News
Nurture NC Releases Request for Proposals: Communications Strategist
Exciting opportunity to partner with Nurture NC! Nurture NC (NNC) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to understand the landscape of strategic communications partners for North Carolina. As an emerging non-profit, NNC views this RFP as a tool to identify partnerships that will strengthen the organization’s public presence, raise awareness of maternal and infant health, align messaging across channels and audiences, and support communications strategies that advance NNC’s mission and strategic priorities. Click the link to learn more!
The Leon Levine Foundation Awards $2.8M Grant to Reduce Maternity Deserts in North Carolina
In a cross-sector collaboration, The Leon Levine Foundation (TLLF) has partnered with North Carolina Community Health Association (NCCHCA) with strategic leadership and support from Nurture NC to begin work on eliminating North Carolina’s maternity deserts. TLLF will fund the effort with a $2.8 million grant over three years to build new access to prenatal and postnatal services in partnership with critical safety net partners in rural North Carolina. Read the press release below for more information.
2026 Maternal Mental Health Conferences - MMHLA
The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) has complied a list of maternal health conferences in 2026, organized by topic and date. Learn more about the MMHLA, and get involved in maternal mental health today.
Maria Ramirez Perez, MPH Joins Nurture NC as Executive Program Manager
Nurture NC is excited to announce that we are welcoming a new member to our team as of June 1st, 2026! Maria Ramirez Perez, MPH is joining the Nurture NC team as the Executive Program Manager.
Spring 2026 Update for Nurture NC
Exciting updates from Nurture NC! Spring was a busy time for NNC and there's still lots to look forward to this year. Read the Newsletter to learn more.
2025 Highlights and What to Expect for 2026
A look back at Nurture NC accomplishments in 2025 and a preview of strategic priorities for 2026.
Updated NNC Framework for Action and March of Dimes Report
This newsletter shares the updated Nurture NC Framework for Action and highlights findings from the latest March of Dimes report card on maternal and infant health in North Carolina.
Children's Health NC stagnates on maternal and infant health, gets D+ from March of Dimes
Recent steps — including Medicaid expansion, extended postpartum coverage and expanded midwife practice — are considered promising efforts to address key measures such as preterm birth and maternal mortality. Nurture NC is featured in this article as a key organization to help move the needle on maternal and infant health in NC.
Carolina Public Press Features New Partnership to Bring Relief to NC Maternity Deserts
A new initiative from the North Carolina Community Health Center Association, which recently received funding from the Leon Levine Foundation, was featured in the Carolina Public Press. Nurture NC is providing strategic support for this important work.
A Novel Response to an Emerging Epidemic: Partnering Public Health with Public Payers Across a Region of the United States
Nurture NC's Strategic Advisor Shannon Dowler, MD, and partners at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, write in the NC Medical Journal (NCMJ) about the essential role that cross-state collaboration between public health and public payers plays in addressing congenital syphilis. Click the article below to read more.
The Heart of North Carolina: Maternal Health
Liz Star, Founder and President of HopeStar Foundation and Board Chair of Nurture NC writes an Op-Ed in honor of Mother's Day. In her commentary, she describes maternal and infant health as the heart of North Carolina and focuses on the essential role that mothers play in family stability and our duty as advocates, funders, and legislators to work together to build a thriving future for our mothers and our state.
A Past Presidents Reflection: Why Value-Added Benefits Matter
Shannon Dowler, MD, CPE, FAAFP, and Nurture NC's Strategic Advisor, writes in The NCAFP Magazine about the importance of Value-Added Benefits (VABs) offered by NC Medicaid Managed Care plans. VABs are additional, non-medical services intended to improve the health and wellbeing of Medicaid members. Dr. Dowler is leading Nurture NC's VAB campaign to increase awareness and utilization of these benefits.
Addressing Maternal Mental Health in North Carolina: The Need, Our Existing Systems and Resources, and Opportunities for Expansion
Nurture NC's Executive Director, Elizabeth Tilson, MD, MPH, in the NCMJ’s Spring 2026 issue, “Mental Health Throughout the Lifespan.” Maternal mental health affects not only mothers, but children, families, and entire communities. In her commentary, she discusses the growing need for maternal mental health supports in North Carolina and explores opportunities to expand coordinated care statewide.
To Improve Women's Health, We Need To Rebuild Trust
Maya Mechenbier writes in Health Affairs about the critical need to rebuild trust in maternal healthcare systems to improve outcomes for women. Nurture NC is featured in this article as an example a backbone organization working to bring together stakeholders from health care, philanthropy, and the community to align on a shared vision and a set of concrete public policy goals and strategies for funding solutions that support women’s health.
Partnerships Supporting Parent/Caregiver Mental Health & Well-being
Through its Youth Mental Health, Connectedness, and Resilience initiative, the Blue Cross NC Foundation is investing in upstream, community-based approaches that strengthen the environments where young children and their families live, grow, and connect as a foundation for lifelong mental health and well-being. This funding opportunity focuses on parents and caregivers of children prenatal to age five, recognizing that caregiver well-being is foundational to children’s mental health and long-term outcomes. Parents and caregivers include individuals providing primary caretaking for a child (inclusive of biological, step, adoptive, kinship, foster and other types of caregivers). Individuals whose role is primarily to provide childcare are not included in this opportunity.
Grants and Government Contracts Database
Grant opportunities featured in this newsletter can also be viewed, filtered, and sorted in the database linked below. The database is updated over time with current contract opportunities. This resource includes funding and contracting opportunities that support programs, services, capacity building, technical assistance, and community impact work.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation - June Grant Opportunities
Explore current grant and government contracting opportunities that may be relevant to nonprofits, public agencies, community-based organizations, and service providers working in topic areas including Early Childhood, Capacity Building, Healthy Communities, Housing, and Access to Care. This resource includes funding and contracting opportunities that support programs, services, capacity building, technical assistance, and community impact work.
Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership, Education, and Advancement in Undergraduate Pathways (LEAP) Training Program
[Closing July 10th, 2026] The MCH Leadership, Education, and Advancement in Undergraduate Pathways (LEAP) Training Program establishes pathway programs that aim to expand the MCH workforce. These programs increase access to healthcare and public health services for maternal and child health (MCH) populations, including in rural or other underserved communities.
Screening & Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders (MMHSUD)
[Closing July 17th] Federal funding opportunity supporting state-level programs that integrate screening, brief intervention, and treatment for maternal mental health and substance use disorders into maternity care.