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Medtronic Communities Foundation

Annual Giving
$13.6M
Grant Range
$10K - $8.2M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $13.6 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $8.2 million
  • Geographic Focus: Global (emphasis on Minnesota, Northern California, Puerto Rico)

Contact Details

Address: 710 Medtronic Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55432

Phone: (763) 505-2643

Email: DLAEMSUPPORTHELP@medtronic.onmicrosoft.com

Website: https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/our-impact/communities.html

Note: The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis but invites grant seekers to reach out and propose "new ideas."

Overview

The Medtronic Communities Foundation, established in 1979 and supported by Medtronic Inc., is a private foundation with approximately $29.8 million in assets. The foundation distributed $13.6 million in grants during 2024, making 12 awards that year. The foundation's mission focuses on expanding access to quality chronic disease care among underserved populations worldwide and supporting healthy communities where Medtronic employees live and give. The foundation places special emphasis on improving health outcomes for underserved populations, particularly those affected by cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while also investing significantly in STEM education to address root causes of inequities and create opportunities for economic advancement. The foundation has recently been recognized for its commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity under the leadership of President Paurvi Bhatt.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Global Health Access Grants: Major multi-year initiatives focused on chronic disease management

  • HealthRise Program: $17 million, five-year global effort expanding access to cardiovascular disease and diabetes care in Brazil, India, South Africa, and the United States
  • HeartRescue Project: Improves recognition and treatment of sudden cardiac arrest and STEMI in China, India, Brazil, and the United States
  • RHD Action: Coalition working on Rheumatic Heart Disease prevention and control with demonstration models in Tanzania and Uganda

STEM Education Partnerships: $4 million over two years (announced 2022)

  • Serves over 60,000 underserved and underrepresented K-12 students
  • Focus areas: Minnesota, Northern California, and Puerto Rico
  • Partners include Science from Scientists, Starbase, Wallin Education Partners, and Project Lead the Way

Medtronic Spark Initiative: 10-year commitment to support 1 million students

  • Medtronic Spark Innovator Labs
  • Medtronic Spark Credentials
  • Medtronic Spark Scholarship program

Community Health Grants: Supporting healthcare hubs in underserved areas

  • Recent example: North Market Wellness Resource Center in Minneapolis

Employee Giving Programs:

  • Matched Giving: Up to $5,000 annually per employee/retiree (1:1 match, minimum $25 donation)
  • Volunteer Grants: $200 per 10 volunteer hours (up to $1,000 per employee per year)

Priority Areas

Healthcare Access:

  • Chronic disease management (especially cardiovascular disease and diabetes)
  • Acute care improvements (sudden cardiac arrest, STEMI)
  • Healthcare infrastructure for underserved populations
  • Patient empowerment in self-care
  • Frontline health worker support
  • Community and social services linkages

STEM Education:

  • K-12 STEM programs serving underserved and underrepresented students
  • Programs addressing racial and economic disparities
  • Career pathways into healthcare technology fields
  • College graduation and early career success support

Civic Engagement:

  • Community vibrancy where Medtronic employees live and work
  • Culturally relevant programs
  • Disaster relief
  • Employee volunteerism initiatives

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation's tight focus on:

  • Chronic disease care (particularly cardiovascular and diabetes)
  • STEM education
  • Communities with Medtronic employee presence

suggests that organizations outside these areas or without connection to Medtronic's mission and geographic focus are unlikely to receive funding.

Governance and Leadership

President: Paurvi Bhatt (appointed 2018)

  • Also serves as Vice President of Medtronic Philanthropy
  • Leads multimillion-dollar global strategic grants portfolio
  • Focus on "high impact, high performance philanthropy" delivering measurable impact for the underserved

Former Leadership:

  • Dr. Sally Saba previously served as President and shared this vision: "When I think of the sixth tenet of the Medtronic Mission to be a good corporate citizen, I can't help but think about the Medtronic Foundation because they envision a world where there are no barriers to achieving health, wellbeing, and prosperity."
  • Dr. Sally Saba also stated: "Lasting impact happens when we come together in service to others—investing in our communities, working toward common goals."
  • Dr. Jacob Gayle previously held the president role and now serves as Vice President of Social Impact for Medtronic and continues as a member of the Medtronic Foundation Board of Directors

Board of Directors: The foundation maintains a Board of Directors that includes current and former Medtronic leadership

Key Philosophy: "We don't want to touch lives, we want to change the trajectory of lives." The foundation emphasizes that "systemic inequities can't be solved by one entity alone. They require all stakeholders to come together in earnest partnership to solve our communities' biggest challenges."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The Medtronic Communities Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and operates on an invitation-only basis. The foundation proactively reaches out to potential partner organizations on its own.

