CDC Foundation: What It Is and How Its Funding Works

The CDC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity created by Congress to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is not an open grant program, and that is the fact most researchers and administrators need first: the Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, and money reaches outside organizations only through project-specific requests for proposals (RFPs). This guide explains what the Foundation is, how its funding flows, what the typical 16 percent administrative fee means for budgets, and how it differs from CDC’s own federal grants. Facts below are as described on the official pages on 2026-10-29.

What the CDC Foundation is and who runs it

Per the Foundation’s own FAQ, it is a 501(c)(3) public charity that helps CDC by forging partnerships between CDC and corporations, foundations, organizations and individuals. Congress passed legislation in 1992 authorizing an independent nonprofit to support CDC; the board was elected in 1994 and the Foundation opened in 1995. The FAQ describes it as the “sole entity authorized by Congress to raise private funds in support of the mission and work of CDC.”

It is a separate organization from the agency. The founding law bars the CDC director and other CDC employees from serving on its board. The Foundation has no large endowment; it adds an administrative fee, typically 16 percent, to each grant or agreement, and CDC contributes some operational funds each year under congressional authorization.

Partnership ideas come from CDC staff or from philanthropic and private-sector groups, and each project is reviewed and approved by both the Foundation and CDC leadership.

Can you apply? Eligibility

There is no standing application. The Foundation’s request-for-proposals page states that it is “not a traditional grantmaking foundation,” is not endowed, and does “not accept or respond to unsolicited proposals.” Eligibility is set separately for each RFP. As one example of how narrow that can be, the page lists a Healthy Native Babies Project RFP that invites Tribes, Tribal Serving Organizations and Urban Indian Organizations.

The RFP page lists three kinds of solicitation: providers of products or services for a specific program; eligible nonprofit or governmental organizations for a program on a specific health issue; and consultants or independent contractors who are not CDC Foundation employees. Source: CDC Foundation, Request for Proposals, checked 2026-10-29.

What it funds or requires

The Foundation issues RFPs “to sub-grant funds received for a specific project.” In other words, a donor funds a defined program, and the Foundation passes part of that money on to selected organizations. For a research office, this is closer to a subaward under a donor-funded project than to an investigator-initiated grant.

• Administrative fee: the FAQ says the Foundation adds an administrative fee, typically 16 percent, to each grant or agreement. Budget for it when you are the funder or the lead partner; the FAQ does not state how it applies to sub-grants, so read the terms in each RFP.
• Independence safeguards: CDC’s own page on the Foundation says funding “is “not contingent on the outcomes of research,” that “all scientific findings resulting from CDC research are available to the public,” and that CDC and the Foundation “each have review procedures in place to safeguard against possible conflicts of interest.” For the wider institutional picture see conflict of interest in research.
• Scale: CDC’s page states that more than $2.2 billion has been raised since 1995 across more than 1,400 programs (figure as stated on the CDC page, checked 2026-10-29; totals change over time).

Application and response steps

1. Watch the RFP page. Open opportunities are posted on the Foundation’s request-for-proposals page. Specific titles and deadlines change, so check the live listing instead of relying on any summary.
2. Open the listing’s own materials. Each listing carries its own documents, which may include the RFP itself, an RFP dashboard, a submission form, a Q&A page and a contact form.
3. Confirm eligibility for that RFP. Eligibility is defined per RFP, not by a general Foundation policy.
4. Submit through the channel the RFP names. Do not send a general proposal to the Foundation; unsolicited proposals are not accepted or answered.
5. For CDC’s own federal awards, use Grants.gov. The RFP page points readers to Grants.gov for federal grants. See Grants.gov registration and how to read a Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Typical timeline phases

The official pages do not publish a standard calendar, because every RFP sets its own. In outline, the process they describe runs through these phases, in no fixed order or duration:

1. A partnership idea arises from CDC staff or a philanthropic or private-sector group.
2. The Foundation and CDC leadership both review and approve the project.
3. A donor provides funds for that project.
4. If sub-granting or contracting is needed, the Foundation issues an RFP with its own materials and instructions.
5. Selected organizations or contractors are engaged under an agreement that carries the administrative fee.

Common mistakes

• Sending an unsolicited proposal. The Foundation states it does not accept or respond to them.
• Confusing the CDC Foundation with CDC. The Foundation is an independent charity; CDC is the federal agency. Federal funding opportunities from CDC are posted on Grants.gov, not on the Foundation’s RFP page.
• Treating it as an endowed foundation. It describes itself as not endowed and not a traditional grantmaker. Compare how true private foundation research funding works, and see major private foundations that fund institutional research.
• Ignoring the fee in the budget. The typical 16 percent administrative fee applies to grants and agreements.
• Assuming an RFP is open to everyone. Each listing sets its own eligible group.

Related programs

Route	Who runs it	How you take part
CDC Foundation RFPs	CDC Foundation (independent 501(c)(3))	Respond to a specific RFP posted on the Foundation’s RFP page; no unsolicited proposals
CDC federal grants	CDC (federal agency)	Federal funding opportunities posted through Grants.gov, which the Foundation’s RFP page points to

FAQ

Does the CDC Foundation give grants to researchers?

Not through an open program. It issues RFPs to sub-grant funds received for a specific project, and it does not accept or respond to unsolicited proposals.

Is the CDC Foundation part of the government?

No. It is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity authorized by Congress to raise private funds in support of CDC’s mission. CDC employees, including the director, may not sit on its board.

What is the administrative fee?

The Foundation’s FAQ says it adds an administrative fee, typically 16 percent, to each grant or agreement.

Where do I find open opportunities?

On the Foundation’s request-for-proposals page, where each listing links to its own materials. For CDC’s federal awards, use Grants.gov.

Sources

• CDC Foundation, Frequently Asked Questions, checked 2026-10-29.
• CDC Foundation, Request for Proposals, checked 2026-10-29.
• CDC, CDC Foundation page, checked 2026-10-29.