AstraZeneca Foundation awards $1.14 million to take its health access program beyond the Mid-Atlantic
Five new nonprofits, three of them in California, get about $220,000 each. One first-cohort grantee returns with $50,000 to mentor the newcomers.
By Corporate Giving Desk ·
In brief
- The AstraZeneca Foundation announced $1,144,170 in CHANGE grants on November 2, 2026: five new nonprofits plus one returning grantee.
- Three of the five new grantees are in California, with one each in Massachusetts and Maryland. The program's first cohort served the Mid-Atlantic.
- The round is 21.9% smaller than 2025's $1,465,742, by our arithmetic. Five of the six groups funded last year are not on the list.
- The foundation says CHANGE has given over $6.2 million to 17 nonprofits since 2023. By our reading of its releases, that count includes six 2023 grants under an older program.
- It says the work has reached more than 80,000 people with direct services. The release gives no health outcome figures.
The AstraZeneca Foundation, a charity set up in 1993 that is legally separate from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, announced $1,144,170 in grants on November 2, 2026, through its Creating Health Access for Next Generation Equity (CHANGE) program. Five of the six recipients are new to the program, and four of those five are based outside the Mid-Atlantic region where it began.
Who got what
| Grantee | Based in | Grant | Focus, as the foundation describes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Access (Ambulatory Surgery Access Coalition) | San Francisco, CA | $220,000 | Free surgery and specialty care for uninsured, low-income patients |
| Boston Community Pediatrics | Boston, MA | $220,000 | Children's care that combines medical, mental health and navigation support |
| Mobile Medical Care | Rockville, MD | $220,000 | Primary and preventive care in Montgomery County |
| Conejo Free Clinic | Thousand Oaks, CA | $218,100 | Breast and cervical cancer screening and follow-up in Ventura County |
| Dorothy's Place (Franciscan Workers of Junipero Serra) | Salinas, CA | $216,070 | Health navigation tied to supportive housing for people without shelter |
| AIDS Resource Alliance (returning, peer mentor) | Williamsport, PA | $50,000 | Primary care for people with HIV and LGBTQ+ residents of rural northcentral Pennsylvania |
The release does not say how long the grants run or whether they can be renewed. In 2023, the first cohort's awards ran for a year, with renewal possible for up to two more.
These organizations bring deep community knowledge and practical, innovative approaches to help individuals get the care they need.
A turn away from the first cohort
CHANGE began in 2023 with six groups serving the Mid-Atlantic, in places where the company operates, including Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. All six were funded again in 2024 and 2025. Last year's release announced a call for applications from groups serving California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts and Texas. No grantee on the new list is based in Delaware or Texas.
Only AIDS Resource Alliance carries over, with a fifth of last year's roughly $250,000. The other five first-cohort groups do not appear. The release does not discuss them, though by our reading their three-year term has run its course. Its emphasis is on the mentoring role and on a shared learning group run with NORC at the University of Chicago, which evaluates the program.
What the $6.2 million figure covers
| Year announced | Recipients | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 12: six CHANGE, six final grants from Connections for Cardiovascular Health Next Generation | $2,170,318 |
| 2024 | Six CHANGE, second year | $1,461,852 |
| 2025 | Same six CHANGE, third year | $1,465,742 |
| 2026 | Five new CHANGE, one returning | $1,144,170 |
| Sum (our arithmetic) | $6,242,082 |
The foundation says CHANGE has provided over $6.2 million to 17 nonprofits since 2023 and reached more than 80,000 people with direct services. A year ago its figures were over $5 million, 12 nonprofits and more than 50,000 people, a count that also took in events and programming. By our arithmetic, those dollar and grantee counts match only if they include the six 2023 grants made under the older heart health program, which was then closing. The six CHANGE awards listed that year add up to $1,450,318. Counting only awards labeled CHANGE, our tally is $5,522,082 to 11 groups. The release does not draw that distinction.
It reports that many participants say their health improved and the system became easier to navigate, but it gives no outcome figures, so the 80,000 is a measure of reach.
Where it sits in the company's giving
AstraZeneca also funds nonprofits outside the foundation. We explain how company foundations differ from direct corporate gifts elsewhere. In February 2026, the company said its ACT on Health Equity initiative had awarded $3.4 million to nonprofits, funding 47 programs. That is about three times the new CHANGE round, by our arithmetic. The foundation also gives financial help to company employees hit by federally declared disasters.
Sources
- AstraZeneca Foundation awards over $1.1M in grants to expand healthcare access in communities across the U.S. AstraZeneca, November 2, 2026
- AstraZeneca Foundation awards over $1.4M in third year grants to advance healthcare access; announces 2026 call for applications AstraZeneca, October 20, 2025
- AstraZeneca Foundation awards six nonprofit organizations more than $1.4M in second-year funding AstraZeneca, November 25, 2024
- AstraZeneca Foundation awards 12 nonprofit organizations more than $2m to advance health equity AstraZeneca, October 12, 2023
- AstraZeneca awards $3.4 million for programs to improve access to healthcare for patients across the US AstraZeneca, February 11, 2026
- AstraZeneca Foundation AstraZeneca, November 6, 2026
Researched and drafted with AI assistance, then checked against the 6 sources above in a separate fact-check on November 6, 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us.