The AstraZeneca Foundation today announced $1,144,170 in grants through its signature Creating Health Access for Next Generation Equity (CHANGE) program, including funding for five new nonprofit organizations working to improve access to quality healthcare in communities across the U.S. The grants extend the CHANGE program’s geographic reach and include continued support for a previously funded organization that will serve as a peer mentor to the new awardees as they launch their work.
Since 2023, CHANGE has invested in locally driven solutions designed to connect more people with needed healthcare services, particularly in communities experiencing health disparities. Funded initiatives span screening and early diagnosis through treatment and continuity of care, with an emphasis on cardiovascular, renal, respiratory and immunologic diseases, as well as cancers.
Together, this year’s five new awardees and returning peer mentor are pursuing a range of strategies tailored to local needs, including expanding primary, preventive and specialty care; strengthening care navigation; increasing cancer screening and early detection; and helping overcome obstacles that can make it difficult for people to receive timely, affordable care.
“Expanding CHANGE into new communities gives us an opportunity to learn from and invest in organizations that understand firsthand what it takes to improve access to care at the grassroots level,” said Bridget Therriault, Executive Director, AstraZeneca Foundation. “These organizations bring deep community knowledge and practical, innovative approaches to help individuals get the care they need. By pairing grant funding with peer mentorship, measurement and collaborative learning, we can strengthen approaches that have the potential to make a lasting difference in communities across the country.”
CHANGE complements its grant funding with resources to help nonprofits evaluate progress, strengthen their work and exchange insights with their peers. Through a Community of Practice with evaluation partner NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC) and the Foundation, participating organizations receive measurement and evaluation guidance, targeted technical assistance and opportunities to learn from one another. The addition of peer mentorship this year builds on this collaborative model, connecting the five new awardees with a previously funded organization to provide practical insights from its experience implementing a CHANGE-funded initiative.
This year’s AstraZeneca Foundation CHANGE grant awardees are:
New CHANGE awardees:
- Ambulatory Surgery Access Coalition dba Operation Access in San Francisco, CA ($220,000) for Northern and Central California Specialty Access Program which aims to advance health equity on a community and individual level by connecting uninsured, low-income people facing barriers to care with free surgical and specialty services donated by local providers and addressing the social determinants that too often result in specialty care and cancer disparities.
- Boston Community Pediatrics in Boston, MA ($220,000) for Expanding Patient-Centered, Integrated Pediatric Care in Boston and Beyond which aims to bring income and racial equity to pediatrics by providing all families – regardless of their ability to pay – with comprehensive, high-quality healthcare that fully-integrates medical, mental health and care navigation support to help families address the social determinants of health, such as housing and food insecurity, that perpetuate health inequality.
- Conejo Free Clinic in Thousand Oaks, CA ($218,100) for Ventura County Women’s Health Access and Navigation Initiative which aims to improve early detection and reduce disparities in breast and cervical cancer outcomes in Ventura County by increasing access to culturally responsive screening, navigation and follow-up care for underserved women, including Hispanic and Indigenous communities.
- Franciscan Workers of Junipero Serra dba Dorothy’s Place in Salinas, CA ($216,070) for Health Equity as a Bridge to Housing which aims to eliminate profound health disparities facing Salinas’ unsheltered population by integrating intensive healthcare navigation and social stabilization with supportive housing, thereby realizing next generation equity and securing consistent healthcare access for those historically excluded from the medical system.
- Mobile Medical Care, Inc. in Rockville, MD ($220,000) for Beyond the Visit: Expanding Access Through Continuous Primary Care which aims to improve health outcomes for low-income, uninsured and underinsured Montgomery County residents by expanding access to high-quality comprehensive primary and preventive care.
Returning CHANGE awardee and peer mentor:
- AIDS Resource Alliance, Inc. in Williamsport, PA ($50,000) for AR Health: Achieving Health Equity for Medically Underserved Populations which aims to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes by providing high-quality primary care services in a welcoming environment to individuals living with HIV and members of the LGBTQ+ community residing in the rural region of northcentral Pennsylvania, with the ultimate goal of building a healthier and more equitable community.
With this year’s awards, the CHANGE program has provided over $6.2 million in grants to 17 nonprofit organizations since 2023, reaching more than 80,000 people through direct services. Together, funded organizations have helped broaden access to health screenings, primary and specialty care, care coordination, health insurance enrollment and tailored health education, with many participants reporting improvements in overall health and ability to navigate the healthcare system.
About AstraZeneca Foundation
The AstraZeneca Foundation works to advance health equity and foster community wellbeing in the U.S. through strategic grant-giving and capacity-building support for nonprofit organizations. The Foundation also provides financial support for AstraZeneca employees affected by federally declared disasters in the U.S. and its territories. Established in 1993 as a nonprofit charitable organization, the AstraZeneca Foundation is a separate legal entity from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals with distinct legal restrictions. For more information and updates, visit https://www.astrazeneca-us.com/sustainability/healthcare-foundation.html.
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