Community Investments and Partnerships
Univera Healthcare is committed to making Western New York a better place to live, work and raise a family. As a nonprofit health plan, our mission is to provide access to affordable health care and continually work to improve the health and health care of residents in the communities we serve.
Through our community investments and partnerships programming, we strive to improve access to care, advance specific health outcomes, and support organizations in our community that share our mission.
Every Bottom Covered
Univera Healthcare provided $10,000 to Every Bottom Covered, a diaper bank at the Delavan Grider Community Center in Buffalo. With these funds, the diaper bank will continue to assist low-income families in the distribution of diapers.
According to a study by Huggies and the National Diaper Bank Network, 1 in 3 families in the United States experience "diaper need," which is defined as not having enough diapers to keep a baby or toddler consistently clean and dry. This can lead to health issues like diaper rash or infections for the baby and undue stress for parents.
The need for diapers creates additional stress for the family as well. Most childcare centers, even free and subsidized facilities, require parents to provide a day's supply of disposable diapers; therefore, many parents cannot go to work or school if they cannot leave their babies at childcare.
"Receiving this grant helps Every Bottom Covered ensure that no child's bottom will be left uncovered by helping us to purchase more diapers and wipes and begin to expand into communities that may not always be able to get to the Delavan Grider Community Center, said Raziya Hill, founder and executive director of Every Bottom Covered. "We understand that in addition to the financial pinch of raising families in low-income households, transportation is a major issue in many rural communities. This amazing grant will help us truly begin to address this. We are so grateful to Univera for this opportunity."
Buffalo Niagara Partnership - It's Our Job Campaign
Through the support of a grant from Univera Healthcare, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership produced 2,500 small business kits as part of the "It's Our Job" campaign. The It's Our Job Small Business Kit includes the following resources to help businesses operate safely and welcome customers back in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic:
- It's Our Job face masks and buttons
- Repositionable floor decals
- In-business social distancing signage
- Univera Healthcare hand health instructions
- Safe entry and safe hygiene signage
- Small business guide
Local businesses are integral to the economy and the fabric of our community. These kits aim to help keep local dollars within local and diverse businesses while promoting safety measures aimed to keep all of us healthy in these uncertain times.
Representatives from Bank on Buffalo, Evans Bank, KeyBank, M&apm;T Bank, and Northwest Bank distributed kits to their small employer businesses.
"When all of us work together, great things can happen. The fact that Univera Healthcare and this impressive group of banks have come together to support this initiative speaks volumes," said Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO, Buffalo Niagara Partnership.
Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative
Univera Healthcare has committed to helping over 30 underserved, low-socioeconomic fathers with children in partnership with the Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network's (BPPN) Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative. Our sponsorship will provide financial education, father-specific parenting education, and mentorship for young men of color to advance in postsecondary education or workforce development completion.
The Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative (BFI) empowers healthy father and male involvement for children and families while providing tools and resources to a better future for our children and our community - one father at a time. BFI offers three programs for the community:
- Personal development and mentoring for young men and fathers
- Parenting education and support through a 13-week Nurturing Fathers Program
- Promotion of economic stability through a 9-week personal financial education program
"Univera is a key partner and advocate for the Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative," stated Antoine Johnson, Program Manager of the Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative. "This investment will help us reach more fathers and change lives of fathers and their families."
COVID Vaccine Clinics
Univera Healthcare, in partnership with Kinney Drugs, conducted a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at our Williamsville headquarters for Univera members and individuals in their households who had not been vaccinated. Univera was the first Buffalo-area health insurer to host a vaccine clinic.

Corporate Sponsorship
We invest in local nonprofit organizations through one-time funding opportunities that support a health-specific program, event, or service.

Community Health Awards
Through a competitive application process, Community Health Awards support programs that have clear goals to improve the health or health care of a specific population. Each recipient is awarded up to $5,000 allocated by the company to help fund health and wellness programs in our community.
Applications are now closed. Please check back in 2023 for future application details.

Health Equity Awards
We strive to work with communities to create an environment of equity and access where everyone can reach their full potential with access to high quality, affordable health care. Our 2022 Health Equity Awards focus on addressing health disparities and improving health equity. Each region will award a minimum of $30,000 through a competitive application process to qualified community-based organizations.
Read about the 2022 Health Award recipients.
Applications are now closed. Please check back in 2023 for future application details.

