Guidelines

Grants will be made only to nonprofit organizations with evidence of IRS 501[c](3) designation
or de facto tax-exempt status.

Proposals are accepted only through the Aetna Foundation's online system.

The Aetna Foundation generally awards only one grant per organization in a calendar year.
If you have been funded by Aetna/Aetna Foundation in the past 24 months you must make sure your progress reporting requirements are up to date.  You can include an update on these grant activities with your application.

The Foundation generally does not fund:

• Endowment or capital costs, including construction, renovation, or equipment
• Direct delivery of reimbursable health care services
• Basic biomedical research
• Grants or scholarships to individuals
• Work for which results and impact cannot be measured
• Advertising
• Golf tournaments
• Advocacy, political causes or events
• Sacramental or theological functions of religious organizations
• Operational expenses/existing deficits

Unsolicited grants are made at the discretion of the Aetna Foundation following application review and approval.

Letters of Inquiry for the National program are accepted on a rolling basis.  Full proposal application deadlines will be provided with notification that a Letter of Inquiry has been accepted. Submission of National proposals without a preliminary Letter of Inquiry is strongly discouraged.

Following Aetna Foundation Letter of Inquiry review, applicants will be contacted for additional information, declined or invited to submit a full proposal. Full proposals will be accepted in quarterly cycles with submission closing dates of:

• February 15
• May 15
• August 15
• November 15

Applications received after midnight Eastern Time on the close date will be reviewed in the next cycle.

Note: These are the deadlines for the full proposal following LOI submission and review.  Regional Grant and Sponsorship applications are also accepted on a rolling basis and may be submitted at any time.

Learn more about our Application and Review process.