Bayer Fund
/OVERVIEW: The Bayer Fund makes grants to organizations that address food systems, STEM education, public health, and community development. It also makes some grants to the arts and to diseases.
IP TAKE: This funder encourages applications with its online submission system. Grantseekers with a STEM-related project or initiative can sign up for an account on this funder’s website.
PROFILE: The Bayer Fund, formerly Bayer U.S., is the American philanthropic branch of German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, which has its American headquarters near Pittsburgh, PA. Established as the Monsanto fund in 1964, it acquired its new name in 2019 after Bayer acquired Monsanto. The Bayer Fund has also absorbed the role of the former Bayer USA Foundation. Bayer seeks to “support programs that enhance quality of life, providing unique and enriching opportunities that connect diverse groups and ensure preparedness for tomorrow’s leaders.” Its current focus areas include Food & Nutrition, STEM Education, Health and Wellness, and Community Development.
Many corporate funders focus their giving in communities where they have a business presence, and Bayer USA Foundation is no exception. Grantseekers should first ensure that their work will impact at least one of Bayer’s communities. Bayer USA Foundation’s geographic focus areas include Pittsburgh, PA; Berkeley and northern California; Houston and Baytown, TX; Kansas City, MO; northern New Jersey; Shawnee, KS; and Raleigh-Durham.
Grants for Food Systems
The Bayer Fund’s Food and Nutrition focus area supports programs and organizations that “address malnutrition by helping to ensure access to and use of nutritious foods.” It prioritizes “high-impact programs” that use “comprehensive, sustainable approaches” to effect long-term change.
Grants for STEM Education
The Bayer Fund’s STEM Education focus area supports organizations that provide high-quality educational programming to “enable access to knowledge and information and empower students and teachers in communities around the nation.” It broadly supports efforts such as academic enrichment programs, in-school and after-school programs, supplemental school programs, and teacher training. Note that this funder’s grants primarily go to nonprofit organizations. It does not fund primary or secondary schools directly, preferring instead to work with groups with educational programs and initiatives.
The Bayer Fund also awards grants for STEM Education through its Community Development strategic priority. This program’s Youth Development focal point supports out-of-school and after-school programs that “provide students in grades K-12 with opportunities to enhance their skills and interests through exposure to STEM fields.”
Grants for Public Health and Diseases
The Bayer Fund’s Health and Wellness focus area primarily centers around cancers and cardiovascular diseases. It supports programs such as “education, awareness, and supportive services” for individuals suffering from these conditions, and their families. Grantseekers should not that, for projects related to cardiovascular disease, the foundation strongly prioritizes programs and services targeting the African-American community, who may be affected by the condition in greater rates than other demographics.
Grants for Dance, Theater, and Music
The Bayer Fund’s Community Development strategic priority includes a focal point dedicated to Performing Arts. This funding supports programs that either “support education of young and emerging artists” or “provide access to live productions of dance, theater and/or music in and around Bayer’s largest site communities”—namely, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Berkeley, and northern New Jersey.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $25,000 to $200,000. Grantseekers should note that while the Bayer Fund supports organizations across the United States, it strongly prioritizes groups based in St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Berkeley, and northern New Jersey. the four areas where the majority of its US employees live. The Bayer Fund does not provide detailed information about its past grantmaking on its website, and as the foundation has recently been restructured, its grantmaking may evolve over time.
The Bayer Fund accepts proposals by invitation only. In order to be invited, applicants must request an invitation code from the contact page on the foundation’s website. Bayer maintains two grant cycles per year, accepting invited applications from January to February and from July to August.
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