The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics

What The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics does

The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. It operates as the sole national trade association for over 1,400 free and charitable clinics and pharmacies across the United States, which collectively serve approximately 1.9 million patients annually through 8.2 million visits and are supported by roughly 189,000 volunteers (2024). The organization's functional role is to represent, support, and resource member clinics that serve uninsured and underinsured populations who fall outside conventional healthcare coverage.

NAFC's operational platform includes a national membership network, a public-facing Clinic Finder directory, telehealth integration delivered through a partnership with Updox, and a resource library of more than 700 documents. The organization has pursued a consolidation strategy, absorbing the Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) Clinic Program in 2021 and the Charitable Pharmacies of America in October 2023, extending its scope across both clinical operations and pharmaceutical access. Its technology footprint is operational and CRM-oriented — member management, clinic directories, telehealth routing, and content distribution — rather than proprietary IP-intensive, and no AI/ML capabilities have been disclosed.

NAFC's business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than revenue-generating. Operating inflows come from corporate philanthropy (CVS Health ~$3M, Teva $2M over two years, McKesson Foundation $1.28M, BD $2.6M in lab equipment since 2017, Direct Relief, and others), individual giving, and member-clinic dues. NAFC functions as an intermediator between corporate philanthropy and last-mile clinical providers, having distributed more than $20 million in grants to member clinics since 2018 and facilitated over $242 million in donated medications and supplies. The organization's growth model combines member network expansion, programmatic additions (mental health, nutrition, disaster relief), and opportunistic acquisitions of adjacent nonprofits.

Name

The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics

Legal name

National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, Inc.

Website

https://nafcclinics.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association serving 1,400+ free and charitable clinics and pharmacies nationwide. It advocates for member clinics, distributes grants, and facilitates donated medications and supplies to provide care to uninsured and underinsured patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: NAFC receives tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations through online forms, checks, vehicle donations, stock transfers, and cryptocurrency. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID: 56-2273242).
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: NAFC receives grant funding from partners such as McKesson Foundation ($1.28M over 2 years), Direct Relief ($1M+), Owens & Minor Foundation ($100K), and others to support clinic operations, medication access, and specific programs.
3. Membership Dues and Fees: 501(c)(3) nonprofit clinics and pharmacies pay membership fees to join NAFC, gaining access to grant opportunities, discounted products/services, and networking benefits.
4. Partner Programs and Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide donated medications, supplies, and discounted services to member clinics. NAFC facilitates these relationships as a coordinating organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership association that supports a national network of 1,400+ free and charitable clinics and pharmacies serving uninsured and underinsured Americans. Its core offerings include a membership program that provides member clinics with grant funding, donated and discounted medications and supplies, EMR systems, advocacy representation, training, and a 700+ resource library, as well as a public-facing online Clinic Finder that connects patients to local care.

Product overview

The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization serving as the national voice for over 1,400 Free and Charitable Clinics and Pharmacies across the United States. The organization's core offering is its NAFC Membership Program, which provides member clinics with grant opportunities, donated/discounted medications and supplies, Electronic Medical Record systems, advocacy support, and networking resources. Supporting the membership are several key programs: the Quality Standards Program establishes care benchmarks; the Volunteers in Medicine Program assists new clinic development; and the acquired Charitable Pharmacies of America subsidiary focuses on medication access through charitable pharmacy services. The NAFC also operates the annual Charitable Healthcare Symposium for education and networking, the Find a Clinic/Pharmacy Locator tool for patient access, Disaster Relief and Health Equity initiatives, Education & Training resources, and Grant Programs. The organization connects member clinics with technology partners including Updox telehealth, CareMessage communications, and medication discount services (GoodRx, Rx Outreach).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Charitable Pharmacies of America: A subsidiary of NAFC focused on improving health outcomes among the vulnerable through charitable pharmacy services, empowering patients in underserved communities through patient-centered care and providing a network for best practices in charitable pharmacies.
• Volunteers in Medicine (VIM)

