Background
Elevance Health and the Elevance Health Foundation seek to improve the health of humanity and strengthen our communities even in challenging times.
Through strategic initiatives that support community resiliency, we’re working to reduce the impact of natural disasters before and after they strike. We further power our efforts by channeling support to highly effective nonprofit disaster-relief organizations so they can respond immediately to communities in need.
Support
Community
American Red Cross. As a $1 million–level partner of the American Red Cross’ Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP), the Elevance Health Foundation provides essential support in advance of disasters. ADGP brings immediate relief to those in crisis and assists survivors and their communities as they begin to recover. See video.
Direct Relief. The Elevance Health Foundation partners with Direct Relief’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Program. The organization responds quickly and directly to specific requests from local partners. Efforts are coordinated with those of other international organizations and government authorities to ensure the most-efficient use of resources.
Americares. To address the needs of vulnerable low-income communities affected by disasters, the Elevance Health Foundation supports the Americares Emergency Response Partners (AERP) program. AERP funding enables Americares to maintain a constant state of disaster readiness and to launch robust responses to emergencies, large and small.
Team Rubicon. Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. The Elevance Health Foundation supports Team Rubicon’s Ready Reserve Fund, which allows it to provide services within days of a disaster. Team Rubicon’s disaster-response operations include debris removal, route clearance, and expedient home repair.
Vibrant Emotional Health. The Elevance Health Foundation partners with Vibrant Emotional Health’s Crisis Emotional Care Team (CECT). CECT provides just-in-time support and mental health care for those in the acute as well as longer-term recovery phases of natural or human-caused disasters or crises. This initiative expands existing efforts to train new behavioral health-care workers on how to provide behavioral health support to communities that have experienced a disaster or crisis.
Associate Engagement Programs. Elevance Health encourages and augments the efforts of associates who want to contribute to disaster relief in their communities or the communities we serve. From blood drives at offices across the country to emergency-preparedness training, disaster-relief efforts receive our associates’ time, energy, and resources year-round. We also match associates’ personal contributions to our relief partners $1 for $1.
Associates
Elevance Health CARES Fund. To foster a spirit of caring, Elevance Health created the Elevance Health CARES Fund, which encourages associates to offer and allows them to find financial support during times of personal hardship or natural disasters. This fund allows associates to provide one another with assistance in times of need.
Elevance Health CARES Memorial Scholarship Fund. This fund supports the postsecondary education of children whose parents have passed away during their time as Elevance Health associates.
Learn more about Elevance Health CARES, Inc.
Our Approach in Action
$10 Million in Support of Southern California Affected by Wildfires
Elevance Health, through its affiliated California health plan and Foundation, announced an initial $10 million in new grants to aid community resiliency and disaster response efforts in Southern California. This funding will help bolster partnerships with national and community organizations focused on assisting those whose lives have been upended by the disaster, providing resources such as food, shelter, and medical care, while also addressing long-term recovery aspects like mental health services, economic assistance, infrastructure repair and rebuilding efforts.
The $10 million pledge adds to the Foundation’s existing funding, which enables the following disaster-relief partners to respond immediately when disasters strike:
- American Red Cross and their national Annual Disaster Giving Program, which has mobilized to provide immediate response in California.
- Team Rubicon to equip them with the necessary support to provide services within days of a disaster.
- Direct Relief allowing for quick and direct response to specific requests from local partners, as coordinated with government authorities to ensure efficient use of resources.
Supporting Hurricane Recovery
In the fall of 2024, Hurricane Helene swept across the southeastern United States, causing severe flooding, road closures, multistate power outages, and, tragically, many deaths. On Helene’s heels, Hurricane Milton cut across a swath of Florida already reeling in the aftermath of Helene.
To get help to where it was most needed, Elevance Health and the Foundation partnered with national and local community-based agencies. More than $2.65 million in donations was provided to the American Red Cross, Americares, Team Rubicon, and others for safe shelters, meals, debris removal, home repair, and more. And our associates pitched in and gave back to their communities.