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August 12, 2024

Cigna Foundation launches $9M grant program to support veteran mental health

PHOTO | COSTAR Cigna headquarters in Bloomfield.
By David Krechevsky

The Cigna Group Foundation said Monday it will offer $9 million in grants over three years to nonprofit organizations that offer veterans programs and services that prioritize mental health issues and are directly connected to housing and homelessness challenges.

Compared to the general population, military veterans face an increased risk of homelessness, with an estimated 40,000 veterans going without shelter on any given night, the foundation said. 

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the number of veterans experiencing homelessness increased by 7% between 2022 and 2023.

The foundation said it has opened a grant request for application for nonprofit organizations with programming delivered in select states, including Connecticut. Applications may be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 28.

Monday’s announcement follows its announcement in April that it would invest more than $27 million in grants over the next three years to nonprofit organizations focused on improving youth mental health, veteran mental health, and reducing barriers to health equity.

The foundation said the program is focused on approaches that may leverage the Housing First model, which prioritizes permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness, but that is not required, the foundation said.

Specifically, it said, the programs should align with at least one of these program goals:
Increase permanent housing available for veterans.
Improve affordability for housing for veterans through rental or mortgage assistance.
Enhance the offering of wraparound services for veterans transitioning from shelters.

The foundation said it will prioritize grants in regions where The Cigna Group serves a significant number of customers “with high or very high social determinant of health risks,” as well as where it has a concentration of employees. In addition to Connecticut, that includes Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

More information about the program  can be found here.

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