The Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation, established through the sale of Chicago's Ridgeway Hospital in 1984, originally focused on providing medical and psychological services to economically disadvantaged children and adolescents. Its mission has since broadened to include supporting nonprofit agencies that deliver comprehensive health care and housing services to economically disadvantaged individuals of all ages. As of 2022, it has allocated $41.4 million in grants and investments towards these causes.
The Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation aims to improve the health and well-being of uninsured, underinsured, and low-income residents in the metropolitan Chicago area by enhancing access to community-based preventive and primary health services. These services encompass medical, dental, vision, mental health, and case management. Additionally, the foundation seeks to support housing programs and services for homeless individuals or those at risk of homelessness. This encompasses prevention, intervention, follow-up, supportive services, and employment training. Grant amounts typically range between $10,000 and $15,000, with a maximum of $30,000. The foundation considers funding for program and general operating support, limited capital requests, and prioritizes projects that increase access to care and provide direct services to low-income, underserved communities, particularly in the six-county metropolitan Chicago area. It also funds Food Pantries that offer supportive services aimed at empowering individuals and families towards self-sufficiency, alongside supporting programs with measurable goals and outcomes.
The Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation prioritizes supporting community-based organizations responsible for delivering health care services in schools and communities over direct financial assistance to the schools themselves, especially within the context of School-Based Health Centers.