Member and Community Health Improvement (MACHI) Grant Program
The MACHI grant program provides funding to local, nonprofit organizations that share our vision for healthier communities. These 2- to 3-year grants support initiatives with specific objectives and measurable outcomes for improving health. Our current focus is on reducing racial disparities in maternal health.

Employee Volunteerism
Employee volunteerism aligns with our company’s vision and values of improving the health of our community. Univera Healthcare provides employees with volunteer time off to cultivate community connections through volunteer service, engage with the community via board membership, and nurture meaningful community relationships.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Our company is committed to fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, equity, and access are explicitly recognized as fundamental parts of our organizational culture. As a result, diversity, equity and inclusion is a uniting principle that runs through all our community engagement activities. By building authentic connections with organizations that share in our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we can better fulfill our mission to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.
Contact Information
Olivia Linke
Community Affairs Director
Olivia.Linke@univerahealthcare.com
(716) 604-5414
Univera Healthcare receives hundreds of corporate giving requests every year. Each corporate giving request that benefits a charitable organization will be reviewed. Our corporate giving must follow all applicable laws, regulations, and corporate policies and refrain from contributing to political organizations, political candidates, and labor unions (unless the payees are registered 501(c)(3) charitable organizations). In addition, we will not fund organizations that conflict with our corporate mission, goals, policies, or products, including organizations that discriminate against persons or groups on the basis of age, political affiliation, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status, or religion.
Modal for Corporate Sponsorship
Corporate Sponsorship
Application Available: Year Round
Application Rules/Requirements:
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Applicants must be charitable organizations located in a participating region.
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Univera Healthcare will not fund support to programs involving political activities, endowments, or capital campaigns;
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Requests to fund organizational operating costs will not be considered.
Modal for Community Health Awards Application Information
Community Health Awards Application Information
Applications open at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 17, 2022, and close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022.
Awards Criteria
We encourage applicants to propose new and innovative ways to improve health.
Community Health Award proposals must address the following areas:
Social Determinants of Health, Racial and Ethnic Disparities
Improve individual and population health and reduce ethnic and racial disparities by investing in programs which improve health by impacting:
- Economic stability – food availability and security, healthcare workforce development
- Education access and quality – early childhood education and development, enrollment in higher education, high school graduation, language and literacy
- Social and community support – caregiver, youth mentorship, reintegration
- Healthcare access and quality – access to healthcare, access to primary care, health insurance coverage, health literacy (health education), healthcare provider pipeline programs
- Neighborhood and built environment – neighborhood crime and violence (including domestic violence and bullying), availability and quality of housing, access to transportation
- Racial, ethnic, and cultural competency – educational initiatives to address bias, discrimination, and racialized medicine
Clinical Health Improvement Priorities
Support programs with considerations for community need and impact on quality gap closure, focusing on:
- Behavioral health – mental health, substance abuse, follow-up care, medication management
- Women’s health – breast cancer, chlamydia, cervical cancer, maternal health including one-year postpartum
- Chronic condition management – diabetes and cardiovascular diseases including hypertension
- Preventative care – mammograms and colonoscopy
- Well child visits
- Osteoporosis and fall prevention
Application Rules/Requirements
- Proposals that are aligned with the above focus areas, have detailed scope, goals, rationale for support, and measures will be given priority
- Applicants must be charitable organizations located in a participating region
- Applications must be received on or before 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022
- Univera Healthcare does not fund political activities and/or capital campaigns
- Recipients will be announced mid-May
Modal for Health Equity Awards Application Information
Health Equity Awards Application Information
Applications open at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 15, 2022, and close at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, 2022.
Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and located in our health plan region.
Awards Criteria
We encourage applicants to propose new and innovative ways to improve health. Health Equity Award proposals must include:
- Clear, defined goals for reducing health disparities and improving health equity for people that face a higher burden of health inequities and social disadvantages
- Specify how funding will measurably assist in improving health equity outcomes
Application proposals should focus on reducing health disparities in racial, ethnic, LGBTQ communities, people with disabilities, rural or urban communities, or those at high risk for medical issues, behavioral/mental health conditions, or negative outcomes from the previously mentioned, including death or suicide.
Application Rules/Requirements
- Proposals that are aligned with the above focus, have detailed scope, goals, rationale for support, and measures will be given priority
- Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and located in our health plan region
- Excellus BCBS does not fund political activities and/or capital campaigns
- All applications must be received on or before 11:59 p.m. on September 15, 2022
- Recipients will be announced mid-November and will receive follow-up six months after funding is received to understand impact and use of funds