Grant Priority Pillars & Social Determinants of Health
Building the Foundation for Healthier Communities
At the Being for Others (BFO) Health and Wellness Foundation, our approach to grantmaking is guided by a simple but powerful belief: health begins long before someone walks into a doctor’s office.
The conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play shape nearly every aspect of health and well-being. These are known as the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) — and they influence everything from chronic disease rates to mental health outcomes and life expectancy.
To ensure that our grantmaking creates lasting change, BFO developed a set of eight Grant Priority Pillars rooted in both local listening and national research. Each pillar represents a key area where targeted investment can make a measurable impact on the health of Southern Indiana communities.
Understanding the Social Determinants of Health
Health outcomes are influenced by far more than medical care. Up to 80% of our health is shaped by non-clinical factors — the environments where we live, the resources we can access, and the opportunities we have to thrive.
These conditions fall into five broad categories identified by Healthy People 2030:
- Economic Stability
- Education Access and Quality
- Health Care Access and Quality
- Neighborhood and Built Environment
- Social and Community Context
BFO’s eight pillars align with these national determinants, connecting local priorities to evidence-based strategies that improve health equity across rural Indiana.
The Eight BFO Grant Pillars
Below are the pillars that guide every BFO investment. Each includes a description, examples of project types, and its alignment with the Social Determinants of Health.
Pillar 1: Access to Comprehensive Healthcare
Examples: Expand access to primary care, dental, and mental health services, particularly in rural areas. Support mobile clinics and telehealth solutions to address provider shortages. Promote equitable access to care through community-based outreach programs.
SDOH Alignment: Addresses healthcare access, geographic disparities, and health equity by improving the availability and affordability of care.
Pillar 2: Mental Health and Substance Use Support
Examples: Increase access to mental health services for all ages, with attention to youth and older adults. Fund prevention and treatment programs for substance use disorders, with an emphasis on opioid addiction. Address stigma around mental health and substance use through community education initiatives.
SDOH Alignment: Focuses on health care access, community and social context, and education by reducing stigma and improving mental health resources.
Pillar 3: Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention
Examples: Promote physical activity through infrastructure like parks and walking trails. Fund nutrition education and healthy food access initiatives to combat obesity and diabetes.
Support school- and community-based wellness programs.
SDOH Alignment: Targets neighborhood and built environment, food security, and health behaviors to encourage chronic disease prevention.
Pillar 4: Transportation and Connectivity
Examples: Support innovative solutions for healthcare transportation, such as community ride-sharing programs. Address transportation barriers to accessing education, childcare, and employment.
SDOH Alignment: Improves physical accessibility and reduces geographic isolation, directly addressing barriers tied to rural living.
Pillar 5: Early Childhood and Family Support
Examples: Address childcare deserts by funding innovative childcare solutions. Enhance access to early childhood education and development programs. Provide parental education on health, nutrition, and child development.
SDOH Alignment: Aligns with education access, economic stability, and social support by addressing foundational needs for families.
Pillar 6: Housing and Economic Stability
Examples: Partner with organizations to improve affordable and safe housing availability. Support job training and workforce development programs targeting vulnerable populations.
SDOH Alignment: Addresses housing stability, economic mobility, and the built environment, contributing to long-term health outcomes.
Pillar 7: Social and Civic Engagement
Examples: Fund programs that promote civic education and leadership development. Reduce social isolation through mentorship, extracurricular activities, and community events.
SDOH Alignment: Enhances social and community context by fostering civic involvement and reducing isolation.
Pillar 8: Community Safety and Violence Prevention
Examples: Support community and work-based violence prevention, mental health recovery services, and domestic violence interventions. Enhance safety and well-being through capacity building initiatives and programs targeting trauma recovery, infrastructure, and crisis response teams.
SDOH Alignment: Addresses social and community context, economic stability, and healthcare access by fostering safer environments in both communities and workplaces.
How the Pillars Were Developed
Our pillars emerged from both listening and learning. In 2024, BFO hosted listening sessions in each of our eight counties to understand the unique challenges facing families, organizations, and communities.
That input was paired with a comprehensive review of:
- Community Health Needs Assessments from local hospitals
- Regional studies by IU Center for Rural Engagement
- Indiana Youth Institute Kids Count Data Book
- Rural Health Information Hub and Healthy People 2030 national frameworks
- Best practices from Grantmakers in Health and The Kresge Foundation
This process ensured that our priorities reflect both local realities and nationally recognized evidence-based strategies for improving health equity.
Putting the Pillars Into Action
The eight pillars guide all aspects of BFO’s grantmaking — shaping what we fund and how we measure success. Each of our grant programs connects directly to this framework:
- Community Collaboration Grants: Multi-sector partnerships working on long-term systems change.
- Project Grants: Annual funding cycles supporting innovative, evidence-based, or community-driven work that directly improves health and wellness.
- Rapid Response Grants: Year-round microgrants for timely, mission-aligned needs.
When applying, grantees must identify which pillar their project supports and describe how their work addresses related social determinants of health.
Together, these pillars form a roadmap toward a stronger, healthier, and more connected Southern Indiana.