of a safety net clinic to serve uninsured, underinsured, and unsheltered people in the Liberty City area. The clinic also serves as a teaching and research site for local medical students and residents and a community relief hub in the event of disaster. 

Additionally, the Health Foundation supported 10 BIPOC neighborhood leaders by continuing its investment in Radical Partner’s Leadership Lab. This five-month leadership development program invests in the capacity, sustainability, and ultimate impact of a cohort of local BIPOC leaders working to increase social justice and equity in their communities. Recognizing that many nonprofits led by BIPOC leaders are under-resourced, the Health Foundation partnered with JumpStart to support five nonprofits participating in a year-long fundraising capacity-building program. 

Lastly, Miami Dade College, Broward College, and Florida Memorial University received investments totaling $1.3 million for scholarships and support to increase graduation rates in related degrees.