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Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.9M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.2M
Decision Time
2mo
Success Rate
16%

Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2.9 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $141.3 million
  • Decision Time: Within 2 months
  • Grant Range: Up to $25,000 (President's Grants) to $200,000 (AI Program)
  • Geographic Focus: United States and territories only
  • Application Method: Rolling (President's Grants), Invitation/RFP (Board Grants)

Contact Details

Website: https://macyfoundation.org
Email: info@macyfoundation.org
Phone: (212) 486-2424
Address: 44 E 64th Street, New York, NY 10065

Overview

Founded in 1930 by Kate Macy Ladd in honor of her father, the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation is the only national foundation in the United States dedicated solely to improving the education of health professionals. With total assets of $141.3 million, the Foundation awarded approximately $2.9 million through 49 grants in 2024 to 34 institutions nationwide. The Foundation's mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing the education and training of health professionals. Under its three strategic priorities—promoting diversity, equity, and belonging; increasing interprofessional collaboration; and preparing health professionals to navigate ethical dilemmas—the Foundation supports innovative demonstration projects that can be scaled, replicated, and sustained across health professions education.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Board Grants

  • Amount: Typically up to $100,000 annually, 1-3 years duration
  • Application Method: Invitation-only through competitive Request for Applications (RFP)
  • Timeline: RFPs generally issued annually in January; awards made Summer/Fall
  • Note: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited Board Grant applications

President's Grants

  • Amount: Up to $25,000 (including maximum 10% indirect costs)
  • Duration: One year or less
  • Application Method: Rolling basis—applications accepted at any time
  • Review: Evaluated and awarded by the President

Macy Faculty Scholars Program

  • Amount: Up to $100,000 per year for two years
  • Purpose: Salary support for 50% protected time for early-career educators
  • Number: Five scholars selected annually
  • Benefits: Includes mentorship, Harvard Macy Institute access, and national network
  • Application Method: Institutional nomination only (one nominee per school annually)

Catalyst Awards

  • Amount: Up to $100,000 for 18-month projects (increased from $50,000 in earlier cycles)
  • Focus: Innovative projects supporting civility, psychological safety, and thriving in clinical learning environments
  • Application Method: Competitive RFP process

Specialized Program Grants

  • AI in Medical Education: Up to $200,000 per project
  • Disability Inclusion in Nursing: Up to $75,000 annually per project

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses exclusively on health professions education in the following areas:

  1. Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

    • Career development for underrepresented minorities
    • Dismantling ableism and barriers for learners with disabilities
    • Combating microaggressions, harassment, bias, and discrimination

  2. Increasing Interprofessional Collaboration

    • Interprofessional education and teamwork
    • Collaboration among health professionals across disciplines

  3. Preparing for Ethical Dilemmas

    • Patient safety and quality improvement
    • System performance and healthcare delivery challenges
    • Responding to errors and ethical challenges

  4. Educational Innovation

    • New models for clinical education
    • Education for care of underserved populations
    • Responsible integration of artificial intelligence in medical education

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation explicitly does not support:

  • General undesignated support or operating funds
  • Endowments
  • Equipment purchases
  • Construction or renovation projects
  • Capital campaigns
  • Activities conducted outside the United States and its territories
  • Direct grants to individuals (grants only to tax-exempt institutions)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Meredith B. Jenkins, MBA - Board Chairperson, Chief Investment Officer at Trinity Wall Street

Board Members:

  • Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD - Professor of Surgery and Director of Pediatric Transplantation
  • Jason Lamin - Founder & CEO of Lenox Park Solutions, Inc.
  • Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG - President and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine
  • Mary D. Naylor, PhD, RN, FAAN - Professor in Gerontology and Director of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
  • David G. Nichols, MD, MBA - Emeritus President and CEO of The American Board of Pediatrics
  • George Campbell Jr., PhD - Trustee

Leadership

President: Holly J. Humphrey, MD, MACP (served 2018-2025)

Previous President: George E. Thibault, MD (2008-2018)

Key Staff:

  • Peter Goodwin - Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer
  • Stephen C. Schoenbaum, MD, MPH - Special Advisor to the President (since 2011)
  • Karen A. Butler - Assistant Treasurer

Leadership Philosophy

Former President George E. Thibault articulated the Foundation's philosophy on interprofessional education:

"Interprofessional education is a tool. It's a tool to accomplish linkages between the education system and the health care delivery system. It is a tool to achieve better patient care. It is a tool to achieve better health for the public. It is a tool to achieve a more efficient and affordable health care system."

