Genentech and the Genentech Foundation Commit $42 Million to Address Immediate and Long-Term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic

South San Francisco, CA   May 12, 2020 Press Release

Genentech and the Genentech Foundation are announcing charitable commitments of $42 million to help address the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This support includes emergency response grants as well as funds for longer-term recovery efforts to mitigate ongoing challenges posed by the breadth and depth of this global health crisis.

In the U.S., the pandemic is exacerbating existing economic and healthcare disparities in alarming ways. We are working closely with government organizations, patient and community groups, health systems and schools to identify the areas of greatest need, build resiliency and address emerging equity gaps. These efforts are specifically focused on low-income households and communities of color who are experiencing the most harm.

In the first weeks of the pandemic, we executed our first round of grants focused on emergency needs. We are now pleased to share our forward-looking giving framework, which will direct funds on a national, regional and local level in three key areas:

• Critical Health Needs. Our emergency donations to Direct Relief and the CDC Foundation helped provide personal protective equipment and other resources for those at the front line of the crisis, including first responders and public health departments. Our commitments going forward will help ensure that low-income and uninsured patients can access healthcare so disparities aren’t further deepened.

  Nonprofits across the country are facing unprecedented financial pressure, including patient organization partners whose ability to provide critical support is at risk. To help preserve and strengthen essential services such as emergency financial assistance, care navigation and remote support, we are providing funds to patient organizations in therapeutic areas like oncology and neuroscience. Additionally, we are offering existing grantees maximum flexibility to repurpose all existing Genentech funding towards areas of acute need.

• Strengthening Schools. In collaboration with the Genentech Foundation, we are investing in California schools to create more equitable access to distance learning for low-income students, and help deliver critical services — like food assistance and mental healthcare — that typically occur within the walls of our public schools.

We are also working with regional partners like Silicon Valley Community Foundation to rebuild the capacity of the education system and address the many needs associated with a safe and effective return to in-school learning. This will include enhanced tools for teachers and intensive support for vulnerable students experiencing significant learning gaps due to time away from their classrooms.

As an extension of the Genentech Foundation’s new commitment to building more equitable post-secondary educational pathways in STEM, we will partner with local colleges and universities to provide direct financial assistance to low-income college students. Funds are also earmarked to ensure that at-risk students — especially incoming freshmen — have the additional resources they need to succeed against the backdrop of enhanced financial, emotional and academic challenges posed by the pandemic.

• Grassroots Community Support. We are directing resources to community foundations, food banks and regional relief efforts across the Bay Area and at other Genentech U.S. sites. Funds including the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Regional Response Fund, San Mateo County Strong Fund and Oregon Community Recovery Fund, and groups like the Oceanside Boys and Girls Club, are providing food and housing security, childcare and financial assistance to low-income households and communities of color.

Our employees have also helped direct our community response through an enhanced donation program that offered 2:1 corporate matches to select COVID-19 relief organizations and doubled the maximum amount that Genentech would match per employee. During this month-long campaign, employees raised nearly $3.3 million for more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations across the country through their donations and Genentech’s match.

To learn more about Genentech’s corporate and charitable giving, please visit our website at https://www.gene.com/good/giving. For more information on Genentech’s efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including please visit our COVID-19 response page.

About the Genentech Foundation

Guided by the vision of a future where health and prosperity are accessible to all, the Genentech Foundation works to unlock access to educational and career pathways in the life sciences and medicine. The U.S.-based, private charitable foundation was established in 2002 by Genentech. For additional information, please visit https://www.gene.com/good/giving/genentech-foundation.

About Genentech

Founded more than 40 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.