Philanthropy

Our philanthropic efforts are global and wide in scope. We have over 12 charitable foundations headquartered in many countries, including Switzerland, France, Great Britain and the US, but with operations in both the industrialized and developing worlds.

We also support communities through a variety of other means, including development projects, emergency relief, contributions to schools and universities, research prizes, and the underwriting of local cultural events and sports teams.

The Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development  (NFSD), with projects in many developing nations, is one of our prominent foundations. Through the NFSD, we collaborate with various forces in society at the local level to secure basic needs and improve health and living conditions among the world's poorest people. Our philosophy is based partly on the conviction that only autonomous development can constitute sustainable development.

Our other foundations and initiatives represent a wide variety of charitable interests. Some have broad mandates, such as to support charitable causes that benefit the general public. Others focus on narrower objectives, such as the promotion of scientific excellence, new and innovative business projects in the life sciences, medical therapeutic research projects, medically oriented biology or biochemistry research projects, and environmental protection, to name just a few.

Learn more about our foundations ›

 

Emergency relief

Through our global headquarters and country organizations, we also contribute to collective disaster relief efforts, in various ways. Depending on the situation, we donate medicines, provide in-kind resources or assist with financial resources. We also often match employee contributions.

Examples of emergency relief donations include support for victims of the Tsunami in Asia and Hurricane Katrina in the US. Some of this support was immediate, within hours after the disasters struck. After Hurricane Katrina, our Sandoz Division provided medicines, especially antibiotics critical in the face of deteriorating health conditions. Our Pharmaceuticals Division provided transplant, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and neurology medicines. Our Gerber business unit gave food for infants.