The Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation founded in 1918 that funds independent research, data platforms, and policy publications to advance equitable, affordable U.S. healthcare, serving federal and state policymakers, researchers, and advocacy organizations free of charge.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1918
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Commonwealth Fund does
The Commonwealth Fund is a private, nonpartisan foundation founded in 1918 by Anna M. Harkness with an initial endowment of nearly $10 million, headquartered at 1 East 75th Street in New York with an additional office in Washington, D.C. For over a century the organization has pursued the mission of promoting a high-performing, equitable U.S. healthcare system, with particular focus on coverage and access, healthcare costs, health equity, and international comparative learning. The Fund supports independent research on healthcare policy and practice, makes grants to organizations working on care delivery reform, and operates leadership development programs through its Harkness Fellowships and university-hosted fellowships at Harvard and Yale.
The Fund's core products center on three interactive data platforms—the International Health Care System Profiles covering 31 countries, the State Health Data Center for state-level performance benchmarking, and the Medicaid Managed Care Database spanning 39 states plus D.C.—together with a continuous research output of over 1,000 publications annually, including surveys (the annual International Health Policy Survey across 11 countries and the Biennial Health Insurance Survey), issue briefs, the To the Point blog, The Dose podcast, and Featured Maps. The underlying technology stack is a conventional research publication and interactive data visualization platform rather than an AI-native system. Distribution is entirely open-access: research, data, and tools are freely available through commonwealthfund.org.
The Fund operates on a foundation endowment revenue model rather than commercial sales; it is funded by investment returns on its century-old endowment, deploys capital through grants and fellowships, and disseminates its outputs to federal and state policymakers, academic researchers, health equity advocates, and the international health policy community at no charge. Strategic partnerships with Harvard, Yale, Brookings, Urban Institute, AcademyHealth, Georgetown, and Manatt Health, along with the Harkness Fellowships across 11 partner countries, form the core ecosystem that extends the Fund's policy influence beyond its internal staff of 51-100 employees.
The Commonwealth Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Commonwealth Fund
- Legal name
- The Commonwealth Fund
- Website
- https://commonwealthfund.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1918
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation founded in 1918 that funds independent research, data platforms, and policy publications to advance equitable, affordable U.S. healthcare, serving federal and state policymakers, researchers, and advocacy organizations free of charge.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Commonwealth Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Policy Research Foundation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
Keywords
Where The Commonwealth Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Commonwealth Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Endowment: The Commonwealth Fund operates as a private foundation funded primarily through its endowment, which was established in 1918 with an initial gift of nearly $10 million from founder Anna M. Harkness. The Fund generates revenue from investments and uses these resources to support independent research, grants, fellowships, and organizational operations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
The Commonwealth Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that conducts and funds independent research on healthcare policy and practice. It operates data and research platforms (including international country profiles, state-level health data, and Medicaid managed care analytics), publishes policy briefs and reports, administers grants to healthcare researchers and advocacy organizations, and runs fellowship programs. Its work targets better healthcare access, quality, and efficiency, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and international comparative analysis.
Product overview
The Commonwealth Fund operates as a foundation focused on health care policy research and advocacy, offering a portfolio of data platforms, research products, and professional development programs. The core offerings include the International Health Care System Profiles (country profiles, comparison tool, download center), the State Health Data Center (state-level health performance data), and the Medicaid Managed Care Database (state contract terms). These data platforms are complemented by the Fund's research products including surveys (International Health Policy Survey, Biennial Health Insurance Survey), publications (blog, issue briefs, fund reports, podcasts), and Featured Maps. The Fund also operates grantmaking and fellowship programs to develop health care leaders and promote policy improvements. The portfolio functions as a unified research and data resource rather than a commercial product suite.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- International Health Care System Profiles Comparative profiles of healthcare systems across 19+ countries, designed for policymakers, researchers, and journalists who need authoritative cross-national benchmarks on coverage, financing, quality, and access.
- State Health Data Center Interactive data platform providing state-level indicators on healthcare access, quality, coverage, and outcomes across the United States, for policymakers, researchers, and advocates.
- Medicaid Managed Care Database Database providing data and analysis on Medicaid managed care plans, intended for researchers, state Medicaid agencies, and policy advocates working on low-income and vulnerable populations.
- Commonwealth Fund Surveys Proprietary survey instruments including the Biennial Health Insurance Survey and International Health Policy Survey, providing primary data on healthcare access, affordability, and patient experience for researchers and policymakers.
- Publications (Issue Briefs, Fund Reports, Blog, Podcasts) Editorial publication program covering healthcare policy analysis, including issue briefs, fund reports, blog posts, and podcasts, distributed free of charge to policymakers, researchers, journalists, and the general public.
- Featured Maps Geospatial visualizations of healthcare data (e.g., coverage rates, mortality, provider supply) for use by researchers, journalists, and advocacy organizations.
- Commonwealth Fund Grants Program Grantmaking program that funds external researchers, advocacy organizations, and health system leaders working on healthcare access, quality, equity, and reform.