Thibault also emphasized: "This is not about totally smudging together the professions and saying they're all the same. We still need to rigorously defend and improve the education specific to each profession while we accomplish interprofessional education."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For President's Grants (Unsolicited Applications Accepted):

The Foundation accepts applications on a rolling basis for President's Grants only. All applications must be submitted through the online application portal at https://www.grantinterface.com/Process/Apply?urlkey=macy.

Application Requirements:

  • Cover letter on institutional letterhead
  • Project description including:
    • Names and qualifications of project team
    • Organizational information
    • Project goals and design
    • Expected outcomes and evaluation strategies
    • Detailed budget with justification
  • Up to two supporting documents

Important Notes:

  • Only tax-exempt institutions are eligible (no direct grants to individuals)
  • Once submitted, applications cannot be reopened or edited
  • You may save and return to your application before submission

For Board Grants and Special Programs:

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited Board Grant applications. Board Grants are awarded through competitive Requests for Applications (RFPs) that are typically issued annually in January. Interested organizations should monitor the Foundation's website for RFP announcements.

For Macy Faculty Scholars Program:

This program operates on an institutional nomination basis. Each eligible school may nominate only one candidate per year. Candidates should work with their institutional leadership to secure nomination.

Decision Timeline

President's Grants: Within two months of submission, applicants will receive either a request for more information or a decision about the proposal.

Catalyst Awards: Applicants notified by specific dates announced in the RFP (recent cycles notified by February 1).

Board Grants: Awards typically made in Summer/Fall for RFPs issued in January.

Success Rates

The Foundation is highly competitive: it receives nearly 300 grant requests annually and can act favorably on relatively few of these. With 49 grants awarded in 2024 and approximately 300 applications received, the approximate success rate is 16%.

The Macy Faculty Scholars Program is particularly competitive, selecting only 5 scholars annually from one nominee per institution.

Reapplication Policy

Due to large volume of correspondence and small staff size, the Foundation is unable to critique declined letters of inquiry. The Foundation acknowledges that many proposals must be declined even though they are appropriate to the Foundation's areas of interest and appear to be of merit. While no explicit reapplication waiting period is stated, the Foundation accepts President's Grant applications on a rolling basis, suggesting reapplication is possible for this grant stream.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's published guidance and selection criteria, successful applications demonstrate:

For All Grant Types:

  1. Alignment with Priority Areas: Projects must clearly connect to one or more of the Foundation's three strategic priorities. As the Foundation states, "The Foundation's priority areas include promoting diversity, equity, and belonging; increasing interprofessional collaboration; and preparing health professionals to address ethical dilemmas in healthcare delivery."

  2. Focus on Learners: The Foundation emphasizes that successful projects "focus directly on learners" and ideally "incorporate learners' perspectives (co-creation)."

  3. Clinical Learning Environment: Projects are strongest when "based in the clinical learning environment" and "demonstrate applicability in real world settings."

  4. Scalability and Sustainability: The Foundation looks for "potential for scalability, replicability, and sustainability." Projects should have impact beyond the local institution.

  5. Significance and Timeliness: Address current, pressing issues in health professions education.

  6. Clear Writing: "A successful application is also well written—it is succinct; its contents are logically organized and clearly presented; and it makes a cogent and compelling case for support."

For Macy Faculty Scholars:

The Foundation seeks candidates who demonstrate:

  • "Strong commitment to a career as an educator in the health professions"
  • "Early promise as an educator and institutional leader"
  • "Evidence of innovation and creativity in career to date"

The Foundation has "particular interest in hearing from faculty who represent diverse backgrounds and come from institutions that are diverse in terms of their geography, populations served, and community-based vs. research-intensive."

