AbbVie Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The AbbVie Foundation gives in the areas of racial justice, STEM education, global health and humanitarian aid.
IP TAKE: AbbVie is known for its partnerships with large international nonprofits and NGOs, but it also makes a significant number of small grants to community organizations in areas of the U.S. where it maintains operations. In recent years, the foundation’s focus has shifted somewhat from global health initiatives to racial justice and STEM education. Without a formal application process, it will be difficult to get on AbbVie’s radar. Networking with management or connecting via social media will likely be necessary to gain this corporate funder’s attention.
PROFILE: The AbbVie Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the global biopharmaceutical and research and development company AbbVie. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company operates a Patient Assistance Foundation, which helps people in the U.S. who are experiencing financial difficulties obtain the medications they need, but it also has a global reach through the AbbVie Foundation. Through its grantmaking, the foundation is “dedicated to making a remarkable impact around the world through a commitment that builds strong communities, sustainable health care systems and effective educational programs.” The foundation’s most recent areas of focus are racial equity and COVID-19 response, but it has a long tradition of supporting humanitarian aid initiatives, global health and STEM education. It is worth noting that in 2020 AbbVie acquired Allergan, the maker of Botox, which, through its own foundation, $18 million in grants also for public health, brain and cell research. It is unclear if the two philanthropies will merge.
Grants for Racial Justice and Indigenous Rights
In 2020, the AbbVie Foundation made a $50 million commitment to promote “equality, equity, diversity and inclusion within our business and in our communities.” Grant recipients have included the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Equal Justice Initiative, the Fund for Health Equity and the Healthcare Diversity Workforce Program.
Grants for Community Development and Humanitarian Aid
AbbVie’s building strong communities focus area prioritizes efforts to provide essential aid and basic needs services to low-income, underserved communities. These services may include “safe water,” “proper sanitation,” “adequate shelter,” and “reliable food supplies.” It also aids global communities struck by natural disasters by partnering with both local and global institutions to support “humanitarian and disaster relief efforts to provide essential aid to those who can benefit most.” Past grantees in this space include Direct Relief, which received funding for its disaster relief efforts in Ecuador. In addition, the International Medical Corps received support for its work helping earthquake victims in Japan. Other community grantees include North Chicago Community Partners, International Medical Corps, and Family Reach.
Grants for Global Health and Diseases
While AbbVie does not name specific grantmaking programs, it seeks to improve access to healthcare and standards of care in low- and middle-income countries around the world. The foundation supports disease-specific programs in developing countries. In particular, it supports HIV/AIDS and neglected tropical diseases. Its HIV/AIDS-related grantmaking includes projects that help to prevent mother-to-child transmission, pediatric AIDS, as well as testing and counseling services. AbbVie tends to support large international organizations that have the potential to make a significant impact such as Direct Relief, Baylor International and AMPATH. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation has given large amounts to relief and vaccination efforts around the world. Grantees include the International Medical Corps, Feeding America and Direct Relief, which supplied protective equipment and oxygen to hospitals throughout Europe.
AbbVie has joined forces with the Allergan Foundation, which it absorbed in May 2020, so AbbVie might evolve is health and disease-related grantmaking to address more ophthalmological diseases and disorders, as well as well-known diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, children’s health, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy.
Grants for STEM Education
The AbbVie Foundation’s creating effective educational programs focus area works to support children around the world who “don’t have access to education and resources that foster achievement in critical areas” such as science, technology, engineering, math, and language. Abbvie works with community partners to provide both instructional resources and school supplies to underserved communities. In many regions, such as Tokyo, Bogota, and Budapest AbbVie employees volunteer with local schools and educational programs to provide mentorship and instruction. Other grantees include North Chicago Community Partners, Communities in Schools, the University of Chicago Education Lab and Bangladesh’s Asian University for Women.
Important Grant Details:
According to its recent tax filings, the AbbVie Foundation gave away over $24 million in a recent year. A significant portion of the foundation’s grantmaking consists of longstanding philanthropic partnerships with large nonprofits and NGOs which receive hundreds of thousands each year. The foundation also makes a large number of much smaller grants, however, to community organizations in its U.S. areas of operations.
The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding. General inquiries may be submitted via email.
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