Foundation For Health Advancement

What Foundation For Health Advancement does

Foundation for Health Advancement (FHA) is a Princeton, New Jersey-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds health-related research and education. The organization operates the Innovation Grants Program, awarding grants of up to $75,000 to researchers and students at affiliated institutions who are developing early-stage technologies with commercialization potential, and the Middle and High School STEM Grant Program, which disburses grants of up to $50,000 (typically up to $2,500 per project) to New Jersey public and private schools for STEM initiatives. Funded innovation projects span medical devices (e.g., the TrachAlert wearable sensing system for tracheostomy patients and a robotic, imaging-guided tissue palpation device), therapeutics (non-addictive analgesics, cancer drug target screening), and other health-related technologies.

FHA functions as the middle tier of a coordinated "family of companies" alongside New Jersey Health Foundation (which funds basic research) and Foundation Venture Capital Group (which provides pre-seed and seed funding to spinout companies). Formal affiliation agreements with nine institutions — Cooper University Health Care, Hackensack Meridian Health, Kessler Foundation, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Rowan University, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Virtua Health — give clinicians, researchers, and employees at those organizations eligibility to apply for FHA grants. Since inception, over 30 Innovation Grant projects have been funded and at least three have advanced to company formation through FVCG.

FHA's revenue model is donation-based: it is funded by contributions from corporations, foundations, and individuals, with the organization stating that 100% of designated donations flow to grants. A multidisciplinary staff of roughly ten people — led by President and CEO James M. Golubieski — provides strategic and managerial support to grantees alongside the grant capital. The foundation relies on its affiliated-institution network, website presence, and earned media (press releases on grant and affiliation announcements) rather than traditional marketing channels. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Dean Janeway (retired President and COO of Wakefern Food Corporation), with George F. Heinrich, MD serving as Vice Chair Emeritus (1945–2025).

Name

Foundation For Health Advancement

Legal name

Foundation for Health Advancement

Website

https://foundationforhealthadvancement.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Foundation for Health Advancement is a Princeton, NJ-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards Innovation Grants (up to $75K) and STEM Grants (up to $50K) to researchers and students at nine affiliated New Jersey universities and health systems to advance health-related innovation toward commercialization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Health Research Grant-Making

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Nonprofit grant-making
• Health research grants
• Innovation funding
• STEM education grants
• Health commercialization funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, FHA receives donations from corporations, foundations, and individuals. 100% of donations are used for grants awarded for the specified program.
2. Grant Disbursements: The organization disburses grants to researchers and students at affiliated organizations to support health-related research and education in New Jersey

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Foundation for Health Advancement is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit grant-making organization that funds health-related research and STEM education in New Jersey. It awards Innovation Grants of up to $75,000 to researchers at affiliated universities and healthcare systems for early-stage technologies with commercialization potential, and Middle and High School STEM Grants of up to $50,000 (typically up to $2,500 per project) to NJ public and private schools. The foundation is supported by donations and operates alongside New Jersey Health Foundation and Foundation Venture Capital Group as part of an integrated funding continuum from research through company formation.

Product overview

Foundation for Health Advancement operates as a nonprofit grant-making organization with two primary programs: the Innovation Grants Program (grants up to $75,000 for researchers at affiliated universities and healthcare organizations) and the Middle and High School STEM Grant Program (grants up to $2,500-$50,000 for K-12 STEM education). The organization functions as part of a family of companies including New Jersey Health Foundation and Foundation Venture Capital Group, collectively supporting health-related innovation from early-stage research through commercialization. Funded projects include medical device development, cancer therapeutics, analgesic research, and diagnostic technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Innovation Grant Program: Grant program supporting early-stage university technologies with strong commercialization potential, providing grants of up to $75,000
• Middle and High School STEM Grant Program

