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AMGEN FOUNDATION

Amgen Foundation

Contact information:

Amgen Inc.
One Amgen Center Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-1799
Phone: 805-447-1000
Fax: 805-447-1010
Foundation Hotline: 805-447-4056

Website: http://www.amgen.com/citizenship/foundation.html

Type of foundation: Company-sponsored

Types of grants: Program, Employee matching grants

Description: Amgen is one of the world's leading biotechnology companies. The Amgen Foundation was launched in 1991. Since then, it has donated more than $130 million via three main program areas:

  • Quality of care and access for patients (especially programs that promote preventative care, help patients overcome barriers to quality healthcare, promote enhanced quality of life for seniors, address health disparities and offer language assistance/translating in healthcare settings). This area represents 17 percent of giving.
  • Science education (hands-on science education opportunities for students and programs that support and improve teacher quality). This area represents 25 percent of giving.
  • Community services (only available to communities where Amgen has a corporate presence). Company locations currently include California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Washington. This area represents 18 percent of giving.

The Foundation also has a significant matching gifts program. Since 1993, it has matched more than $20 million in employee donations.

The Foundation prefers projects that are replicable, scalable, and designed to have lasting and meaningful effect.

Sample grants:

  • $560,604 to WGBH Educational Foundation for Teachers' Domain: Biotechnology, an extensive library of free digital media resources produced by public television, designed for classroom use and professional development (2008).
  • $150,000 to KQED in support for QUEST, a science and environment educational initiative designed to raise science literacy among students and the general public (2008).
  • $100,000 to Public Radio International to support Science and Technology Coverage on PRI's The World (2008).
  • The Amgen Foundation was the lead sponsor for the PBS series, Remaking American Medicine, and also underwrote a project awarding PBS stations with grants to support an associated outreach campaign.

Fit for public broadcasting: The best fit for public broadcasting is likely in the area of public education related to health, science and technology. Public media outlets have also been successful in securing grants for science education (students and teachers). The Foundation does not make a large number of media grants, but it does have a consistent history of funding a few high-impact public media projects. 

Eligibility: The Amgen Foundation will consider requests from tax-exempt organizations -- 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (2), (3) – located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. In addition, the Foundation will consider requests from governmental organizations located in the United States where the purpose of the grant is to support a charitable, educational, scientific or literary purpose. Thus, eligible grantees may include public elementary and secondary schools, as well as public colleges and universities, public libraries and public hospitals.

The Amgen Foundation does not make grants for corporate sponsorship or for events. However, AmgenMED, a separate funding entity of Amgen, does sponsor events and public education programs. (Amgen commercial staff are not part of the decisions to fund these donations.)

Deadline: Proposals are accepted year-round. The Foundation's review committees meet quarterly.

How to apply: Organizations may only submit one request for funding per year. The Foundation's review committees meet quarterly. The initial approach is by letter of inquiry, which must be submitted online. Paper submissions will not be reviewed. A checklist of required information is available here: http://www.amgen.com/citizenship/inquiry_letter_checklist.html.

Giving range: The Foundation has a broad giving range, but recent media grants have been in the range of $100,000 –  $500,000.

Assets: $114,078,362 (as of 12/07)

Total giving: $19,507,651

View Annual Reports here: http://www.amgen.com/citizenship/annual_report.html#