The U.S. Congress established the CDC Foundation as the sole entity authorized by the government to raise funds for and organize philanthropic institutions and private-sector resources on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1
Activities
Since its founding in 1995, the CDC Foundation has started about 1,000 programs and raised about $740 million as of January 2018. It had managed 300 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-led programs in the U.S. and in more than 130 countries through 2017. 1 According to a 2022 estimate, the CDC Foundation had launched 1,200 programs, raised over $1.6 billion to support the CDC’s work, and has managed operations in more than 160 countries as of June 2022. 2
The CDC Foundation claims that the outcome of the CDC’s research projects and scientific activities has no bearing on the funding it provides to the agency. It also claims that there are review procedures in place, some operated by the CDC Foundation and others by the CDC itself, to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest. 1
According to the CDC Foundation, as of June 2021, it had 21,036 partnerships with individuals, philanthropies, corporations, and other organizations; 243 community-based organizations in 46 states; 203 emergency response projects including some related to COVID-19; and 136 domestic and 83 global programs with the CDC and other public health partners. 3
Finances
In January 2020, the CDC Foundation started an Emergency Response Fund with a catalyst donation of $1 million from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in light of the outbreak of COVID-19. 4 The description explained that the grant was to be used to help fund the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s public health measures taken to combat the virus, which the CDC said included “additional support for state and local health departments, support for the global response, logistics, communications, data management, personal protective equipment, critical response supplies and more.” 54
According to IRS filings for 2020, the CDC Foundation had a total revenue of $196,475,047, total expenses of $191,204,889, and net assets of $259,704,681. 7
Leadership
As of June 2022, Judy Monroe was the president and chief executive officer of the CDC Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation as president in 2016, Monroe was the deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and director of the CDC’s Office of State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support. Alongside Monroe at the president’s office at this time were Lauren A. Smith, the chief health equity and strategy officer; Lisa F. Waddell, the chief medical officer; and Kathy Cahill, the vice president for systems integration. 8
As of June 2022, the CDC Foundation’s board included retired CEO and executive vice president of Superior Essex, Inc. David Aldridge; senior vice president of community benefit, research and health policy at Kaiser Permanente Raymond J. Baxter; founder and executive chairman of Brooks Bell, Inc. Brooks Bell; senior vice president and chief legal officer of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. Vanessa M. Benavides; former board chair of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health Elaine Chambers; professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Leah Devlin; senior advisor to the president of Emory University Robert M. Franklin; former Mayor of Atlanta Shirley Franklin (D); former chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. Phil Kent; vice president for global health at Emory University Jeffrey P. Koplan; chief corporate affairs office of UPS Laura Lane; former executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation James Marks; chair of UT Health San Antonio Amelie G. Ramirez; and executive vice president for policy at Business Roundtable Kristen Silverberg. 9
Former board members included Richard W. Edelman of Edelman, Bob Jeffrey of JWT, co-founder of Home Depot Bernard Marcus, retired president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation Doug Nelson, retired chairman of Southern Company David Ratcliffe, the late former professional basketball player and chairman of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation Dikembe Mutombo, and chairman of the Andrew J. Young Foundation Andrew J. Young. 9
Facebook will match $10 million for the CDC Foundation, which will launch a fundraiser in the next few weeks focused on combating the coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S.
to maintain lab support for key clinical studies related to polio endgame
$5,785,842
2021
Oak Foundation
To support the CDC in funding critical research gaps to strengthen the evidence base for preventing youth- or adult-perpetrated child sexual abuse. This grant will also increase the number and quality of evidence-based strategies available for use by federal, state, and local public health agencies, academic institutions, CDC grantees, youth-serving organisations and other CSA prevention providers. The CDC Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organisation created by US Congress to mobilise philanthropic and private-sector resources to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s critical health protection work.
To continue support for the CDC Foundation's Emergency Response Fund, which provides emergency aid, resources, and help to quickly meet the health needs of marginalized communities affected by national public health emergencies, including disease epidemics or pandemics and natural or human-made disasters.
To (1) respond to state, territorial, and tribal public health agencies' current needs for support; (2) improve their capacity to work with intermediaries and community partners, align funding streams, align with other agencies, and use methods that improve health equity; and (3) strengthen those public health agencies' ability to support health equity and community resilience long term.