Products and services

• Innovation Grants Program Grant program providing up to $75,000 per project to researchers and students at affiliated organizations (including Princeton, Rutgers, Rowan, NJIT, Stevens, Kessler Foundation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Cooper University Health Care, and Virtua Health) to support further development of early-stage technologies with commercialization potential. Funded projects span dementia detection, alcohol use disorder treatment, diabetes management, intraocular disease treatment, insect repellents, cancer research, and robotic surgical tools. Funds may only be used for direct program costs and cannot cover overhead, tuition, or indirect costs.
• Middle and High School STEM Grant Program Donation-supported grant program offering grants of up to $50,000 (typical grants up to $2,500 per project) to support innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) projects in New Jersey public and private middle and high schools. The program aims to enhance student knowledge and experiences with STEM and inspire students to pursue STEM majors and careers. Grantees are selected through a competitive application process.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 Innovation Grant projects funded since inception
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• New Jersey Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNJHF is an affiliated organization and part of the family of companies with FHA and FVCG. NJHF provides grant funding for basic research and community health projects through its Research/Community Health and Social Service grant programs, often serving as precursor funding before Innovation Grants.
• Hackensack Meridian HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation agreement allows Hackensack Meridian Health clinicians, researchers, and employees to apply for Innovation Grants. HMH brings strength to the network with capabilities including the Center for Discovery and Innovation which developed breakthroughs during COVID pandemic.
• Cooper University Health CaremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation agreement enables Cooper University Health Care clinicians, researchers, and team members to apply for Innovation Grants and access Research/Community Health and Social Services Grant program. Cooper is the leading academic health system in southern New Jersey.
• Kessler FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization whose researchers and employees are eligible to apply for Innovation Grants and other FHA funding programs.
• New Jersey Institute of TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization whose researchers and employees are eligible to apply for Innovation Grants and other FHA funding programs.
• Princeton UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization whose researchers and employees are eligible to apply for Innovation Grants and other FHA funding programs.
• Rowan UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization whose researchers and employees are eligible to apply for Innovation Grants and other FHA funding programs.
• Rutgers UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization whose researchers and employees are eligible to apply for Innovation Grants and other FHA funding programs.
• Stevens Institute of TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization whose researchers and employees are eligible to apply for Innovation Grants and other FHA funding programs.
• Virtua HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization mentioned in Innovation Grants Program whose researchers and employees are eligible to apply for FHA funding programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Brigid O'Brien Foundation: Emerging community-based health research and education grantmaker. Comparable as a small health-focused grantmaking nonprofit, though more local in scope than FHA's statewide NJ footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Pew Charitable Trusts: Major multi-program US philanthropy operating a Health Programs portfolio that funds biomedical and translational research. Comparable as a diversified nonprofit grantmaker for health/science, though at vastly larger scale.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Largest US health-focused philanthropy headquartered in Princeton, NJ. Operates in the same New Jersey health philanthropy ecosystem but at vastly broader scale, funding national health research and policy rather than translational/academic commercialization.
• American Cancer Society: Major health research grantmaker funding cancer and other disease research at academic institutions nationally. Comparable in mission (health research grantmaking) but vastly larger scale and donor base than FHA.
• Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research: Major disease-specific medical research grantmaking foundation. Comparable as a high-pass-through health research grantmaker, though focused on a single therapeutic area (Parkinson's) rather than a diversified translational pipeline.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Largest US biomedical research philanthropy, funding investigator-driven academic science. Comparable as a nonprofit grantmaker supporting health-related research at universities, but at massively larger scale and focused on basic rather than translational work.
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: Major US philanthropy with substantial medical research grantmaking programs. Shares the model of a private foundation funding academic and translational health research with a multi-program portfolio.

Direct peers

• Foundation Venture Capital Group: Downstream sister organization providing pre-seed and seed venture funding to spinouts emerging from FHA Innovation Grants. Operates the same affiliated-NJ-institution network under coordinated leadership.
• New Jersey Health Foundation: Sister organization within the same 'family of companies' as FHA. NJHF funds basic research and community health grants, serving as the upstream stage of the FHA/FVCG translational pipeline — directly comparable in mission, governance structure, and New Jersey focus.

Regional players

• California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM): State-level health research grantmaker funding stem cell and translational research at California institutions. Comparable as a geographically-concentrated, quasi-public research grantmaking body — though at larger scale and disease-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FoundationforHA

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Foundation For Health Advancement