Abbott Fund
/OVERVIEW: The Abbott Fund typically supports large, established organizations. It makes grants to expand access to healthcare, promote community engagement, and develop interest in STEM education.
IP TAKE: In selecting grantees, Abbott prioritizes data and measurable results, and a demonstrable expansion of healthcare infrastructure, especially in regions where it is lacking or non-existent. Abbott tends to commit to grant support for the long haul. Its beneficiaries can look forward not only to ample funding for the project at hand but also large sums of follow-up funding down the road. The fund looks to form lasting partnerships and invests massive amounts into them to accomplish large-scale results. It does not make many international grants annually, but it does make them consistently. This is a tougher nut to crack, but on occasion, the fund posts calls for proposals on its website.
PROFILE: Founded in 1953, the Abbott Fund is the global philanthropic arm of Abbott Laboratories, located in Illinois. It seeks to “pioneer new ideas, generate new solutions, develop the next generation of leaders, strengthen civic and social organizations and build partnerships to solve complex, global problems.” Abbott is a global healthcare company that emphasizes scientific innovation and supporting science and health around the world. Abbott Laboratories has business interests in more than 150 countries. Grantmaking programs include Access to Health Care, Science Education and Community Engagement
Grants for Global Health and Diseases
Abbott does not make many international grants annually, but it does make them consistently. Each area of funding is country specific, further narrowing Abbott’s global grantmaking field. For instance, the fund’s Advancing Clinical Nutrition giving focuses on China and Vietnam, while its HIV/AIDS related grantmaking primarily supports organizations working in Kenya, and on a smaller scale, Tanzania. In addition to this, the fund addresses COVID-19 and children’s access to healthcare through its Access to Healthcare program, through which it also makes grants for chronic and noncommunicable diseases. Work here addresses diabetes, cancer, and other diseases as part of its development work.
Grants for Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid
Abbott makes related grants through its Access to Healthcare and Community Engagement programs. In addition to providing financial assistance, it is not uncommon for Abbott to make product donations such as high-energy, nutrient dense foods, antibiotics, and rehydration solutions to aid in disaster relief and recovery efforts. The fund shows no reservations when it comes to geography. Whether Abbott Laboratories has a presence in a given country or not, it will support humanitarian programs there if the need is great and the organizations to be funded meet the Abbott Fund leadership team's standards for operability and effectiveness. The fund's roster of recipients for disaster relief is fairly small and prioritizes a select handful of very large aid organizations, such as The American Red Cross, CARE, AmeriCares, World Vets, and Direct Relief International.
Grants for STEM Education
The Abbott fund is committed to “inspiring the next generation of innovators” through its Science Education program by partnering with schools and community groups across the country to deliver “engaging educational programs.” The Operation Discovery program, based out of Abbott’s research and development laboratories in six different countries, holds outreach events to teach middle school students about “nutrition, diagnostics and other real-world technologies.” Through the Family Science program, Abbott employees in the same countries volunteer at schools and museums to present younger children with “hands-on science activities” to “explore the wonders of health technology, innovation and invention.” Abbott also collaborates with the iBIO Institute’s STEM Girls Summer Camp in Waukegan Illinois, a week-long camp that aims to “inspire the next generation of innovators through industry-led STEM programs for teachers and students.”
Important Grant Details:
The Abbott Fund made about $19 million in grants in a recent year. Grants vary in size, but most fall between $10,000 and $50,000. Often, the foundation makes smaller grants of about $10,000 to grassroots organizations and lesser-known international NGOs. However, for a handful of particularly ambitious projects, the Abbott Fund gives upwards of $1 million. Abbott’s health grantmaking primarily centers around East Africa, while its education programs are based in regions where it has a significant corporate presence—namely Illinois, China, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, and South Korea.
Grant seekers should contact this funder before applying. Though it does not currently accept unsolicited applications, the fund occasionally accepts applications related to community health and well-being, science education and community outreach. Requests must be made online during periods when the fund accepts unsolicited grant applications. Future opportunities will be posted on its website.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
