$31,517,967
awarded
Brave of Heart Fund: Phase 1
All Phase 1 grants were $15,000 to pay funeral and burial expenses or for their families’ immediate living expenses.
- 65% of recipients experienced the death of a spouse, partner, or dependent.
- 35% experienced the death of an extended family member
- 708 grants were awarded, totaling $10,620,000
Brave of Heart Fund: Phase 2
These need-based grants were awarded to relieve emotional stress and provide financial resources for critical needs and family expenses:
- Rent or mortgages
- Food, clothing, transportation, and basic essential utilities
- Daycare, childcare, and educational expenses
- Outstanding medical expenses for the deceased
- Counseling
- Phase 2 grants ranged from $1,033 to $60,000; the average Phase 2 grant was $34,773.
- 69% of recipients experienced the death of a spouse, partner, or dependent.
- 31% experienced the death of an extended family member.
- 601 grants were awarded, totaling $20,897,967.



64%
deceased healthcare workers were people of color
- Sixty-two percent of grantee families still have dependents in their households.
- More than 70% of healthcare worker decedents were 50 years old or older (reflecting larger mortality trends).
- Grant recipients are evenly divided between younger than 50 years and 50 years and older.
- Over half of healthcare worker decedents were male.
- About two-thirds of grant recipients are female.
909
individual people received grant funds
- 68% of recipients experienced the death of a spouse, partner, or dependent.
- Over one-third did not have life insurance benefits of any kind (either employer provided or private policies).
- Among the families of the grantees, close to 80% of healthcare workers and volunteers lost to COVID-19 were the sole or primary household earner.
- Most households now earn incomes of $50,000 or less after the losing their deceased family member’s income.
- For over a third, the Brave of Heart funding was the only financial support they received after the loss of their loved one.
Average grant amount was over
$24,000
Phase 1 grants were $15,000.
The maximum Phase 2 grant size was $60,000.
The average Phase 2 grant size was nearly $35,000.
In Phase 2:
About 10% received $60,000
About 30% received $40,000 – $59,999
About 30% received $30,000 – $39,999
About 30% received $29,999 or less
79% of grantees received funding in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the grant process

14
and job types were represented
among the deceased healthcare workers
32% nurses
10% administrative
9% doctors
9% technicians
8% nursing or medical assistants
6% emergency medical technicians
5% custodians
5% caregivers or home health aides
3% cafeteria workers
2% orderlies
2% therapists
1% volunteers
1% pharmacists
to residents of
44
different states
Over 60% of all applications received and funds awarded were from 5 states: California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.
% of All Applications | % of $ Awarded | |
AL | 1.9% | 1.5% |
AR | 1.0% | 0.9% |
AZ | 1.6% | 1.7% |
CA | 10.6% | 11.2% |
CO | 0.3% | 0.2% |
CT | 1.1% | 0.7% |
DC | 0.3% | 0.3% |
DE | 0.1% | 0.1% |
FL | 5.5% | 5.5% |
GA | 4.2% | 3.3% |
IA | 0.3% | 0.1% |
ID | 0.1% | 0.0% |
IL | 3.1% | 2.5% |
IN | 0.6% | 0.7% |
KS | 0.3% | 0.2% |
KY | 1.0% | 1.2% |
LA | 1.2% | 1.1% |
MA | 1.3% | 1.8% |
MD | 2.1% | 2.4% |
MI | 1.8% | 2.0% |
MN | 0.5% | 0.4% |
MO | 0.5% | 0.6% |
MS | 0.9% | 0.7% |
MT | 0.3% | 0.4% |
NC | 3.2% | 2.8% |
ND | 0.3% | 0.2% |
NH | 0.3% | 0.4% |
NJ | 8.6% | 9.5% |
NM | 0.5% | 0.3% |
NV | 0.8% | 1.0% |
NY | 24.8% | 26.0% |
OH | 2.2% | 1.9% |
OK | 1.4% | 1.6% |
OR | 0.3% | 0.2% |
PA | 1.8% | 1.5% |
RI | 0.2% | 0.2% |
SC | 1.7% | 1.8% |
TN | 1.7% | 1.4% |
TX | 8.4% | 7.9% |
UT | 0.3% | 0.3% |
VA | 1.1% | 1.2% |
WA | 0.6% | 0.6% |
WI | 0.3% | 0.2% |
WV | 0.7% | 0.7% |