Horizon BCBSNJ Invested Over $7.4 Million in Healthier Communities in 2017

August 26, 2018

Applies to: All Markets

At Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, our goal is to make New Jersey a healthier place. Through our charitable and community engagement work, we aim to improve the health and quality of life of all residents throughout the state. Details on the many ways that Horizon BCBSNJ is making a positive difference in the lives of millions of state residents can be found in the recently-released 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

“The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and the Community Affairs teams strategically direct the philanthropic support, partnerships and other outreach efforts that enrich communities and make New Jersey the best it can be,” said Kevin P. Conlin, Horizon BCBSNJ Chairman, President and CEO. “Our community involvement would not be possible without the commitment of our employees, who in 2017 provided nearly 5,000 hours of volunteer service to nonprofit organizations.”

The report lays out the results achieved by Horizon BCBSNJ’s Corporate Social Responsibility Department in 2017, including:

• $4.1 million in grants from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. In addition to our signature programs –– the Kids’ Oral Health Program, Breathe Easier with Asthma Management (BEAM) and Healthy U –– we are particularly proud of our efforts to address the opioid epidemic through Foundation grants. Those efforts included:
  • A $250,000 grant to the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey to create the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall series, an education and prevention initiative that featured 21 town hall meetings in every region of New Jersey, with special attention to areas most affected by the epidemic.
  
  
  • A $100,000 grant to Community in Crisis to help fund community-level opioid prevention education programs along with recovery support and referral services.
  
  
  • A $132,000 grant to the Rutgers University Foundation for a project that will monitor and document the early impact of a recently enacted state law designed to address the opioid epidemic.
  
  
  • A $22,500 grant to commission the George Street Playhouse’s new touring musical, Anytown, which explores the impact the opioid epidemic has on students and families, and empowers students with the knowledge to make positive decisions to avoid opioid use and help them understand the dangerous consequences of addiction.
  
  
  
   
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• The Foundation made 92 grants in 2017 including support for the New Jersey Health Collaborative, the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition and the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey’s Trusted Links project. The Foundation also made a total commitment of more than $300,000 in hurricane relief – including both direct grants and a special disaster relief employee matching gifts program – to help residents impacted by the catastrophic storms in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.


• More than $2.5 million in corporate giving, charitable contributions and financial support of local organizations through event sponsorships and collaborative partnerships, including a premier, year-round sponsorship for the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, sponsorship of the Susan G. Komen North Jersey Pink Tie Party and a co-sponsorship of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball All-Star Game, hosted by the Somerset Patriots.


• 4,977 hours volunteered by Horizon BCBSNJ employees and more than $475,000 in matching funds for employee contributions.

These are just some of the results highlighted in our 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. We encourage you to read the full report to learn more about how Horizon BCBSNJ is collaborating with nonprofit organizations, community partners and our employees to create a healthier New Jersey.

If you have any questions, please contact your Horizon BCBSNJ sales executive or account manager.