- Fellowship Programs (including Harkness Fellowships) Fellowship programs placing mid-career professionals from multiple countries in U.S. policy settings, research institutions, and newsrooms to build leadership capacity in healthcare policy.
- Responses to Policy Proposals Public-facing analytical responses to active federal and state healthcare policy proposals, providing independent assessment for legislators, regulators, and the media during policy debates.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 72 million Medicaid enrollees are affected by policies informed by Commonwealth Fund research
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Commonwealth Fund
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Commonwealth Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Commonwealth Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Harvard UniversitycoreHarvard University hosts the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership, a two-year program training future health policy leaders. The partnership includes collaborative research and fellowship placement.
- Yale UniversitycoreYale University partners with the Fund on the Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Equity Leadership, focused on developing leaders in health equity.
- International Partner Countries (UK, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Switzerland)coreThe Harkness Fellowships span 11 countries in Western Europe and the Pacific Rim, advancing international understanding of health care practice and policy through exchanges and collaborative research between the U.S. and partner nations.
- SSRSmajorSSRS serves as a key survey research partner for the Commonwealth Fund's Biennial Health Insurance Survey and other health policy surveys, providing methodological expertise and data collection capabilities.
- AcademyHealthmajorAcademyHealth collaborates with the Fund on health services research, policy analysis, and dissemination of research findings to improve health care.
- Brookings InstitutionmajorBrookings Institution works with the Fund on health policy research and analysis, contributing to policy discussions on healthcare delivery system reform.
- Urban InstitutemajorUrban Institute partners on health policy research, particularly around Medicaid, coverage, and health equity issues affecting vulnerable populations.
- Georgetown UniversitymajorGeorgetown University researchers collaborate on health policy analysis, particularly around coverage, access, and healthcare reform.
- Manatt HealthmajorManatt Health, a healthcare consulting firm, partners on policy analysis and research related to Medicaid, healthcare delivery, and payment reform.
- U.S. Congress and Federal Agencies (HHS, CMS)coreThe Fund provides formal policy responses and comments to Congressional requests and federal agency proposed rules affecting healthcare policy, including HHS, CMS, and Senate HELP Committee inquiries.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Commonwealth Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Urban Institute: Nonprofit research organization with deep health policy, Medicaid, and coverage research portfolio. Comparable in data-driven policy research and federal/state engagement, though broader in scope beyond health.
- New America Foundation: Think tank with a health policy program covering coverage, equity, and digital health. Overlapping capabilities in policy analysis and federal engagement, though operating across many issue areas.
- RAND Corporation: Global policy research institution with a sizable health division producing comparative health system research. Comparable in independent, nonpartisan research approach and federal agency engagement, though much larger and broader.
- Brookings Institution: Established think tank with a substantial health policy program. Overlapping capability in policy research and direct engagement with federal agencies, but operates across many policy domains beyond health.
Direct peers
- Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF): Independent nonprofit foundation focused on health policy research, polling, and journalism. Directly comparable in mission, funding model (endowment-based), and audience of policymakers, journalists, and researchers.
- AcademyHealth: Professional society and research organization for health services research, with strong dissemination and convening role. Directly comparable audience of health services researchers and policy analysts.
- Peterson Center on Healthcare: Foundation focused on improving U.S. healthcare cost and quality through data, research, and partnerships. Comparable as a private foundation targeting health system performance with a research and convening model.
- Milbank Memorial Fund: Operating foundation focused on health policy, population health, and state health system performance. Direct peer in foundation structure, scale, and focus on evidence-based state and federal health policy.
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Large U.S. private foundation dedicated to health and health equity, funding research, policy analysis, and grant programs. Closely comparable operating model and end-markets, though with broader social determinants focus.
Others
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Academic institution conducting health policy research and hosting the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship. Adjacent as a research and talent partner rather than a direct competitor, but produces overlapping health policy analysis used by similar audiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Commonwealth Fund social profiles
Digital presenceThe Commonwealth Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Commonwealth Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Commonwealth Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Commonwealth Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Commonwealth Fund
What does The Commonwealth Fund do?
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that conducts and funds independent research on healthcare policy and practice. It operates data and research platforms (including international country profiles, state-level health data, and Medicaid managed care analytics), publishes policy briefs and reports, administers grants to healthcare researchers and advocacy organizations, and runs fellowship programs. Its work targets better healthcare access, quality, and efficiency, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and international comparative analysis.
Is The Commonwealth Fund a public or private company?
The Commonwealth Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Commonwealth Fund founded?
The Commonwealth Fund was founded in 1918. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Commonwealth Fund based?
The Commonwealth Fund is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Commonwealth Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Endowment.
Who are The Commonwealth Fund's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Urban Institute, New America Foundation, RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution. Direct peers are Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), AcademyHealth, Peterson Center on Healthcare, Milbank Memorial Fund and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is listed as an others.
Does The Commonwealth Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Commonwealth Fund.
What industry is The Commonwealth Fund in?
The Commonwealth Fund's product category is Healthcare Policy Research Foundation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of HLAJALAB, Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public). Its NAICS code is 813211.