To deliver compassionate, spiritually centered healthcare and reinvest in communities to bring health, healing, and hope to all, with a focus on those most vulnerable.
Ascension Health’s recent giving is anchored by two large awards to Catholic University of America in Washington, DC: $1,200,000 in 2023 for general support and $1,000,000 in 2024 to support the scholarship program. Those grants point to a funder that is comfortable making major, flexible commitments while also backing education-related infrastructure tied to student aid. The foundation’s broader work is organized around compassionate, spiritually centered healthcare and community reinvestment, with emphasis on people and places facing vulnerability. Its active programs show that this is not a single-issue funder. Ascension Health funds community benefit work, local health initiatives, medication affordability efforts, maternal and child health, health equity, and environmental sustainability, often through market-level or facility-linked community investment programs. It also participates in program-related investment activity. Recent grants on file are concentrated in the United States, and the grant pattern indicates a regional scope rather than a national one-off approach.
A major thread in Ascension Health’s work is healthcare access. Through its community benefit and community investment programs, it supports organizations and initiatives that expand access to care, address social determinants of health, and strengthen community health services. Another recurring area is maternal and child health. The Florida and Tennessee community investment programs both name maternal and child health among their priorities, alongside broader access-to-care goals. Medication affordability is also part of the portfolio, appearing in the Florida and Illinois community investment programs and in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which reinvests drug-discount savings into free or reduced-cost medications and tailored services for vulnerable populations. Environmental sustainability is listed among the foundation’s focus areas as well.
The typical grant size is large and tightly clustered: p25 is $1,050,000, median is $1,100,000, and p75 is $1,150,000. The two recent grants on file are both to the same recipient in consecutive years, which suggests repeated support rather than a one-time relationship. Ascension Health also makes program-related investments, and its active portfolio includes both unsolicited and non-unsolicited funding channels depending on the program. Some market-level community investment programs accept unsolicited requests, while others, including the broader community benefit and 340B-related activities, do not.
$2.7M
$2.2B
$383.1M
$236.6M
Most grants fall between $1.1M and $1.2M, with a median of $1.1M.
25th Percentile
$1.1M
Median
$1.1M
75th Percentile
$1.2M
About 0% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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The recipient footprint is U.S.-only in the recent grants file, with 100% of grants going to U.S. recipients. Washington, DC appears in the recent grant record and also matches the top state by grant count, indicating a strong concentration there. Beyond that, Ascension Health’s program geography is tied to the communities served by Ascension facilities and specific state markets such as Florida, Illinois, and Tennessee. The active programs also reference local communities served by Ascension markets, rather than a single nationwide distribution pattern.
The active programs point to healthcare access, community health and wellness, maternal health, clinical research and innovation, medication affordability, and environmental sustainability. Several programs also focus on social determinants of health, health equity, and spiritually centered care.
It depends on the program. The Florida, Tennessee, Illinois, and Medical Mission at Home programs accept unsolicited requests, while the broader community benefit programs and the 340B Drug Pricing Program do not.
The grant-size distribution is very tight: p25 is $1,050,000, the median is $1,100,000, and p75 is $1,150,000. The recent grants file also includes two awards above that range to the same recipient.
The recent grants show recurring support. Catholic University of America received $1,200,000 in 2023 and $1,000,000 in 2024, both in Washington, DC.
The recent grants are U.S.-only. Program geography is regional, with active funding tied to Florida, Illinois, Tennessee, and local communities served by Ascension facilities, including communities in the United States where Ascension operates.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Ascension Health that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: External organizations whose requests align with Ascension Florida's prioritized community needs, strategic priorities, and organizational goals. (Implied: nonprofit or community-serving organizations; applicants should review local CHNA to align projects.)
Deadline: Rolling (applications accepted on a rolling basis).
Who can apply: External organizations with requests that align to Ascension Illinois' prioritized community needs and strategic priorities. (Implied nonprofit/community-serving organizations.)
Deadline: Rolling (applications accepted on a rolling basis).
Who can apply: External organizations with proposals that align to the FY26 Saint Thomas prioritized community needs and implementation strategies (applicants are encouraged to review the CHNA and IS for Tennessee). Applicants must complete the FY26 Saint Thomas Community Investment Application.
Deadline: Rolling (applications accepted on a rolling basis)
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic University of America | Washington, DC | $2,200,000 | 2026 | To support the scholarship program |
| Marian University | Indianapolis, IN | $400,000 | 2026 | To provide an education that profoundly transforms lives, society and the world |
| UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA | LIVINGSTON, AL | $42,000 | 2026 | Support the Athletic Training Staff |
| St Vincent's Birmingham | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,905 | 2026 | General Support |
| Catholic University of America | Washington, DC | $3,500,000 | 2025 | To support the scholarship program |
| Marian University | Indianapolis, IN | $200,000 | 2025 | To provide an education that profoundly transforms lives, society and the world |
| UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA | LIVINGSTON, AL | $42,000 | 2025 | Support the Athletic Training Staff |
| Catholic University of America | Washington, DC | $1,000,000 | 2024 | To support the scholarship program |
| Catholic University of America | Washington, DC | $1,200,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
Catholic University of America
$2,200,000To support the scholarship program
To provide an education that profoundly transforms lives, society and the world
UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA
$42,000Support the Athletic Training Staff
St Vincent's Birmingham
$25,905General Support
Catholic University of America
$3,500,000To support the scholarship program
To provide an education that profoundly transforms lives, society and the world
UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA
$42,000Support the Athletic Training Staff
Catholic University of America
$1,000,000To support the scholarship program
Catholic University of America
$1,200,000GENERAL SUPPORT