Novartis – Patient Education Grants

Educational Grants for Nonprofit Patient Advocacy Organizations Supporting Disease Awareness and Patient Education

Novartis Patient Education Grants support nonprofit patient advocacy organizations that educate and help patients, caregivers, and the public in therapeutic areas where Novartis has an interest. Grant requests must be independent of commercial bias, non-promotional in nature, and submitted through the online portal at least 60 calendar days before the event or program date.

Organization: Novartis
Support Type: Patient education grants
Geographic Focus: United States

New to corporate grant fundraising?
Read our Corporate Grants for Nonprofits: Ultimate Guide to learn how corporate funding works.

About the Funder

Novartis is a global healthcare company focused on medicines and therapies that address serious diseases and patient needs. Through its external funding programs, Novartis provides support for independent educational initiatives that help patients, caregivers, and the public better understand disease areas, health conditions, and available resources.

What This Program Supports

Novartis Patient Education Grants may support independent, non-promotional patient education activities in therapeutic areas of interest to the company.

Eligible activities may include:

Disease awareness programs
Live educational events
Web-based education
Print and media education
Newsletters
Websites
Seminars
Patient, caregiver, or public education initiatives

All funded activities must be independent of commercial bias and may not be promotional in nature.

Therapeutic Areas of Interest

Novartis will receive and review patient education grant requests in the therapeutic areas listed below. These areas are subject to change, and funding availability may vary.

Non-Oncology

Arthritis
Asthma / Allergy
Cardiovascular / Heart Failure
Dermatology
Multiple Sclerosis
Non-Therapeutic Area Specific, excluding philanthropic requests
Neuroscience
Ophthalmology
Transplant

Oncology

Breast Cancer
Cell and Gene Therapies
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
General Education for Patients with Cancer
Immune Thrombocytopenia
Iron Overload
Thalassemia
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Leukemia / Lymphoma
Lung Cancer
Melanoma
Multiple Myeloma
Neuroendocrine Tumors
Renal Cell Cancer
Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Rare Diseases

Acromegaly
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
General Education for Patients with Rare Diseases
Sickle Cell Disease

Eligible Support Types

Patient education grants
Disease awareness education
Patient and caregiver education
Public education programs
Live or virtual educational activities
Educational websites, newsletters, seminars, and print/media resources

Eligibility & Preferences

Novartis will only accept Patient Education Grant requests from nonprofit organizations with one of the following tax statuses:

501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations
501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations

Strong-fit applicants are nonprofit patient advocacy organizations that:

Educate patients, caregivers, and the public
Work in a therapeutic area of interest to Novartis
Offer independent, non-promotional education
Can demonstrate patient or caregiver need
Have a clear educational plan, budget, and outcomes measurement approach
Submit a complete application package at least 60 calendar days before the event or program date

Required Application Materials

A complete Patient Education Grant request must include:

Letter of request
Proposed topics, outline, or agenda
Detailed needs assessment
Detailed budget
Outcomes measurement plan
Current signed and dated W-9

Applications must be submitted through the online portal. If the complete grant application package is not received at least 60 calendar days before the event date, the request may be denied.

Ineligible Requests

Novartis will not accept Patient Education Grant requests for:

Grants or payments to entities that are not 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations
Promotional exhibit or display space
Funding to individuals
Capital campaigns
Building funds
Operating expenses, including salaries and benefits
Personal travel
Requests that include smoking or gambling activities
Requests that include spa or resort activities
Textbooks
Medical device- or equipment-related requests
Programs that are already in progress
Treatment-specific education
Housing or travel for event or program attendees
Activities held in lavish venues or resort locations
Grants outside Patient Advocacy therapeutic areas of interest
Activities involving or geared predominantly toward healthcare professionals

Funding Amounts

Novartis does not publish standard award amounts for Patient Education Grants. Funding may vary based on the proposed activity, therapeutic area alignment, educational need, budget, and available funding.

Timeline & Review

📅 Application Timeline: Requests accepted through the online portal
📅 Required Lead Time: Submit a complete application package at least 60 calendar days before the event or program date
📅 Review Type: Grant review based on eligibility, therapeutic area alignment, independence, educational need, and completeness of submission
📅 Important Note: Requests submitted less than 60 calendar days before the event date may be denied

Application / Request Process

Organizations must submit Patient Education Grant requests through the Novartis online portal. Applicants should ensure that all required materials are complete before submission.

Applicants should be prepared to explain:

The patient education purpose of the program
The target patient, caregiver, or public audience
The therapeutic area addressed
Why the education is needed
How the activity is independent and non-promotional
The proposed topics, agenda, or outline
The detailed budget
How outcomes will be measured
The organization’s nonprofit status

Apply / Learn More:
➡️ Novartis Patient Education Grants

Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit

This opportunity is a strong fit for nonprofit patient advocacy organizations developing independent educational programs for patients, caregivers, or the public. It may be especially relevant for organizations working in Novartis therapeutic areas such as oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular conditions, multiple sclerosis, dermatology, ophthalmology, transplant, asthma and allergy, arthritis, and neuroscience.

Because Novartis requires a detailed needs assessment, budget, outcomes measurement plan, and 60-day lead time, applicants should approach this as a formal educational grant request rather than a general sponsorship or charitable donation.

Corporate Grants Guide Notes

Review Type: Online grant review
Typical Lead Time: Submit at least 60 calendar days before the event or program date
Best Suited For: 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) nonprofit patient advocacy organizations
Geographic Fit: United States
Support Type: Patient education grants
Key Requirement: Programs must be independent of commercial bias and non-promotional
Important Limitation: Activities geared predominantly toward healthcare professionals are not eligible under this Patient Education Grant pathway