Community Involvement

Group Health's long tradition of community involvement — in conjunction with the Group Health Foundation — includes outreach programs, partnerships, and community sponsorships.

Guiding principles include improving the health and well-being of our members and communities, assisting persons in need, partnering with other organizations to meet the quality health care needs of people of the Northwest, and recognizing and supporting our staff members who volunteer their time and expertise in their communities.

Group Health's most recent community commitment involves promoting cycling as a healthy year-round activity for the entire family. The bicycling campaign includes naming the Group Health Velodrome in Redmond, and endorsing Team Group Health, a women's cycling team. Group Health participates in cycling events all over Washington and is the title sponsor of the Group Health Seattle International Bike Expo in early spring and the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic in July.

Social Mission Principles and Priorities

A broad set of priorities have been identified to enact the Cooperative's social mission principles:

  • Children's health — preventing tobacco use, promoting nutrition and fitness, ensuring safe environments, and providing expanded access to information to improve health behaviors.
  • Supporting innovations in prevention and treatment — minimizing long-term health risks that increase incidence of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and asthma.
  • Improving access to health information and care — targeting underserved populations at highest risk, the uninsured, and people in time of need.
  • Supporting cultural diversity in health care — focusing on health career development and increasing cultural competence in care delivery.

Community Contribution Program

Our Community Contribution Program provides financial and in-kind support for charitable, nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizations requesting sponsorship must provide services in one or more of the areas listed above. Individuals, partisan political organizations, and religious or church-affiliated programs are not eligible. Applications must include:

  • A letter (three-page maximum) containing the following information: organization's name, address, contact name, phone, and mission; event or project title; event or project description; dollar amount requested and total budget; client group to be served; geographic area; project timeline/event date; and other sources of financial or in-kind support.
  • Proof of current nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status under the Internal Revenue Code.
  • A list of the board of directors and their affiliations.

Send application to:

Group Health Cooperative
Community Relations Director
320 Westlake Ave. N., Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98109-5233

For additional information, call our Communications and Community Relations Department at 206-448-6135.