While there are no strict guidelines, likely candidates are typically "at the assistant professor or early associate rank with roughly 3-8 years of experience as a faculty member."

For Catalyst Awards:

Successful 2024 Catalyst Award projects focused on:

  • Responding to mistreatment in clinical settings
  • Disclosing and apologizing for errors
  • Eliminating stereotypes and dismantling barriers for residents with disabilities
  • Combating microaggressions, harassment, bias, and discrimination

Recent Funded Examples:

  • Case Western Reserve University (2024 Catalyst Award): Project supporting civility, psychological safety, and thriving in clinical learning environment for residents and fellows
  • Dr. Marissa D. Abram, Duke University (2025 Macy Faculty Scholar): Compassionate Addiction Recovery Education (CARE) project to equip pre-licensure healthcare workers with knowledge and skills to overcome stigma of drug use
  • Dr. Nupur Agrawal, UCLA (2025 Macy Faculty Scholar): Using mixed-methods research to delineate core competencies, training tools, and concepts in advocacy education

Strategic Insight from Leadership:

Former President George Thibault emphasized that for interprofessional education projects, "an interaction requires purposeful integration and collaboration among the disciplines, whether in an educational or practice environment." He also noted: "Faculty can't teach what they don't know"—highlighting the importance of ensuring educators themselves are prepared to deliver innovative curricula.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Know Your Lane: This foundation exclusively funds health professions education projects. If your project doesn't directly improve how doctors, nurses, or other health professionals are trained, it's not a fit—regardless of how impactful it might be for patient care or health outcomes.

  2. President's Grants Are Your Entry Point: With Board Grants invitation-only, President's Grants (up to $25,000, rolling basis) offer the only unsolicited application opportunity. Use this pathway to build a relationship with the Foundation and demonstrate proof of concept for larger ideas.

  3. Demonstrate Beyond-Local Impact: With approximately 300 applications for 49 grants (16% success rate), your project must show clear potential for replication and scalability. Local-only impact won't be competitive.

  4. Learners Must Be Central: Don't just design programs for learners; involve them in the design. Co-creation with learners is explicitly valued in the Foundation's selection criteria.

  5. The Clinical Learning Environment Is Key: Projects are strongest when based where health professionals actually train—not in classrooms or conference rooms, but in real clinical settings with real patients.

  6. Monitor for RFPs: Since Board Grants and special programs are invitation/RFP-only, regularly check the Foundation's website (especially in January) for competitive funding opportunities aligned with your work.

  7. Timing Matters for Decision-Making: With decisions within 2 months for President's Grants, you'll get relatively quick feedback. Budget your project timeline accordingly and don't submit if you can't wait 8 weeks for an answer.

References

  1. Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Official Website - Apply for a Grant. https://macyfoundation.org/our-grantees/apply (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  2. Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation - 2024 Annual Report. https://macyfoundation.org/about/annual-reports/2024-annual-report (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  3. Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation - Our Leadership and Staff. https://macyfoundation.org/about/our-leadership-and-staff (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  4. Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation - Catalyst Awards. https://macyfoundation.org/our-grantees/catalyst-awards (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  5. Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation - Macy Faculty Scholars Program. https://macyfoundation.org/macy-scholars (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  6. Cause IQ - Josiah Macy Jr Foundation Profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/josiah-macy-jr-foundation,135596895/ (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  7. GuideStar Profile - Josiah Macy Jr Foundation (EIN: 13-5596895). https://www.guidestar.org/profile/13-5596895 (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  8. National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education - George Thibault on Teaching 21st Century Healthcare. https://macyfoundation.org/news-and-commentary/george-thibault-21-century-health (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  9. Wikipedia - Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Macy_Jr._Foundation (Accessed January 6, 2026)

  10. Case Western Reserve University - "Case Western Reserve receives 2024 Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Catalyst Award for Transformation in Graduate Medical Education." https://thedaily.case.edu/case-western-reserve-receives-2024-josiah-macy-jr-foundation-catalyst-award-for-transformation-in-graduate-medical-education/ (Accessed January 6, 2026)

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