Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Awards $208 Million to Strengthen Health Outcomes Across New York State

Health inequities remain a pressing challenge across New York, affecting children, immigrants, older adults, and rural communities the hardest. In response, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, New York's largest grantmaker focused solely on health equity, has awarded an unprecedented $208 million in grants to more than 500 nonprofits and healthcare organizations across the state. This milestone marks the Foundation's total grantmaking exceeding $1 billion since 2019, underscoring its deep and ongoing commitment to transforming community health.

Why This Funding Matters Now

The lasting impacts of socio-economic disparities have created urgent public health needs in New York's most vulnerable populations. The Foundation's 2025 grants target critical areas with a focus on equity, aiming to improve access to healthcare, address food insecurity and housing, develop the healthcare workforce, and expand mental and behavioral health support for older adults in rural areas. These comprehensive efforts are designed to deliver meaningful and measurable change to thousands of New Yorkers in urgent need.

Breaking Down the Funding Program

Who Can Apply

Nonprofits, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, food banks, schools, and healthcare organizations actively serving New Yorkers with unmet health needs are eligible to apply. The Foundation encourages applications that demonstrate both substantial community impact and organizational capacity.

Priority Focus Areas

• Access to healthcare and essential needs like food and housing
• Workforce development, particularly career pathways for immigrants in healthcare
• Maternal health programs focused on closing racial and income gaps
• Childhood hunger reduction through enhanced nutrition programs
• Mental and behavioral health services for older adults living in rural areas

Grant Size & Duration

With $208 million dedicated to 2024-2025 initiatives, the Foundation awards a mix of single-year and multi-year grants. Notably, the Nursing Initiative offers up to $5 million grants to support safety net hospitals expanding nursing education, accreditation, and virtual programs.

Past Success Stories / Case Studies

• Sunnyside Community Services (Queens, NY) : Supported by Cabrini funding, Sunnyside's Home Health Aide and Personal Care Aide Training Programs create healthcare career pathways for unemployed individuals, primarily immigrant women. Approximately 420 participants are expected to complete training under this grant, helping build a culturally competent healthcare workforce.
• Le Moyne College – Healthcare Advancement Resource Center (Syracuse, NY) : Le Moyne received a $1.275 million grant from Cabrini to expand its Healthcare Advancement Resource Center (HARC). The program helps internationally trained medical professionals earn U.S. credentials and transition into New York’s healthcare workforce. Since its start, HARC has enrolled over 250 participants and plays a key role in addressing critical workforce shortages.
• Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc. (Camden, NY): Awarded $839,000 to launch the Community Café Initiative in partnership with the Camden Life Center, CFLR is developing a teaching kitchen, youth mentorship programs, and recovery support services. This initiative aims to strengthen community health and provide opportunities for individuals and families in Central New York.

How to Apply for a Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Grant in 2025

Visit the Official Grants Portal

Start by visiting the Foundation's grants programs page to access current Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Letters of Interest (LOIs). This portal is your gateway for submitting all applications and updating your information.

Align Your Mission with Funding Priorities

Carefully review the Foundation's funding priorities and emerging focus areas. Ensure your organization's mission and project goals align closely with these areas to strengthen the relevance of your proposal.

Build a Data-Driven Application

Use rigorous, up-to-date data to demonstrate your community impact and illustrate the specific needs your program addresses. Clear evidence of how your work benefits target populations will boost your funding chances.

Tell Your Story with Impact

Craft compelling narratives that vividly convey how your initiative advances health equity and improves community outcomes. Storytelling that connects data with real-life impact makes your application stand out.

Submit Your Proposal on Time

Complete your application by submitting it through the online portal. Strictly follow formatting guidelines and compliance rules to ensure your proposal is accepted and reasonably evaluated.

Timeline & Updates

The 2024–2025 grants were announced on January 16, 2025 (official announcement), with applications gathered since Spring 2024. The Foundation also plans to announce the recipients of its new Nursing Initiative starting in Spring 2025 ( Nursing Initiative details ).

Stay informed by visiting the Foundation’s official website and subscribing to mailing lists for future grant opportunities and updates.

How Your Organization Can Win Funding — Lessons from Sunnyside Community Services

Insights from a Successful Grantee

Sunnyside Community Services, a Queens-based nonprofit that trains approximately 420 individuals through its Home Health Aide and Personal Care Aide programs, has secured funding to build healthcare career pathways for primarily immigrant women. Their work exemplifies a scalable model that delivers meaningful improvements in health equity for underserved communities.

Key Factors Behind Their Success

• Target Equity-Centered Populations : Sunnyside focuses on underserved immigrant groups, tailoring programs to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of these communities, aligning with funders' emphasis on equity.
• Set Clear, Measurable Outcomes : The program tracks participant employment rates, retention, and career progress within the healthcare sector, aligning with funder priorities for impact measurement.
• Design for Scalability : Sunnyside's career ladder model can be replicated beyond Queens, addressing workforce shortages in broader regions.
• Maintain Rigor in Data and Reporting : Compliance with detailed reporting and audit standards strengthens funder trust and enhances grant renewal prospects.
• Engage Through Data-Driven Storytelling : Combining qualitative stories with robust quantitative data enables them to showcase the transformative benefits of their community in a compelling way.

Action Steps to Follow Sunnyside’s Path

• Center Equity in Your Proposal : Clearly demonstrate how your program serves underserved groups with cultural competence and sensitivity.
• Define Quantifiable Goals : Use outcome-based metrics such as the number of individuals trained, employed, or retained.
• Plan for Sustainable Growth : Demonstrate to funders how your model can be scaled to new geographies or populations.
• Build Strong Collaborations : Highlight partnerships with community organizations and healthcare providers to amplify impact.
• Be Ready for Compliance : Have transparent and accurate systems for data collection, financial tracking, and reporting.
• Tell Impactful Stories : Blend statistics with real-life stories to bring your program's difference to life.

Combining mission alignment, impactful measures, scalability, and compliance readiness will position your organization well to secure competitive grants like Sunnyside Community Services.

Grant-Readiness Checklist

• Is the strategic plan aligned with health equity?
• Robust data documenting outcomes?
• Partnerships supporting comprehensive services?
• Compliance with reporting and regulations?
• Straightforward narrative and data integration in proposals?
• Capacity for multi-year project management?

Where Pillar by SocialRoots.ai Fits In

Winning large-scale health equity grants, such as Cabrini's, requires credible data, compliance-ready systems, and scalable reporting.

This is where Pillar by SocialRoots.ai gives nonprofits a competitive edge:

• Track patient and community health outcomes in real time.
• Automate compliance reporting to match grantor requirements.
• Integrate data from clinics, outreach programs, and digital tools.
• Demonstrate scalability through dashboards funders trust.

Mother Cabrini's mission centers on measurable impact. Pillar ensures your nonprofit can prove it.

Conclusion: Call to Action for 2025 and 2026

This historic $208 million grant round places New York nonprofits on a path to critical, lasting health improvements. As the Foundation continues investing heavily in 2026, nonprofits ready to act now, armed with strong data and compelling narratives, supported by solutions like Pillar by SocialRoots.ai, will be best positioned to secure these transformational funds.

Don't miss this opportunity to power your mission and create healthier communities across New York. Start planning and applying today.