Celebrating 50 Years of Philanthropy: 1957 - 2007

The Merck Company Foundation is a US-based, private charitable foundation. Established in 1957 by Merck & Co., Inc., the Foundation is funded entirely by the Company and is Merck's chief source of funding support to qualified non-profit, charitable organizations. The mission of the Foundation is to support organizations and innovative programs in alignment with the four strategic priorities outlined below. The Merck Company Foundation supports initiatives that address societal needs and are consistent with our overall mission to enhance the health and well-being of people around the world. Foundation funding support is a portion of the overall "Cash Contributions" figure shown in the Total Merck Contributions/Donations graph. Major programs aligned with our four strategic priorities include:

• Improving access to quality health care and the appropriate use of medicines and vaccines.
  • The African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP) -
    A partnership between the Government of Botswana, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Merck and The Merck Company Foundation to support and enhance Botswana's national response to HIV/AIDS through a comprehensive approach to prevention, care, treatment and support.
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  • The Merck Childhood Asthma Network (MCAN) -
    The Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN) seeks to improve health and related outcomes for children in the United States who have asthma. It also aims to function as a leading national expert and advocate on childhood asthma by working with national, regional, and community partners to develop and implement comprehensive, evidence-based program models to improve access to quality childhood asthma management and care.
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  • The Merck Vaccine Network - Africa (MVN-A) -
    Launched in 2003 with funding from The Merck Company Foundation, MVN-A is a multi-year initiative to help increase the capacity of immunization programs to deliver vaccines effectively in Africa through training of national and regional health care workers in vaccine management and immunization services.
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  • China-MSD HIV/AIDS Partnership -
    A public-private partnership with China’s Ministry of Health to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, patient care, treatment and support. Announced in May 2005, the project will focus on a range of interventions including: education, counseling, testing, harm reduction and health services, including treatment and care for people living with HIV/AIDS.
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• Building capacity in the biomedical and health sciences
  • The Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE) -
    The Merck Institute for Science Education is an award-winning program that works to improve science education, raise the levels of science performance among students in grades K-12, and increase participation in science.
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  • UNCF/Merck Science Initiative -
    The UNCF/Merck Science Initiative is a fellowship program to help expand the pool of world-class African-American biomedical scientists and to achieve the complementary goals of national economic competitiveness and social diversity.
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  • ACCF/Merck Adult Cardiology Research Fellowship Awards -
    The Merck Company Foundation and American College of Cardiology formed a partnership in 1981 to launch this fellowship program that is designed to help foster the development and training of future leaders in cardiovascular medicine and biomedical research.
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• Promoting environments that support innovation, economic growth and development in an ethical and fair context
  • Ethics Centers -
    In collaboration with the Ethics Resource Center (ERC) in Washington, DC, The Merck Company Foundation established independent ethics resource centers in four regions around the world. These centers facilitate dialogue and action related to ethical business and organizational issues of importance in the countries where the centers are located.
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  • The Merck Program on Pharmaceutical Policy Issues (PPPI) -
    The Merck Company Foundation Program on Pharmaceutical Policy Issues provides an opportunity for academic institutions worldwide to develop centers of excellence in pharmaceutical health policy. It enables institutions to enhance their capacity in research, teaching and dissemination through three-year renewable grant programs.
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• Supporting communities where Merck employees work and live
  • Partnership for Giving (P4G) -
    Merck provides U.S.-based employees and retirees the opportunity to donate to the health and human services organizations of their choice through its Partnership for Giving program.
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  • Champions for the Environment Program -
    Merck's Champions for the Environment Program supports local environmental projects through grant awards and Merck volunteers.
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  • Neighbor of Choice -
    Merck's "Neighbor of Choice" program aims to build trustworthy and sustainable relationships with neighbors and key individuals and groups in locations where Merck research and production facilities are located.
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Like the Merck Office of Contributions, The Merck Company Foundation also seeks to develop and initiate programs and partnerships that will help to improve the health and well-being of people around the world. The Foundation works with existing and new partners that we identify for collaboration in achieving the mission and goals of our programs and partnerships. Because the majority of our funding support is directed to specific initiatives or programs that we initiate and that support our giving priorities, we do not accept or respond to unsolicited proposals.