Merck for Mothers
/OVERVIEW: The Merck for Mothers supports maternal health and ending maternal mortality in many countries all around the world.
IP TAKE: This is a single-minded funder focused on ending maternal mortality; however, it prefers to locate grantees on its own and support the same organizations year after year, so getting on this funder’s radar will require some networking. New grantseekers will find it very difficult to secure funding here; however, its contact form does welcome questions and general inquiries, so it is possible to at least initiate a conversation that way.
PROFILE: Merck for Mothers is a “global initiative to help create a world where no woman has to die while giving life.” This initiative is part of the Merck company’s commitment to global health and run by a leadership team and advisory board. Merck is an international pharmaceutical company that is based in Rahway, New Jersey. There are over 150 collaborators involved with Merck for Mothers, including governments, NGOs, patient groups, entrepreneurs, UN agencies, research groups, professional associations and other companies. Merck for Mothers is a single-issue charitable organization that is focused on ending maternal mortality and improving the quality of care during pregnancy.
Grants for Women, Health, and Racial Equity
Merck’s grants seek to “to promote safe, high-quality, equitable and respectful maternity care for people everywhere” by “catalyzing solutions that respond to local needs in the communities being served and harnessing the power of innovations to help create a world where no woman has to die while giving life.”
Merck’s initiatives focus on innovation and addressing “social determinants of health,” which includes gender, race, abilities, class and geographic location.
Initiatives also prioritize funding for organizations and programs working to address Postpartum Hemorrhage, which is leading causes of maternal mortality.
Merck makes grants across the globe, but priorities support for India, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States.
It also has a Global Grants program “that enables Merck offices around the world to support nongovernmental organizations that are improving maternal health.” The Global Grants program is active in more than 40 countries.
Created in 2021, the Kenneth C. Frazier Award for Maternal Health Equity honors the legacy of Merck’s former chief executive officer by recognizing one organization each year that is committed to equitable, high-quality maternal health care. Past recipients include Mali Health and Sinergias, a Colombian NGO.
Important Grant Details:
Merck for Mothers does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding; however, it does supply an online form for grantseekers and others with general questions to reach out directly.
PEOPLE:
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