Our History

The Endowment for Health was created in 1999 following the sale of Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Hampshire to Anthem Insurance Companies. The proceeds of the sale of the nonprofit insurance provider to the for-profit company became the assets of New Hampshire’s version of a statewide health care conversion foundation – a growing national trend at the time. After nine public hearings around the state seeking input on how the Endowment should be structured and how its funds should be allocated, our foundation was "born."

Endowment for Health Timeline

1999

• Blue Cross Blue Shield NH sold to Anthem Insurance Companies
• Public hearings conducted across NH to determine structure and use of Endowment
• Endowment for Health officially incorporated (Oct. 29)

2000

• Board of Directors and Advisory Council elected

2001

• Staff hired
• Statewide forums held to introduced Endowment to potential grantees
• First grants awarded ($2,800,000 to 38 organizations to a total of 41 grants)

2002

• Oral Health public policy efforts get underway
• Endowment begins participation in Medical Interpretation Advisory Board

2003

• Endowment begins data gathering effort leading to Pillars Project, with funding for a Citizens Roundtable of community, business and health care leaders
• Endowment holds its first Strategic Planning Retreat to further define its focus
• New Hampshire Oral Health Plan: A Framework for Action is released

2004

• Pillars Project launched
• Watch Your Mouth public awareness campaign launched to educate about the correlation between oral health and overall health
• Stepping Up to the Future – A healthier Health Care System for New Hampshire report released

2005

• New Hampshire Citizens Health Initiative formed

2006

• Groundbreaking research on hospital cost shifting is funded
• Ongoing public policy work on a variety of health and health care issues

2007

• Health Strategies of New Hampshire, Inc. formed
• Endowment concludes its oral health theme

2008

• Endowment launches five-year, multi-million dollar initiative around children’s mental health