We believe healthy communities mean healthy people and we know that a healthier world cannot come from medicines alone. That is why we support the efforts of nonprofit organizations working to improve health in communities across the US. We collaborate with organizations who share both our passion for making a meaningful difference to patient health and our commitment to healthcare that works – for individual patients, communities and the health system as a whole.
In 2011, AstraZeneca provided $10 million in contributions to more than 600 nonprofit organizations in the US. These included patient organizations, health care facilities, medical professional associations and civic/public policy groups working to promote better healthcare and broaden access to it, and to prevent and reduce disease.
Each year, we support a wide range of programs and activities–with a priority given to initiatives focused on the diseases and conditions in which we have expertise. Our contributions underscore our commitment to work to connect people and communities with resources that improve health and well-being and to help the organizations improve their capacity to make a meaningful difference in the communities they serve. Two examples of our nonprofit collaborations are our work with the American Cancer Society and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
- American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Patient Navigator Program
AstraZeneca announced a five-year, $10 million dollar sponsorship of this ACS program in 2007, making us the first company to give nationwide, large-scale support. The program links individuals affected by cancer to patient navigators who serve as personal guides for patients, as they face the difficult psychological, emotional and financial aspects of their cancer experience. With AstraZeneca’s funding, ACS has been able to open 35 patient navigator sites in 2010, another 11 in 2011, and plans to open five more by the end of 2012 for a total of 51 sites across the country. - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Connection Program
This peer-led support group program for individuals suffering from mental illness is currently in 47 states. NAMI Connection served 133,000 patients in 2011 and the goal is to increase this by 5 percent in 2012. NAMI provides educational activities and support groups within a reasonable traveling distance for every American who lives with mental illness.
In and around our North American headquarters of Delaware, AstraZeneca collaborates with community leaders and workers to improve health in the communities across Delaware and in neighboring states.
As this region and the nation faced economic pressures in recent years, we saw a corresponding growth in the demand for charitable services along with an increase in the number of residents without health insurance. To help address these needs, we’ve focused our corporate philanthropy efforts in three areas–Healthy Communities, Youth Development and Community Vitality. These areas of focus encompass some of the most pressing challenges facing our local communities.
AstraZeneca is particularly proud to partner with Healthy Delawareans Today & Tomorrow (HDTT), a public-private coalition of organizations focused on increasing awareness and availability of free and low-cost healthcare services for the uninsured in Delaware. The HDDT coalition was created in 2007 when AstraZeneca came together with leading agencies throughout the state in partnership with the United Way of Delaware. Other partners include federally-qualified health centers, Delaware Healthcare Commission, Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Nemours Health and Prevention Services and the Delaware Hotline. More than five years after its launch, the coalition continues to advocate for policy changes and link issues and strategies to the overall work of the United Way’s Healthy and Independent Communities.
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AstraZeneca Young Health Program
2011 Corporate Contributions Report Delaware Region (PDF 1793kb)AstraZeneca’s Healthcare Heroes give their time, energy and passion in a variety of ways, from manning booths to organizing item drives for needy families. Our volunteers also work with our global Young Health Program (YHP) initiative, a program in partnership with the United Way of Delaware meant to encourage young people in Delaware to make healthy choices, maintain good health and succeed in school.
In June 2012, we recognized some of our employee volunteers as part of the Jefferson Award program. Some 32 nominations were submitted from across the organization, and seven employees received a Jefferson Award for their outstanding volunteer service. One employee, Meg Marian, represented AstraZeneca at the Jefferson Award national event in Washington where she was recognized for her volunteer work in helping to increase educational opportunities for the 3,000 children with special needs in her school district.
AstraZeneca was selected as a 2010 “Best of the Best” Jefferson Awards Corporation because of its ongoing commitment to employee volunteerism. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell also has recognized AstraZeneca as a model for employer best practices related to volunteering.
In addition to volunteering hundreds of hours to help people in need, AstraZeneca employees also were engaged in the United Way Campaign, giving more than $300,000 in 2011.
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AstraZeneca honors employees for outstanding volunteerism
Transparency
We publicly disclose information about our contributions to nonprofit organizations as part of our commitment to transparency. For a complete report of our 2011 contributions to nonprofit organizations, visit the grants and contributions disclosure section of our site. Disclosing information about our philanthropy is among several areas of business activity for which we disclose information to the public. For details on all of the areas, visit the transparency section of our site.