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| March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Name | March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation |
| Formation | 1938 |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Leader title | President/CEO |
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation is an American nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of mothers and infants through research, community programs, advocacy, and education. Founded in 1938, the organization has engaged with a wide range of public figures, scientific institutions, healthcare providers, and philanthropic partners to address congenital disorders, prenatal care, and neonatal outcomes. It has interacted with numerous hospitals, universities, government agencies, and professional associations in pursuit of its goals.
The organization originated during the Franklin D. Roosevelt era with early associations to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Polio Vaccine efforts, and public fundraising campaigns involving celebrities such as Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Bing Crosby, Mary Pickford, and Jack Benny. Throughout the mid-20th century it collaborated with institutions like the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia while responding to shifts in public health practice influenced by figures such as Jonas Salk, Albert Sabin, Robert Guthrie, Thomas Francis Jr., and Alexander Fleming. Late 20th-century developments linked the foundation with genetic research at centers including Harvard Medical School, Stanford University School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and with advocacy networks like March for Babies, United Way, American Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs.
The foundation's stated mission aligns with initiatives undertaken alongside organizations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation-adjacent program partners like March for Babies organizers, and public policy collaborators such as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, World Health Organization, and UNICEF. Programs historically targeted prenatal folic acid promotion in collaboration with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, screening guidelines influenced by American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, newborn screening efforts with Newborn Screening Technical assistance and Evaluation Program, and clinical best practices shared with American Academy of Pediatrics, National Perinatal Association, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation networks, and local health departments. Community-level work has connected to nonprofits such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation affiliates, Children's Defense Fund, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation regional chapters, and philanthropic campaigns involving Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
Grantmaking and research partnerships have included collaborations with academic centers and investigators at Yale School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Duke University School of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, and specialty research groups associated with March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation funding programs. Funded topics ranged from teratology research with laboratories linked to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Broad Institute, and National Human Genome Research Institute to epidemiologic studies with partners including Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. Grant recipients have been recognized by awards such as the Lasker Award, Gairdner Foundation International Award, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation investigator honors, MacArthur Fellows Program, and career development awards from National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.
Public education campaigns promoted folic acid awareness in the style of collaborations between Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, National March of Dimes-style outreach programs, and state health agencies such as California Department of Public Health, New York State Department of Health, Texas Department of State Health Services, Illinois Department of Public Health, and Florida Department of Health. Initiatives on prematurity prevention referenced clinical guidelines from World Health Organization, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and research from March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation partners at Brown University School of Public Health and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Educational resources and toolkits have been disseminated through networks including March for Babies chapters, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network, Perinatal Quality Collaboratives, and community health organizations like Community Health Centers and March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation local affiliates.
Fundraising historically leveraged celebrity endorsements from figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, and Dolly Parton alongside corporate partnerships with Walmart Foundation, Target Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, Bank of America, AT&T, and Southwest Airlines. Collaborative campaigns involved philanthropic coalitions including United Way Worldwide, Rockefeller Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, Disney, Live Nation Entertainment, and sporting events tied to leagues like National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and United States Tennis Association. Grassroots fundraising has included community events affiliated with March for Babies, corporate workplace giving programs linked to Benevity, and volunteer networks used by Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.
Governance has been conducted by a board with leaders drawn from sectors represented by Harvard Business School, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Kellogg School of Management, Council on Foundations, and advisory input from clinical leaders at American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and academic partners such as Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, and University of Chicago. Internal management structures mirrored nonprofit practices recommended by Independent Sector, National Council of Nonprofits, and auditing standards expected by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Fund allocation decisions referenced metrics used by Charity Navigator, Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, and philanthropic evaluators like GiveWell.
The organization has faced scrutiny similar to that experienced by large nonprofits such as United Way, American Red Cross, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure over fundraising efficiency, executive compensation debates involving comparisons to leaders at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and program prioritization controversies akin to those directed at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and American Cancer Society. Critics cited conflicts over corporate sponsorships with companies like Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, research funding priorities compared to universities such as Harvard University and Stanford University, and public messaging disputes paralleling debates involving Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Legal and governance challenges echoed issues that touched organizations including Red Cross, United Way, and AIDS Healthcare Foundation in calls for transparency from watchdogs such as Charity Navigator and Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States