However, uniquely among invitation-only funders, Medtronic explicitly invites grant seekers to reach out and propose "new ideas," though no detailed procedures for this outreach are publicly available.

For Employee-Related Grants:

  • Medtronic employees can access the Volunteer & Giving platform (formerly Mission in Motion) to request matched giving and volunteer grants
  • Organizations working with Medtronic employees may have increased access through employee nomination

Separate Application Systems:

  • Medtronic Giving Connection: Online platform for certain charitable donations (separate from Foundation grants)
  • Applications should be submitted at least 60 days before funding decision or event date
  • Requires multi-factor authentication

Getting on Their Radar

The Medtronic Foundation's invitation-only model means that building awareness is critical:

Employee Connections: Organizations nominated by Medtronic employees have significantly better access to funding. The foundation is described as "not very accessible to grantees that have not previously received funding and/or lack a personal connection to Medtronic employees."

Geographic Alignment: The foundation prioritizes communities where Medtronic employees live and work, particularly:

  • Minnesota (especially Minneapolis metro area) - top priority
  • Northern California
  • Puerto Rico
  • Additional locations with Medtronic presence: Virginia, South Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee

Strategic Fit: Organizations should align closely with the foundation's core focus areas before attempting outreach:

  • Chronic disease care for underserved populations (cardiovascular disease, diabetes)
  • STEM education for underserved K-12 students
  • Community health infrastructure in Medtronic employee communities

Proactive Outreach: While the foundation is invitation-only, their stated openness to "new ideas" suggests that well-aligned organizations may contact them with innovative proposals that clearly demonstrate fit with their mission.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Grant cycles appear to be strategic and project-based rather than following annual deadlines.

Success Rates

Grant Activity:

  • 2024: 12 awards
  • 2023: 54 awards
  • 2022: 55 awards
  • 2021: 70 awards

Success rates and application numbers are not publicly disclosed, as the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented due to invitation-only model. However, the foundation appears to engage in multi-year partnerships with selected organizations.

Application Success Factors

Given the invitation-only nature and available information about funded projects, these factors emerge as critical:

Geographic Connection: Organizations must demonstrate clear connection to communities where Medtronic employees live and work, with Minnesota being the highest priority location.

Mission Alignment: Extremely tight focus on:

  • Chronic disease management (cardiovascular disease and diabetes) with emphasis on scalable, sustainable models
  • Health access for underserved populations, including patient empowerment and frontline health worker support
  • STEM education addressing root causes of inequities (racial and economic disparities)

Employee Connection: Organizations nominated by Medtronic employees or that engage Medtronic volunteers have significantly better access to funding.

Scalability and Sustainability: The foundation emphasizes "models of innovation, scale, and sustainability" - projects must demonstrate potential for broader impact beyond initial implementation.

Measurable Impact: Leadership emphasizes "high impact, high performance philanthropy" with measurable outcomes for the underserved.

Systems-Level Thinking: The foundation seeks partners who understand that "systemic inequities can't be solved by one entity alone" and demonstrate collaborative approaches.

Equity Focus: Strong emphasis on addressing racial and economic disparities, particularly for underserved and underrepresented populations.

Long-term Partnership Approach: The foundation makes multi-year commitments (e.g., 5-year HealthRise, 10-year Spark initiative), suggesting preference for sustained partnerships over one-time grants.

Recent Funding Examples:

  • Science from Scientists: STEM education for underserved students in Minnesota and Puerto Rico
  • North Market Wellness Resource Center: Healthcare hub for underserved Minneapolis residents
  • Rest Haven Children's Health Fund: Nominated by Medtronic employees
  • Project Lead the Way, Starbase, Wallin Education Partners: Minnesota STEM education partnerships

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only but open to ideas: While you cannot submit a traditional application, the foundation uniquely invites organizations to reach out with "new ideas" - prepare a compelling case before initial contact
  • Employee connections are crucial: Organizations with Medtronic employee champions have significantly better access; explore volunteer partnerships and employee engagement opportunities
  • Geographic targeting is essential: Minnesota (especially Twin Cities), Northern California, and Puerto Rico are top priorities - organizations outside these areas face steep odds unless aligned with major initiatives
  • Focus is exceptionally narrow: Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and STEM education dominate the portfolio - organizations outside these areas should look elsewhere
  • Think scalability and sustainability: The foundation invests in models that can be scaled and sustained beyond initial funding, not one-off projects
  • Long-term partnership mindset: Multi-year commitments are common (5-10 year initiatives), so demonstrate organizational capacity for sustained collaboration
  • Impact measurement matters: Be prepared to demonstrate measurable outcomes aligned with the foundation's emphasis on "changing the trajectory of lives" rather than just "touching lives"

References

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