Milbank Memorial Fund

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $300,295 (2023)
Number of Grants: 18 awards (2023)
Total Assets: $96.3 million (2024)
Annual Revenue: $11.5 million (2024)
Annual Expenses: $6.3 million (2024)
Geographic Focus: National (U.S. states)
Foundation Type: Endowed Operating Foundation
Primary Focus: State health policy leadership and population health

Contact Details

Address: 645 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10022

Phone: 212-355-8400

Communications Director: Christine Haran (charan@milbank.org) - contact for publication ideas within key focus areas

Overview

The Milbank Memorial Fund is an endowed operating foundation founded in 1905 by philanthropist Elizabeth Milbank Anderson, making it one of America's earliest general-purpose foundations with over 120 years of history. With assets of $96.3 million, the Fund operates primarily as a convening and research organization rather than a traditional grantmaker, though it does provide strategic grants totaling approximately $300,000 annually. The Fund's mission is to improve population health and health equity by connecting state and local health policy leaders with evidence-based insights and experience. The organization is nonpartisan and emphasizes collaboration, diversity, objectivity, humility, and stewardship. In the early 1970s, it received IRS designation as a private operating foundation, allowing it to conduct programs using its own staff rather than working primarily through grantees. In 2021, the Fund formally apologized for its role in the unethical Tuskegee Syphilis Study and committed to centering health equity in all its work, reflecting its ongoing commitment to accountability and reform.

Funding Priorities

Operating Foundation Model

The Milbank Memorial Fund operates differently from traditional grant-making foundations. Approximately 88.2% of its $6.3 million in expenses goes toward charitable purposes, but most of this funding supports its own programs, publications, and convening activities rather than external grants. The Fund made 18 grants totaling $300,295 in 2023, representing a small portion of its overall activities.

Grant Programs

The Fund does not operate formal grant programs with fixed application cycles. Instead, grants are made strategically in support of:

Partnership projects related to state health policy research and implementation
Collaborative initiatives with strategic partners in the Fund's core focus areas
Publication and research support aligned with the Fund's mission

Core Program Areas (Non-Grant Activities)

State Networks:

Milbank State Leadership Network: A bipartisan group of state health policy leaders from executive and legislative branches
Milbank Primary Care Leadership Networks: State-level networks focused on primary care transformation

Leadership Development Programs:

Milbank Fellows Program (MFP): A 10-month program for senior executive branch and legislative state leaders committed to improving population health
Emerging Leaders Program (ELP): A 10-month program for early and mid-career state and large-county government officials bringing a health equity lens to their work (now in its eighth cohort as of 2024-25)

Publications:

The Milbank Quarterly: An independent peer-reviewed journal on population health and health policy
Evidence-based reports, issue briefs, and case studies on state health policy

Priority Areas

The Fund's work focuses on three strategic areas:

State Health Policy Leadership: Developing current and future state health policy leaders to make evidence-based decisions
Primary Care Transformation: Supporting implementation of high-quality primary care based on NASEM recommendations and payment innovation
Healthcare Affordability: Through the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs, supporting state-led efforts to make healthcare more affordable

What They Don't Fund

The Fund does not have an open grants program for unsolicited applications
As an operating foundation, the vast majority of resources support internal programs rather than external grants
Grant activity is limited to strategic partnerships aligned with ongoing programmatic work

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

Chair: John M. Colmers - Retired Senior Vice President, Health Care Transformation and Strategic Planning, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Vice Chair: Lashawn Richburg-Hayes - Vice President of Education, Insight Policy Research

Treasurer: Robert E. Harvey - Investment Manager and Private Trustee

Board Members:

Patricia Arzuaga - Senior Counsel, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc
Linda V. DeCherrie - Vice President, Medically Home; Professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Peter Donnelly - Professor of Public Health Medicine, University of St Andrews
Sherry A. Glied - Dean, New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Kelly Major Green - Financial Advisor, Graystone Consulting, Morgan Stanley
Joneigh S. Khaldun - President and CEO, Public Health Accreditation Board
Kody Kinsley - Former North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services
Courtney N. Phillips - Vice President of Health Affairs and Chief Health Officer, Louisiana State University
Anthony Shih - Senior Advisor for Programs, The Commonwealth Fund
Michael S. Sparer - Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University
Anya Rader Wallack - Principal, Health Management Associates

Executive Leadership

President: Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MAR (will retire at end of 2025 after 12 years of leadership)

Secretary and COO: Tara Strome

National Program Director: Morgan McDonald

Communications Director: Christine Haran

Leadership Quotes and Priorities

Christopher Koller has emphasized the Fund's commitment to health equity and accountability. In 2021, he and the Board formally apologized to the Voices for Our Fathers Legacy Foundation for the Fund's role in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, stating the organization's commitment to "reforming its governance, documenting and understanding its past, and centering health equity in its programming and communications."

Koller has also highlighted the importance of primary care transformation, noting work "that builds on the recent NASEM report 'Implementing High Quality Primary Care'" and supporting state health policy leaders in "navigating rough seas" in an increasingly polarized policy environment.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The Milbank Memorial Fund does not have a public application process for grants. As an endowed operating foundation, the Fund primarily conducts its own programs using internal staff rather than distributing grants through an open application process.