Products and services

• NAFC Membership Program Membership program for 501(c)(3) free and charitable clinics and pharmacies providing access to grant opportunities, donated and discounted medications and supplies, EMR systems, networking, advocacy alerts, resource library, and discounted Symposium registration.
• Find a Clinic/Pharmacy Locator Online search tool allowing users to find free and charitable clinics and pharmacies by entering city, state, or ZIP code with filtering options for services and distance radius.
• Quality Standards Program Membership program establishing standards and benchmarks for quality care delivery at member clinics, ensuring patients receive quality healthcare services.
• Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) Program Clinic development program helping communities start, develop, and expand free clinics. Provides free one-on-one consulting, checklists, templates, best practices, and access to $25,000 Family Medicine Cares Grant for new clinics.
• Charitable Pharmacies of America Subsidiary of NAFC focused on improving health outcomes among vulnerable populations through charitable pharmacy services. Provides a network for best practices, industry standards, regulatory compliance, and advocacy for charitable pharmacies.
• Playbook for a Community Charitable Pharmacy Comprehensive guide for establishing and sustaining a charitable pharmacy, covering fundraising, operations, regulatory compliance, human resources, inventory management, and patient eligibility.
• Charitable Healthcare Symposium Annual national educational conference bringing together medical directors, clinical and pharmacy personnel, management staff, and volunteers from Free and Charitable Clinics and Pharmacies for education, networking, and idea sharing.
• Disaster Relief Program Program providing guidance and resources to clinics affected by natural disasters to help them recover and continue serving patients.
• Health Equity Initiative Program focused on ensuring equitable access to healthcare for medically underserved populations, addressing health disparities across communities.
• Education & Training Resources and programs providing continuing education, training sessions, and access to CME credits for healthcare professionals working in free and charitable clinics.
• Grant Programs NAFC distributes grant funding to member clinics through partner-funded programs, having distributed over $20 million in grants since 2018.
• Medication Access Program Program providing access to donated and discounted medications through partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and medication assistance programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,400+ Free and Charitable Clinics and Pharmacies providing access to healthcare
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• VitaquestminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025VQ Cares Initiative expanding access to essential nutrition nationwide through NAFC network.
• Charitable Pharmacies of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2023Acquired by NAFC as a subsidiary, marking NAFC's second acquisition in 3 years. CPA was a long-standing partner sharing aligned visions and missions for charitable pharmacy services.
• UpdoxcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Partnership provides full telehealth solution to NAFC member clinics including HIPAA-compliant video chat, SMS, and secure text messaging to expand healthcare reach during COVID-19.
• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership provides $25,000 Family Medicine Cares Grant for new clinics developed through the NAFC Volunteers in Medicine Program.
• CVS HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2020Committed nearly $3 million including $2 million to NAFC for flu vaccine distribution to underserved communities, plus $1.25 million in Ohio for telehealth services. CVS Health Foundation provides grants to approximately 130 clinics.
• BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Multi-year partnership with Heart to Heart International and Henry Schein Cares providing lab equipment to clinics. Has provided $2.6 million in equipment since 2017. Expanded health access with critical ultrasound technology to clinics in 30 states with MedShare.
• Teva PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$2 million, two-year commitment to Community Routes: Access to Mental Health Care program providing medicine donations and grant funding to clinics in California, Florida, and New Jersey for mental and behavioral health programs.
• Henry Schein, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenry Schein Cares Foundation and Henry Schein Medical provide discounted dental and medical supplies, equipment, and services to member clinics. Partnership includes $2.6 million in lab equipment provided since 2017.
• Heart to Heart InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in point-of-care diagnostics initiative with BD providing grants to clinics for diagnostic testing equipment.
• UbercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Sostento on Rides for Health Equity initiative providing free transportation to clinics, pharmacies, and specialty appointments for patients.
• AmericaresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides donated medications and disaster relief support to member clinics.
• CeraVeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides dermatological skincare products for underserved communities.
• MedSharecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with BD and NAFC to expand health access and bring critical ultrasound technology to free and charitable clinics in 30 states.
• SostentocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit partnered with NAFC and Uber on Rides for Health Equity initiative to eliminate transportation barriers to healthcare access.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sostento: A national nonprofit that supports the safety-net healthcare workforce and operates the Rides for Health Equity initiative with Uber. Already an NAFC partner with overlapping mission and emerging complementary footprint.

Direct peers

• Direct Relief: A humanitarian aid organization that donates medicines and supplies to safety-net providers. Already a core NAFC funder, it operates a parallel model of channeling pharmaceutical donations to community clinics and pharmacies.
• Americares: A health-focused humanitarian aid organization that distributes donated medicines and supplies to free and charitable clinics. Functions as both a peer organization and an NAFC partner.
• Rx Outreach: A nonprofit mail-order pharmacy providing affordable medications to uninsured and underinsured individuals. Partnered with NAFC and serves the same target population through a parallel pharmacy channel.
• National Association of Free & Charitable Pharmacies (formerly Charitable Pharmacies of America peer network): Note: This was integrated into NAFC in 2023. Peer equivalents include state-level associations of free clinics such as the Ohio Association of Free Clinics and Virginia Association of Free Clinics.
• Dispensary of Hope: A national charitable pharmacy network distributing donated medications to uninsured patients through partner pharmacies. Direct overlap with NAFC's Charitable Pharmacies of America subsidiary.
• National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC): The principal national membership association for Federally Qualified Health Centers, serving a closely overlapping safety-net patient population. It is the most direct functional peer in the 'national voice for safety-net providers' category.

Broad incumbents

• Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA): Federal agency funding FQHCs and safety-net programs that compete with and complement NAFC's member clinics. Shapes the regulatory and funding environment in which NAFC operates.
• Catholic Health Association of the United States: National association representing Catholic health systems that disproportionately serve low-income and uninsured populations. Operates at hospital-system scale but shares NAFC's mission orientation around access for the underserved.
• Volunteers of America: A large national nonprofit providing health and human services including clinics and housing programs. Broader in scope than NAFC but serves overlapping low-income and uninsured populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FreeClinics
• Facebookfacebook.com/NAFCClinics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-free-clinics
• Instagraminstagram.com/nafclinics
• TikToktiktok.com/@nafclinics
• Xx.com/NAFClinics

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics