CommonSpirit Health Philanthropy

What CommonSpirit Health Philanthropy does

CommonSpirit Health Foundation is the national philanthropic arm of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States. Formed in early 2019 following the merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health, the Foundation operates as a federated network of 80+ affiliated local foundations spanning 24 states, channeling donations and grants from individuals, corporate and private foundations, and federal/state government agencies into health equity initiatives. The Foundation connects roughly 50,000 donors per year (as of 2025) to programs addressing social determinants of health, behavioral and mental health, violence prevention, human trafficking response, and rural healthcare access. Recipients include named CommonSpirit facilities (Barrow Neurological Institute, Mark Twain Medical Center, Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital, St. Joseph's hospitals, CHI Memorial Foundation) as well as external community-based nonprofits (Hushabye Nursery, Brighter Way, Housing Solutions, Native American Connection).

The business model is structured philanthropy rather than product pricing. Revenue streams include individual donations, corporate and foundation grants (e.g., a $7.7 million gift from Healthcare Transitional Funding Corporation, $600K from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation), and federal/state government awards (USDA, HRSA, DOJ, HHS, FCC). Distribution occurs primarily through the 80+ local foundations that maintain on-the-ground donor relationships, supported by an online donation platform at commonspirithealthphilanthropy.org. Signature fundraising events include the Humankindness Gala (raising $2 million at the 2025 event, rotating between San Francisco and Denver) and the Humankindness & Health Justice Distinguished Speaker Series co-presented with the Commonwealth Club of California.

Programmatic technology plays a supporting rather than central role: partner-supplied patient engagement tools (Docent Health/GetWellNetwork for COVID-19 vaccine outreach), telehealth platforms used within grant-funded programs such as the FCC-funded Connected Care Pilot ($6.2M) and the USDA-funded Telehealth Solutions for Rural Kentucky, and an internal DREAM database consolidation project harmonizing donor systems across previously independent foundations. The Foundation has been recognized as an AHP High Performer for 10 consecutive years (2016-2025), with Jed York serving as Board Chairman and Nancy Bussani as Chief Philanthropy Officer since June 2023.

Name

CommonSpirit Health Philanthropy

Legal name

CommonSpirit Health Foundation

Website

https://commonspirithealthphilanthropy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CommonSpirit Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of CommonSpirit Health, running 80+ local foundations across 24 states. It channels nearly 50,000 donors' contributions and federal/state grants into health equity programs addressing social determinants of health, behavioral health, violence prevention, and rural healthcare access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Philanthropy and Foundation Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Healthcare philanthropy
• Charitable fundraising services
• Foundation grantmaking
• Health equity funding
• Donor stewardship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Philanthropic contributions from individuals supporting local communities through 80 foundations, with nearly 50,000 donors contributing in 2025.
2. Corporate Grants and Foundation Funding: Funding from corporate foundations and private foundations including grants from Healthcare Transitional Funding Corporation ($7.7M), Deloitte Health Equity Institute, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation ($600K), and others.
3. Government Grants: Federal and state government funding including USDA grants ($1M+ for telemedicine), HRSA grants ($1.2M for behavioral health), DOJ grants ($800K for human trafficking), and Department of Health and Human Services grants ($2.9M for physician training).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CommonSpirit Health Philanthropy raises charitable contributions and grants through a network of more than 80 local foundations across 24 states to fund health equity programs, behavioral health services, rural telehealth, and violence-prevention initiatives across CommonSpirit Health's nonprofit hospital system. It receives donations from individuals, corporations, private foundations, and government agencies, then directs them to clinical programs, community partnerships, endowed chairs, capital projects, and technology-enabled outreach serving vulnerable populations.

Product overview

CommonSpirit Health Philanthropy operates as a unified platform of philanthropy services across a network of 80+ local foundations in 24 states, unified under the CommonSpirit Health Foundation as the national philanthropic arm. The portfolio includes flagship fundraising events (Humankindness Gala), speaker series (Humankindness & Health Justice Distinguished Speaker Series), and five strategic initiatives: Behavioral and Mental Health, Healthier Communities, Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness & Health Justice, More in Common Alliance, and Violence Prevention & Human Trafficking Response. The organization also administers technology-enabled healthcare programs including telehealth, remote patient monitoring, behavioral health services, and vaccination outreach across rural and underserved communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CommonSpirit Health Foundation The unifying philanthropic engine for CommonSpirit Health that connects donors to health equity initiatives through 80 local foundations across 24 states, offering ways to give including memorials, tributes, planned giving, and event sponsorship.
• Humankindness Gala Annual fundraising gala uniting 350+ supporters, healthcare leaders, and corporate sponsors to raise money for health equity initiatives; the 2025 gala raised USD 2 million.
• Humankindness & Health Justice Distinguished Speaker Series A convening of public virtual and in-person events that bring celebrity ambassadors, policy advocates, medical experts, and business leaders together to discuss social, economic, and health equity issues.
• Behavioral and Mental Health Initiative Foundation funding priority that directs philanthropic dollars to behavioral and mental health programs serving vulnerable communities, including tele-behavioral health expansion in rural areas.
• Healthier Communities Initiative Foundation funding priority that invests in programs addressing the social determinants of health, including poverty, homelessness, education, and unsafe environments.
• Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness & Health Justice Foundation initiative promoting health justice and the principle that every person deserves social, economic, and health equity through advocacy and program support.
• More in Common Alliance Foundation initiative that advances health equity through community partnerships and collaborative programming.
• Violence Prevention & Human Trafficking Response Initiative Foundation initiative supporting violence prevention and human trafficking survivor services, including the Medical Safe Haven program providing integrated medical and behavioral healthcare to survivors across California.

Quantifiable outcome

• $316 million in fundraising revenue in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• PolsinellisupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 May 2025Title sponsor of 2025 Humankindness Gala, with Doug Anning from Polsinelli providing opening remarks at the event.
• The Commonwealth Club of CaliforniasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2022Co-presenter of Humankindness & Health Justice Distinguished Speaker Series events, hosting sessions on health equity topics.
• Deloitte Health Equity InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 August 2021Collaboration to address health inequities surfaced by the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on vaccine outreach and hesitancy programs in vulnerable communities. Investment from Deloitte supported development of technology-based outreach programs reaching nearly 50,000 patients.
• Docent Health (GetWellNetwork)supportingTechnology or Integration · 31 August 2021Patient engagement tool partnership for COVID-19 vaccine outreach program, enabling text-based patient communication and connection to community navigators for barrier resolution.
• Chapa-De Indian Health ClinicsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2021Training site partnership for obstetrics residency program, providing residents unique opportunity to train within tribal populations.
• Health at HomesupportingTechnology or Integration · 23 July 2021Full-service home care organization providing end-user devices and supporting rural health clinics in delivering patient care for Connected Care Pilot Program.
• Hushabye Nursery (Phoenix, AZ)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2021$500,000 grant recipient for tenant improvements for new 12-bed facility caring for babies exposed to opioids during pregnancy.
• Brighter Way (Phoenix, AZ)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2021$500,000 grant recipient for dental clinic offering comprehensive oral health care for vulnerable adults, children, veterans, homeless individuals, and those with special needs.
• Housing Solutions (Flagstaff, AZ)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2021Nearly $2.7 million grant recipient for 29 units of scatter housing for domestic violence survivors.
• Native American Connection (Arizona)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2021$420,000 grant recipient for transitional housing to serve homeless Native American youth.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: One of the largest US health-focused private foundations making grants for health equity, behavioral health, and social determinants of health. Comparable in thematic focus but operates as an independent foundation rather than a health-system-affiliated one.
• Kresge Foundation: Major US private foundation making grants across health, human services, and community development. Comparable in funding health-equity initiatives and vulnerable community programs but operates as an independent grantmaker, not a health-system foundation.
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation: Major nonprofit academic health system with a large philanthropic operation. Comparable in scale of healthcare fundraising and focus on medical research and capital campaigns, though operating a more concentrated footprint.
• HCA Healthcare Foundation: Philanthropic arm of one of the largest US health systems. Comparable in raising significant community health funding at national scale, though for-profit in operating structure.

Direct peers

• AdventHealth Foundation: Philanthropic arm of AdventHealth, a large nonprofit faith-based health system operating across many states. Directly comparable in multi-state hospital footprint, faith-based mission, and community health program funding.
• Northwell Health Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Northwell Health, a large nonprofit health system. Comparable in operating a multi-hospital foundation that raises hundreds of millions annually for community health programs.
• Providence Foundations (Providence St. Joseph Health): Philanthropy network of Providence, a large multi-state nonprofit Catholic health system. Closely comparable in faith-based mission, regional foundation structure, and community health program funding.
• Kaiser Permanente Community Health: Nonprofit integrated health system's community health philanthropy arm operating across multiple states with comparable scale and focus on health equity, behavioral health, and social determinants of health.
• Ascension Foundation: National philanthropy arm of Ascension Health, one of the largest nonprofit Catholic health systems in the US, with similar faith-based identity, multi-state hospital network, and mission-driven grantmaking to community health programs.
• Trinity Health Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Trinity Health, another large Catholic nonprofit health system operating across multiple states. Comparable in faith-based mission, hospital-network scale, and health-equity grantmaking priorities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DignityHealthPhil
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommonSpiritHealthPhilanthropy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commonspirit-philanthropy
• Instagraminstagram.com/commonspirithealthphilanthropy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CommonSpirit Health Philanthropy