Atrius Health Equity Foundation launches its work with two $500,000 partnership grants to the Health Equity Compact and The New Commonwealth Fund.

Under leadership of Ann Hwang, MD, Foundation poised to grant approximately $150 million to fund transformational community-based health equity initiatives

Boston, MA - The Atrius Health Equity Foundation today announced the launch of its bold efforts to address health inequities via its first significant gifts, two $500,000 partnership grants to the Health Equity Compact and The New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund. The Foundation’s board also announced that Ann Hwang has been appointed as president of the organization, formed as a health conversion foundation when Atrius Health was sold to a for-profit organization.

“The Foundation launched at a time of great urgency to address health inequities that have endured far too long,” said Jon Kingsdale, chair of the Board. “We want to move quickly for transformational change at the community level. With her broad experience in primary care, health advocacy and policy, the board can think of no better way to start that work than naming Dr. Hwang president and funding two organizations that recognize that real change comes from communities.”

Founded in 2022, The Atrius Health Equity Foundation plans to use the bulk of its estimated $150 million in assets to make large-scale strategic investments in neighborhoods in Eastern Massachusetts to reduce the health inequities that drive premature deaths in historically marginalized communities. To launch that work and to foster relationships across diverse communities, the Foundation identified two initial partnership grants recipients that aligned with its overall mission to improve health equity.

Funding to the New Commonwealth Fund (NCF) will support direct grant making to Black and Brown-led community-based organizations working on health equity. Funding to the Health Equity Compact will further advance its early successes in engaging communities around the need for action to address health equity.

“I am thrilled that the Foundation is making its two inaugural grants to the Health Equity Compact and The New Commonwealth Fund. These two organizations were established thanks to the bold action and deep commitment of leaders of color, to create a different, more

equitable future.” said Hwang. “Both organizations share our emphasis on community expertise and our desire to enable community led organizations to drive transformative change.”

Over the next several months, the Foundation plans to conduct a listening tour across cities and communities that disproportionately bear the burden of poor health and decreased life expectancy. The purpose is to engage communities in shaping the Foundation’s programs. Early Partnership grants will assure that the Foundation has an immediate impact while it plans for larger grant making in early 2024.

“This funding from the Atrius Health Equity Foundation will enable the Compact to continue its critical work of advancing health equity across the Commonwealth. The COVID pandemic made it abundantly clear what many health professionals, communities of color and underserved populations have long known – systemic racism and underinvestment in health within these communities has an enormous negative impact” said Michael Curry, President & CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and a co-founder of the Health Equity Compact. “The time is now and these funds will provide momentum, as we continue our advocacy for systemic change, and advance statewide health equity reform. We thank the Foundation for this monumental first grant.”

The grant to The New Commonwealth Fund provides immediate, unrestricted support to Black and Brown-led organizations who are employing a range of new strategies to advance health equity in their communities. Health equity is one of NCF’s five grant making pillars.

“Historically, philanthropic dollars have gone to large organizations that are not based in the communities they serve or led by people of color,” said Dr. Makeeba McCreary, President of NCF. “With this investment from the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, we can continue our efforts to support and partner with leaders who represent impacted communities to pursue bold, innovative, community-centered strategies to achieve health equity.”

To meet the urgency of the moment, the Foundation expects to grant the bulk of its funding by 2030. With these deep investments, the Foundation hopes to create communities that are vibrant, healthy and more equitable.

###