As a foundation, we have a broad view of community health focused on specific priorities. The new awards made over the past three years reflect our goals to provide healthcare access and build community supports through grantmaking and related activities.

Our intention is to remain responsive to needs identified in the community while continuing to shape initiatives related to these priorities: strengthening children's well-being, promoting health access and education, enhancing senior safety and health, building the capacity of local organizations and improving community life by addressing violence, substance abuse and mental health.

Across all those areas, we are also interested in health disparities and vulnerable populations.

For the Birmingham Foundation, investing in health assets can mean:

• Learning ways to keep cooking and caring for yourself at home even while your vision declines;
• Having a high-quality childcare center or an afterschool program targeted to neighborhood teens;
• Gathering nonprofit executives in leader circles to support their work;
• A neighborhood employment center equipped with computers;
• A planning grant for a local retreat center or
• Bus vouchers for prenatal care for pregnant teens.