The limited grants the Fund makes (18 grants totaling approximately $300,000 in 2023) are awarded through:

Invitation-only partnerships with strategic organizations aligned with the Fund's core mission
Collaborative project development with the Fund's staff identifying and approaching potential partners
Pre-existing relationships with state health policy organizations and research institutions

For organizations interested in collaborating with the Fund on publication ideas within their key focus areas (state health leadership, primary care, or sustainable health care costs), contact Communications Director Christine Haran at charan@milbank.org.

Participation Opportunities

While the Fund doesn't offer traditional grants, organizations and individuals working in state health policy can engage through:

Leadership Programs: State health officials can apply for the Milbank Fellows Program (for senior leaders) or Emerging Leaders Program (for early to mid-career officials). These programs are announced through recruitment campaigns on the Fund's website and through state health policy networks.

State Networks: State health policy leaders can join the Milbank State Leadership Network or Primary Care Leadership Networks, which provide peer learning and collaboration opportunities.

Publishing Opportunities: The Milbank Quarterly accepts peer-reviewed article submissions focused on population health and health policy research.

Application Success Factors

Since the Milbank Memorial Fund operates as a convening and research organization rather than a traditional grantmaker, success in engaging with the Fund depends on alignment with their strategic priorities and relationship building.

For Partnership Opportunities:

Alignment with Strategic Focus: The Fund concentrates exclusively on state-level health policy. Organizations working at the state government level, particularly those supporting state health officials in executive or legislative roles, are most likely to find partnership opportunities.

Evidence-Based Approach: The Fund's mission centers on "connecting leaders and decision makers with the best available evidence and experience." Partnership proposals should demonstrate rigorous research methods and practical applicability to state policy decisions.

Nonpartisan Collaboration: The Fund emphasizes bipartisan collaboration and civil discourse. Projects that bring together leaders from across the political spectrum are strongly aligned with the Fund's values.

Health Equity Focus: Following the Fund's 2021 commitment to centering health equity in all its work, proposals should explicitly address how the work advances health equity for vulnerable populations.

For Leadership Program Applications:

Government Role Requirement: Both the Fellows and Emerging Leaders programs are exclusively for state and large-county government officials in executive or legislative branches. Nonprofit or private sector professionals are not eligible.

Commitment to Evidence: Program participants should demonstrate interest in using evidence-based approaches and research to inform policy decisions.

Leadership Potential: The Emerging Leaders Program seeks officials who can bring a health equity lens to their work, while the Fellows Program looks for senior leaders positioned to make significant policy impact.

What the Fund Values:

The Fund's vision statement emphasizes that "All people and communities are inherently valued and can enjoy long, full, healthy lives." Projects and partners that advance this vision through practical state-level policy implementation are most aligned with the Fund's mission.

The Fund prioritizes collaboration, diversity, objectivity, humility, and stewardship in all its partnerships and activities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This is not a traditional grantmaker: The Milbank Memorial Fund is an operating foundation that conducts its own programs. Only about $300,000 of its $6.3 million annual expenses goes to external grants, and there is no public application process.
State-level focus only: The Fund works exclusively with state and large-county government health policy leaders. If your organization doesn't work directly with state policymakers, the Fund is likely not an appropriate funder.
Relationship-driven funding: The small number of grants made annually (18 in 2023) appear to be invitation-only partnerships developed through existing relationships with state health policy organizations.
Alternative engagement paths: Rather than seeking grants, consider how your organization might engage with the Fund's state networks, contribute to their publications, or encourage state officials you work with to apply for leadership programs.
Publication opportunities: If your organization conducts rigorous research on population health or health policy, consider submitting to The Milbank Quarterly or proposing evidence-based reports or issue briefs that align with the Fund's focus areas.
Long-term relationship building: Contact Communications Director Christine Haran (charan@milbank.org) with specific ideas for publications or partnerships aligned with state health policy leadership, primary care transformation, or healthcare affordability.
Health equity commitment: Any engagement with the Fund should explicitly address health equity, reflecting their 2021 commitment to centering equity in all their work following their acknowledgment of past harms related to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

References

Milbank Memorial Fund Official Website - Mission, Vision, and Values. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.milbank.org/about/
Milbank Memorial Fund - State Health Policy Leadership Programs. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.milbank.org/focus-areas/state-health-policy-leadership/
Milbank Memorial Fund Board of Directors. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.milbank.org/about/board/
"Christopher Koller to Retire from the Milbank Memorial Fund at the End of 2025." Milbank Memorial Fund News, 2025. https://www.milbank.org/news/christopher-koller-to-retire-from-the-milbank-memorial-fund-at-the-end-of-2025/
"Milbank Memorial Fund Welcomes its 2024-25 Leadership Program Cohorts." Milbank Memorial Fund News, 2024. https://www.milbank.org/news/milbank-memorial-fund-welcomes-its-2024-25-leadership-program-cohorts/
Milbank Memorial Fund Profile - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/135562282
Milbank Memorial Fund Profile - Cause IQ. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/milbank-memorial-fund,135562282/
Milbank Memorial Fund Profile - GuideStar. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/13-5562282
"The Significance of the Milbank Memorial Fund for Policy: An Assessment at Its Centennial." PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2690154/
Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.milbank.org/focus-areas/total-cost-of-care/peterson-milbank/
Milbank Memorial Fund Profile - Instrumentl 990 Report. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/milbank-memorial-fund