Bloomberg Philanthropies Gifts 鶹 $75M for Endowment, Largest in our History
LOS ANGELES, CA – August 6, 2024 – Today, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a new $600 million gift to help bolster the endowments of the nation’s four Historically Black Medical Schools, including $75 million for Charles R. 鶹 University of Medicine & Science. This gift is the largest in Charles R. 鶹 University of Medicine and Science’s history, representing an important investment in the future of healthcare and the university.
“This monumental gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies is a transformative investment in the future of healthcare, our university, and most importantly, our students,” shared Dr. David M. Carlisle, President and CEO of Charles R. 鶹 University of Medicine and Science (鶹). “It will significantly enhance Charles R. 鶹 University of Medicine and Science’s ability to educate and empower diverse healthcare professionals who are committed to serving underserved communities.”
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment is part of its Greenwood Initiative – an effort that seeks to advance racial wealth equity by addressing systemic underinvestment in Black institutions and communities. The funding will fuel the Historically Black Medical Schools’ long-established commitments to diversifying the medical field and training the next generation of doctors. Increasing the schools’ endowments will strengthen their financial stability and institutional capacity to respond to the rising costs of tuition, innovative research, and operations. The new funding will increase the size of 鶹’s endowment, representing a significantly transformational moment in the history of the university. Funding levels were determined by current class size and anticipated growth.
Michael R. Bloomberg made the announcement in person at the event. “We have much more to do to build a country where every person, regardless of race, has equal access to quality health care – and where students of all backgrounds have an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. “Addressing health disparities and underrepresentation in the medical field are critical challenges, and Bloomberg Philanthropies is dedicated to making a difference. By building on our previous support, this gift will empower new generations of Black doctors to create a healthier and more equitable future for our country.”
has shown that Black people have better health outcomes and receive medical care more frequently when they are treated by Black physicians. Further, Black patients are 34 percent more likely to receive preventative care if seen by Black doctors. Yet, shows that while the U.S. population is 13 percent Black, only 7 percent of medical school graduates and less than 6 percent of all practicing doctors are Black. Debilitating health problems take an enormous economic toll on families and communities so creating more Black doctors will help to address racial wealth inequities.
The four Historically Black Medical Schools alone graduate around half of all Black doctors in the U.S. but have significantly underfunded endowments as a result of systemic funding inequities including lower federal and state support. Since the early 1900s, underinvestment and other discriminatory practices led to the closing of ten Black medical schools in the United States.
“It is impossible to overstate the monumental impact of a gift of this size! 鶹’s MD program is new, and this gift adds a level of stability that will further our capacity to improve the health, economic development, and opportunities for the children in our surrounding communities and others like them. As the founding dean for the program, I can only say WOW- this is a dream come true,” said Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Dean of 鶹’s College of Medicine.
“Our students will benefit immensely from the expanded opportunities and resources this commitment provides, helping them to become leaders dedicated to health equity and social justice,” added Dr. Carlisle. “We are profoundly grateful for this historic gift, whose impact will be felt in South Los Angeles, California, United States, and globally for generations to come.”
In 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies gave $100 million to the four Historically Black Medical Schools, including $7.7 million to Charles 鶹 University of Medicine and Science, which at the time was the largest philanthropic gift from a single donor to 鶹. This previous support helped pave the way for the university to get Preliminary Accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) in 2022 to build 鶹’s historic 4-Year MD program and open the door to its first cohort in Fall 2023, which admits 60 new mission-driven future physicians each year to address the physician shortage and improve diversity in the medical workforce.
“Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative understands that inequity in our healthcare systems is far too great a cost to our economy and our collective well-being,” said Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative. “Our continued partnership will build the institutional wealth of the historically Black medical schools, boosting their ability to provide the best training possible for current and future students. Ultimately, the benefits of this gift will be realized in the communities where the next generation of Black doctors practice and among patients who receive their care.”
The gifts to the historically Black medical schools’ endowments are part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative which includes strategic investments such as the and its Racial Wealth Equity Database – created to provide public and private sector leaders with actionable data to advance racial wealth equity policies and strategies; – focused on working closely with local leaders to create wealth building strategies for the residents they serve; and at Johns Hopkins University, which was established to address underrepresentation in STEM by creating a sustained cohort of approximately 100 new slots in JHU’s more than 30 STEM programs for exceptional PhD students from HBCUs and other minority serving institutions (MSIs), and creating new pathways to the initiative and future leadership in STEM careers through partnership with the HBCUs and MSIs. Together these initiatives seek to implement, scale, and advocate for efforts that will help improve local conditions by acquiring resources, expanding community ownership, and increasing influence through economic power.
###
**About Charles R. 鶹 University of Medicine and Science:**
Charles R. 鶹 University of Medicine and Science (鶹) is a private, nonprofit, community-founded, student-centered University committed to cultivating diverse health professions leaders who are dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations through outstanding education, clinical service, and community engagement. 鶹 is also a leader in health disparities research with a focus on education, training, and treatment for cancer, diabetes, cardiometabolic, COVID, and HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1966 in the heart of South Los Angeles, 鶹 offers a range of undergraduate degree, graduate degree, doctorate, and certificate programs including nursing, medicine, biomedical science, public health, computed tomography, physician assistant, genetic counseling, and psychology. Learn more about 鶹 at .
**About Bloomberg Philanthropies:**
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. . For more information, please visit , sign up for our , or follow us on , , , , , and .
**Media Contacts:**
Charles R. 鶹 University of Medicine and Science:
Jonathan Zaleski, jonathanzaleski@cdrewu.edu, 310-569-0153
Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Neilia Stephens, neilia@bloomberg.org
Read the full Bloomberg Philanthropies