Minnesota grants
- We partner with local organizations that share our mission.
- We award grants to address the needs of moms, babies and families.
- Our funding supports programs in communities throughout the state.
Working together to improve the health of moms and babies in our community
The March of Dimes Minnesota Chapter and our partner organizations are helping moms have healthier pregnancies and babies begin healthier lives. Below are some programs where our grants and awards are making a difference.
Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait
We provide grants for hospitals to develop policies against medically unnecessary inductions and c-sections before 39 weeks of pregnancy. The grants help hospitals comply with new Department of Human Services requirements enacted in January 2012.
Community Outreach
March of Dimes invests $100,000 each year in Minnesota to train medical professionals on the latest research and distributes educational materials to community organizations, schools and corporations. Grant recipients in 2012 include:
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The Division of Indian Work Health Services Women of Traditional Birthing to provide culturally-appropriate information and activities for at-risk pregnant American Indian women and their families to improve pregnancy outcomes.
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Everyday Miracles to expand and strengthen doula programs that are actively working to decrease racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes.
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West Side Community Health Services to increase access to prenatal education, risk assessment, and supportive care for its largely low-income, minority patient population.
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Pillager Family Center, Family Center Home Visiting Program for weekly home visits to provide education and services for first time parents to provide and promote premature birth risk reduction.
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Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. to strengthen and ensure sustainability of the Centering Pregnancy Program at multiple Hennepin County Medical Center care sites.
Community awards
Community awards can be made to support activities such as: purchase and distribution of March of Dimes health education materials, implementation of March of Dimes community programs (e.g. Stork's Nest® and Comenzando bien®), or a conference for health professionals.
CenteringPregnancy
This education and support program combines essential components of prenatal care: health assessments, education and group support. Our program graduates and participants make us proud: The evidence-based approach to prenatal support has been shown to reduce c-sections, premature births and low-birthweight babies. The grant from the Minnesota Chapter is used to implement this program at local community medical centers.