OVERVIEW: International Medical Outreach (IMO) is a major funder of organizations fighting infectious diseases in developing countries around the world. It emphasizes combating parasitic diseases in children.
IP TAKE: There are some big funding dollars available here, but obtaining IMO funding will be a challenge to any NGO with which IMO is not already familiar. Organizations hoping to get a grant from this funder should approach the foundation and highlight how their work closely aligns with IMOs mission and goals, keep in contact, and be patient. This is not an accessible funder, but it does like to maintain long-term relationships with its grantees.
PROFILE: In 1993, infectious disease specialist Todd Marshall Price established International Medical Outreach as a charitable tool to fight the treatable, but dangerous, global health problems he often observed in his work. Currently, the Texas-based foundation makes grants to prevent and treat infectious diseases including intestinal parasites, malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrhea. The foundation names Burundi, Uganda, Malawi and Haiti as specific regional areas of grantmaking interest. This funder aims to provide infectious disease relief and high-quality healthcare to support “all people without regard to race, religion, or color.”
Grants for Global Health and Diseases
International Medical Outreach pursues its mission through a variety of Programs and Projects providing public health education and information materials, putting that information into practice, and offering continuing education to the medical communities in which it works “through didactic lectures and teaching rounds on active patients.” The foundation prioritizes funding for parasite control, especially in children, whose intellectual and physical development can be hindered by nutrient-robbing parasites. IMO supports projects that provide anti-parasitic medication to places that already draw large groups of people such as clinics, hospitals, schools, and orphanages. However, it also supports efforts to prevent parasitic infections through its current projects, which include supplying school children with water bottles, distributing shoes, and helping to build composting latrines.
Important Grant Details:
IMO funds both large and small, and grants range from less than $1,000 to more than $1 million with most falling in the $10,000 to $75,000 range. In a recent year, however, grantmaking totaled only $85,000. Unfortunately, IMO is not very transparent in its grantmaking process and does not accept grant applications from the general public.
Charitable organizations who are engaged in the fight against infectious diseases in the developing world and empowering vulnerable populations through the promotion of good health might consider approaching IMO directly to discuss the possibility of future partnerships. Grant seekers should keep in mind, however, that doing so may or may not get them on IMOs radar.
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