Houston Methodist announced today that it has awarded more than $4.8 million in community grants to 50 Houston-area nonprofit organizations through the Houston Methodist Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Grant Program. This program supports community initiatives focused on addressing the root causes of health inequities experienced by social, racial and ethnic minorities, including the intellectually and developmentally disabled, women, senior citizens, the LGBTQ+ community, people experiencing homelessness, foster youth and more.

 

Since its inception in 2021, 83 nonprofit organizations in the Greater Houston area have benefited from more than $11 million in Houston Methodist DEI Grant Program funds. In 2023, the program will support more than 51,000 people in the community through 24 healthy neighborhood programs, 16 educational empowerment programs and 14 economic programs. Two types of grant funding make up the DEI grant program — the Social Equity Grant awards funding to remove barriers to health equity impacting racial and ethnic minorities through economic empowerment initiatives, and the DEI Grant provides support focused on educational empowerment and building healthy neighborhoods and can include program and operating resources serving broader minority communities.

 

“We’re proud to support the critical work these 50 non-profits are focused on to close the health and social disparity gaps that exist among minority groups in the Houston area,” said Ryane Jackson, vice president, community benefits at Houston Methodist. “For the Social Equity Grant, this is the first year we have pivoted to focus those dollars solely on economic empowerment. We know there is a direct correlation between economic stability and health outcomes. Without livable wages or employer backed insurance, access to health care can be limited. If we can help those in underserved communities obtain employment and increase their wages in a short amount of time, then we can provide immediate and meaningful change that can potentially be felt for years to come.”

 

In addition to the DEI Grant Program, in 2023 Houston Methodist provided more than $6.8 million to local nonprofits working to provide affordable, high quality access to health care and mental health services to the financially indigent in the Greater Houston Community.