CDC Foundation Achieves Milestone of $400 Million Raised to Support CDC-Led Programs Since 1995

Since 1995 the CDC Foundation has launched more than 700 programs and raised $400 million to advance the life-saving work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As the sole entity authorized by Congress to raise funds on behalf of CDC, the CDC Foundation builds strategic public-private partnerships between CDC and corporations, foundations, organizations and individuals to advance CDC’s work to protect people from health and safety threats.

“We are so grateful for our partners who have supported CDC’s work through the CDC Foundation since we opened our doors 18 years ago. This would not have been possible without the dedication of our staff and board of directors and the commitment of our partners,” said Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation.  “As CDC’s nonprofit partner, we are positioned to help CDC secure crucial resources. Our fundraising success is an example of how public-private partnerships can make significant contributions to benefit public health.”

The CDC Foundation annually manages more than 200 CDC-led programs in the United States and in 58 countries around the world. Examples of ways the funds help CDC do more, faster, include:

  • Global health programs such as an initiative to reduce tobacco use and another to evaluate safe water interventions.
  • Infectious disease programs such as those seeking to prevent infections in cancer patients and a coalition aimed at improving prevention, screening and treatment of viral hepatitis. 
  • Emergency preparedness and response programs—both global and domestic—such as the provision of two public health buildings in Haiti and a community preparedness initiative. 
  • Chronic disease and birth defect programs such as an effort aimed at early assessment of childhood obesity and evaluation of pregnancy risk assessment monitoring. 

“Partnering with the CDC Foundation offers benefits far beyond the dollars that are raised. The support CDC needs most often is funding, but can also include expertise, information, leadership and connections,” said Gary Cohen, chair of the CDC Foundation’s board of directors, who also serves as executive vice president of BD and acting CEO of GBCHealth. “Outside support through the CDC Foundation gives CDC experts the flexibility to quickly and effectively connect with the right partners, information and technology to address priority public health challenges.”

To advance CDC programs, the CDC Foundation has partnered with some of the nation’s largest foundations, corporations and organizations, in addition to generous individual donors. CDC Foundation partners include, for example, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, GE, Kaiser Permanente, Amgen, Pfizer, Harvard University and the World Health Organization.

“Raising $400 million to advance CDC’s work is an extraordinary achievement for the CDC Foundation,” said Stokes. “Public health connects us all, and is vital to our nation’s health security and a healthy economy. The CDC Foundation is a crucial resource, enhancing CDC’s ability to improve the lives of people throughout the world while protecting our nation’s health security and contributing to a healthier U.S. economy.”

The CDC Foundation today also released its 2013 Report to Contributors, featuring its annual highlights and list of donors.

About the CDC Foundation
Established by Congress, the CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) do more, faster, by forging public-private partnerships to support CDC’s work 24/7 to save lives and protect people from health and safety threats. The CDC Foundation currently manages more than 200 CDC-led programs in the United States and in 58 countries around the world. Since 1995 the CDC Foundation has launched more than 700 programs and raised $400 million to advance the life-saving work of CDC. For more information, please visit www.cdcfoundation.org.