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Direct Relief Announces Latest Round of Fund for Health Equity Grant Recipients

News

Health Equity

Illinois Unidos hosts a vaccination clinic in 2021. The organization is among grantees awarded with funds from Direct Relief's Fund for Health Equity. (Photo courtesy of Illinois Unidos Initiative)

Direct Relief today announced the newest round of grants awarded through its Fund for Health Equity, which supports organizations working to eliminate health disparities and improve healthcare quality in underserved communities across the United States.

This latest round of funding and support—totaling more than $8 million—is made possible through the generous support of the AbbVie Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company, and MacKenzie Scott. Since its launch in 2021, the Fund has provided more than $59 million to 182 organizations addressing the root causes of health inequities in their communities.

“The organizations receiving support from the Fund for Health Equity are on the frontlines of addressing the systemic barriers that impact health outcomes,” said Dr. Byron Scott, Direct Relief’s Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chair of the Fund for Health Equity. “We are proud to continue supporting their work and grateful for their tireless efforts to ensure more equitable access to care.”

The AbbVie Foundation committed $10 million over five years to the Fund for Health Equity in 2020.  Since then, the AbbVie Foundation distributed grants to thirty organizations, and this year, the Foundation is awarding $1.73 million in grants to 10 additional organizations through the Fund.

“The AbbVie Foundation empowers our partners to drive meaningful change in their communities so that everyone can live their healthiest life,” said Claudia Carravetta, President, AbbVie Foundation, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility & Global Philanthropy, AbbVie. “We are grateful for our longstanding partnership with Direct Relief and honored to support the 2025 Fund for Health Equity grant recipients whose work is critical in addressing health disparities in communities across the United States.”

Lilly also supported the Fund with a $5 million commitment in early 2021, as part of the Lilly 30×30 effort which aims to improve access to quality health care for 30 million people living in resource-limited settings annually by 2030.

With the support from Lilly’s commitment, Direct Relief has been able to distribute a portion of its Health Equity Fund to 12 awardees across the U.S. since 2021 and an additional four new awardees in 2025.

“Lilly is proud to contribute to Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity in support of Direct Relief’s charitable work to eliminate health disparities and improve access to quality healthcare in resource-limited communities across the United States. We are encouraged by the impact of Lilly’s contributions to the Fund and look forward to the continued impact that will be made by the community-based organizations supported by the Fund,” said Cynthia Cardona, Lilly’s Vice President of Social Impact.

The Fund for Health Equity continues to grow, supporting a broad range of community-based organizations addressing issues such as chronic disease management, maternal and child health, mental health services, and culturally competent care.

The awardees were selected by the Fund for Health Equity’s Advisory Council, which includes:

  • Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, 18th U.S. Surgeon General and Founder of Bayou Clinic, Inc. (Co-Chair)
  • Byron Scott, MD, MBA, Direct Relief CEO (Co-Chair)
  • Martha Dawson, DNP, MSN, RN, FACHE, President and CEO of the National Black Nurses Association
  • Jane Delgado, PhD, MS, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health
  • Gail Small, JD, Head Chief Woman, a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe

Since its inception, the Fund for Health Equity has provided vital resources to organizations working to expand healthcare access, strengthen community health programs, and reduce disparities in care. The latest group of recipients joins a growing network of changemakers committed to building a more just and equitable healthcare system for all.

Full list of 2025 awardees:

  • Alaska Native Birthworkers Community, Anchorage, AK
  • Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage, AK
  • Alternative Structures International, Waianae, HI
  • Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative, Inc., Hackensack, NJ
  • Brownsville Community Health Center, Brownsville, TX
  • Center for Black Women’s Wellness, Atlanta, GA
  • Center for Indigenous Midwifery, Olympia, WA
  • Centro San Vicente, El Paso, TX
  • Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition, Chicago, IL
  • Commonsense Childbirth, Winter Garden, FL
  • Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment Inc, Gallup, NM
  • Consuelo Foundation, Honolulu, HI
  • Cornell Scott Hill Health Corporation, New Haven, CT
  • CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, Richmond, VA
  • Darkness to Light, Mount Pleasant, SC
  • Downtown Jimmie Hale Mission, Birmingham, AL
  • Hispanic Community Services, Inc. (El Centro Hispano en Arkansas), Jonesboro, AR
  • Friends of Refugees, Clarkston, GA
  • Good Neighbor Health Clinic, Inc., White River Junction, VT
  • Growing Gardens, Portland, OR
  • Health Brigade, Richmond, VA
  • Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
  • El Centro Hispano, Inc, Durham, NC
  • Illinois Unidos, Chicago, IL
  • Indigenous Peoples Task Force, Minneapolis, MN
  • Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, Honolulu, HI
  • La Familia Counseling Center, Inc., Sacramento, CA
  • Latin American Youth Center Inc, Washington, D.C.
  • Mamas Kitchen, San Diego, CA
  • Miami Beach Community Health Center, Inc., Miami, FL
  • Moab Free Clinic, Moab, UT
  • Mobile Health Clinics Association, St. Louis, MO
  • NC MedAssist, Charlotte, NC
  • New Horizon Community Care dba New Horizon Youth Homes Inc, Chandler, AZ
  • Northern Arizona University FDN Inc on behalf of the School of Nursing, Flagstaff, AZ
  • OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc., Omaha, NE
  • Open Source Wellness, El Cerrito, CA
  • Opportunity Center for the Homeless, El Paso, TX
  • Oregon Health and Science University Foundation, Portland, OR
  • Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA
  • Seattle Indian Health Board, Seattle, WA
  • Shepherd’s Hope, Winter Garden, FL
  • SisterLove, Inc., Atlanta, GA
  • Snake River Community Clinic, Lewiston, ID
  • Tepeyac Community Health Center, Denver, CO
  • Ubi Caritas Health Ministries, Beaumont, TX
  • West Virginia Health Right, Inc., Charleston, WV
  • YES Housing, Inc., Albuquerque, NM
  • Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA San Antonio), San Antonio, TX
  • Youth Development, Inc. (YDI), Albuquerque, NM

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