History
When the for-profit company Anthem proposed purchasing the non-profit Blue Cross Blue Shield of Connecticut (BCBSCT), a lawsuit was brought to the state of Connecticut to preserve the charitable assets of BCBSCT. A coalition of folks came together and won the lawsuit, thereby creating a charitable foundation known as CHART (Universal Health Care’s parent organization) and then Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.
In December 2022, our Board of Directors adopted a strategic direction focused on communities facing Connecticut’s greatest health disparities. These disparities are rooted in social determinants of health, such as access to safe housing, nutritious food, quality education, and livable wages. By partnering directly with those most impacted by systemic inequities, we aim to dismantle barriers that undermine health outcomes.
Since 2022, after conversations with members of communities most harmed by over 400 years of systemic oppression and racism, Universal has provided resources, including multi-year grants, in Connecticut for PRIORITY POPULATIONS most negatively impacted by existing systems to organize and advocate for Health Justice.
In January 2023, Universal launched our new strategic direction supporting TEN POWER BUILDING PARTNERS initiative, providing multi-year grants and advocacy support to grassroots organizations addressing SDOH. These partners work on issues like housing justice, food insecurity, and economic inequality—key drivers of health inequities.
Under new leadership since March 2023, including President Caprice Taylor Mendez, Universal has deepened its commitment to equity. Our refreshed Board of Directors champions policies that tackle both medical and non-medical drivers of health, recognizing that 80% of health outcomes are shaped by social and environmental factors.
Our Mission
To accelerate the movement for health justice for everybody because health is a human right and core to social justice and equity.
Our Vision
CT residents will be their healthiest and health care will nurture the health of everybody.
Our Values
We believe in justice and value health as a human right, equity for all, shared responsibility, the role of government and inclusive participation.
How We Do Our Work
Universal is a nonprofit, activist philanthropy. Since 2000, we have led the struggle for quality, equitable and affordable health care that nurtures the well-being of all state residents. Since 2023 Universal’s new strategic direction emphasizes building people power for health justice. Our policy advocacy agenda is now defined and led by our Building Power Partner organizing groups, influencing medical and non- medical drivers of health. Universal’s major “buckets of work” include providing support in Policy Advocacy, Communications, capacity bridging support, and fund development. With a deep commitment to trust based philanthropy that influences our core functions in grantmaking and continuously in relationship with our partners including in our Learning and Evaluation efforts.
The work is directed by organizing groups led by those most impacted by systemic barriers to health. With a majority BIPOC Board of Directors and staff, the team is representative of Connecticut’s folks most harmed by systemic oppression and have committed their lives to systems change work for the well-being of all.
We do our work in partnership with grassroots community organizations, advocacy groups, activists, and coalitions that share our values of justice and anti-racism.
Our next decade will be centered in the struggle for justice – racial, economic, social and health. And it will be powered by sustained organizing in communities across the state – led by people whose voices are too often left behind. We support our building power partners in movement building for health justice using the following big buckets of work:
- Policy Advocacy
- Grantmaking
- Capacity Bridging
- Communication
- Learning
- Evaluation
- Fund Development