Introduction
The Moderna Charitable Foundation, commonly known as the Moderna Foundation, is a philanthropic organization established by biotechnology company Moderna, Inc. It supports nonprofit organizations working to improve public health, expand access to healthcare, advance STEM education and strengthen underserved communities.
The Foundation’s work reflects lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the need to address health inequalities, workforce shortages and social conditions that influence community well-being. Its primary activities include nonprofit grantmaking, humanitarian assistance and employee-supported charitable giving.
History and Background
Moderna launched the Moderna Charitable Foundation in 2022 following the global impact of its COVID-19 vaccine. The Foundation was created to extend that societal contribution beyond medicine by supporting organizations capable of producing lasting community change.
At its launch, the Foundation announced approximately $5 million in initial grants. Its early funding addressed public health, healthcare access, science education, economic opportunity, housing insecurity and inequalities intensified by the pandemic.
By 2023, Moderna reported that the Foundation had funded $7.8 million in grants, including a $4 million initiative supporting health systems and healthcare delivery in sub-Saharan Africa. Moderna subsequently reported $7.2 million in grants during 2023, of which $1.4 million supported responses to humanitarian crises.
Mission and Purpose
The Moderna Foundation’s mission is to support organizations and causes that create long-lasting change for a healthier world. It concentrates on communities affected by COVID-19 and on systemic inequalities highlighted or worsened by the pandemic.
Its principal objectives include:
- Promoting public health and access to quality healthcare.
- Building resilient healthcare systems and strengthening the health workforce.
- Expanding STEM education, scientific learning and innovation opportunities.
- Supporting underserved populations facing systemic barriers.
- Strengthening communities where Moderna employees live and work.
- Providing timely assistance during humanitarian emergencies.
Governance and Structure
The Moderna Charitable Foundation was established by Moderna, Inc., but it is described by the company as a separate legal entity that operates independently. This distinction separates the Foundation’s charitable activities from Moderna’s commercial biotechnology operations.
The Foundation evaluates nonprofit proposals according to its mission, eligibility requirements and established funding priorities. Its structured review process is intended to promote consistency across grant cycles.
Funding and Grants
The Moderna Foundation awards grants to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States and similarly organized nonprofit entities outside the country. It is a grantmaker rather than a general financing institution, so its support is intended for charitable organizations whose projects align with its priorities.
Grantmaking Priorities
The Foundation organizes its grantmaking around three broad areas:
- Health: Promoting public health, improving healthcare access and building resilient health ecosystems.
- Science: Expanding STEM education and innovation while closing opportunity gaps for future scientists and professionals.
- Community: Strengthening local communities and addressing systemic barriers affecting underserved populations.
Application Process
The Foundation operates a semiannual grant cycle, with two application periods each year. Applications undergo a defined review process, and decisions are communicated after each evaluation period.
For 2026, the official website lists the following cycles:
- Cycle One: Applications from March 16 to April 30, with decisions communicated in July.
- Cycle Two: Applications from August 1 to September 15, with decisions communicated in November.
Organizations should verify current dates, eligibility rules and required documents through the Foundation’s official grant portal before applying.
Additional Funding Mechanisms
Beyond conventional grants, Moderna’s community-support framework includes:
- Philanthropic contributions during humanitarian crises.
- Employee matching gifts to eligible nonprofit organizations.
- Dollars for Doers, which connects employee volunteer service with charitable donations.
- Corporate volunteering and paid employee volunteer time.
These mechanisms broaden Moderna’s charitable impact by combining institutional funding with employee participation.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Public Health and Healthcare Access
The Foundation funds initiatives designed to improve vaccination, preventive care, clinical services and health-system capacity. Its international partnerships have included programs in Africa that strengthen healthcare delivery and reach vulnerable populations.
Healthcare Workforce Development
Support for clinical education and workforce training helps communities respond to shortages of doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals. These investments are intended to build sustainable capacity rather than provide only short-term emergency relief.
STEM Education and Workforce Opportunity
The Foundation promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, especially for young people who face barriers to academic and professional opportunities. Related workforce-development initiatives help young adults acquire skills and connect with employers.
Community Resilience
Community grants address factors that affect health indirectly, including homelessness, poverty, grief, social exclusion and limited economic opportunity. This approach recognizes housing, education and financial security as important social determinants of health.
Humanitarian Assistance
The Moderna Foundation also contributes to disaster and crisis-response initiatives. Funding may support healthcare, emergency relief and community recovery in regions affected by natural disasters, conflict or other humanitarian emergencies.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
The Foundation has partnered with local, national and international nonprofit organizations. Examples featured by Moderna include:
- Boston Medical Center: Funding supports the Good Grief Program, which delivers trauma-informed and culturally responsive therapy to children affected by death and acute loss.
- Heading Home: Foundation support has helped provide permanent supportive housing for extremely low-income individuals in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- International Rescue Committee: Grant funding supports infection-prevention and control programs intended to create stronger health systems in West and Central Africa.
- Amref Health Africa: The partnership has supported efforts to improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Kenya, particularly among vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities.
- Seed Global Health: Funding contributes to clinical education and healthcare workforce development in Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia.
- Life Science Cares: The Foundation supports nonprofit programs addressing poverty and its effects in the Greater Boston area.
- Year Up: Funding assists workforce-development programs that connect young adults with education, skills training and employment opportunities.
These projects illustrate the Foundation’s integrated approach to health equity, education, housing, workforce development and community resilience.
Conclusion
The Moderna Foundation is an important component of Moderna’s wider social-impact strategy. Established in 2022, it uses grants, humanitarian giving and employee-engagement programs to support healthier and more equitable communities.
Its funding priorities span public health, healthcare access, STEM education, workforce development and assistance for underserved populations. Through partnerships with organizations such as Boston Medical Center, Amref Health Africa, Seed Global Health and Year Up, the Foundation seeks to address immediate needs while building sustainable systems for the future.
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