March of Dimes Innovation Fund

March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. Building on a nearly 85-year legacy of impact and innovation, we established the March of Dimes Innovation Fund as a new way to advance our mission and provide value to the people we serve.

The March of Dimes Innovation Fund is a venture philanthropy initiative that will use donated funds to invest in early-stage companies to address the most pressing maternal and infant health challenges to improve outcomes and impact moms’ and babies’ lives now.

Our investment focus

As the leading organization fighting to improve mom and baby health, we stay current on the latest science breakthroughs and solutions in the market that address the needs of families in communities nationwide. With our Innovation Fund, we seek to support promising companies with proven or strong potential for impact, and that are poised to benefit from March of Dimes’ investment and support.

With our Fund we will:

  • Accelerate the timeline from discovery to commercialization.
  • Invest in innovations that focus on key drivers of maternal and infant health outcomes, such as:
    • Prevention of spontaneous preterm birth, birth defects and other adverse newborn outcomes.
    • Support after adverse perinatal outcomes.
    • Reduce adverse outcomes driven by non-medically indicated inductions and Cesareans.
    • Reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes due to cardiovascular disease.
    • Improve support for chronic maternal stress and maternal mental health conditions.
  • Leverage our staff and network of volunteers who have expertise in the medical, scientific and venture fields to inform our investment choices.
  • Generate returns to reinvest in the Fund and March of Dimes mission, creating a sustainable model for future investments.

Our investment approach

As a venture philanthropy Fund, our approach to investing is anchored in supporting our mission as well as seeking financial returns. We aim to be a strategic investor—providing not just capital, but also actively supporting portfolio companies with our domain expertise, market presence and other assets.

Our focus is on early-stage companies, preferably those seeking Pre-Seed, Seed or Series A funding, but we will consider later stages. We also look to partner with others in investing, such as venture capital firms, corporate venture teams, technology transfer offices and other organizations actively engaged in identifying and investing in companies that align to our focus areas.

Our philanthropy model

The March of Dimes Innovation Fund provides philanthropists and corporations the opportunity to have a tremendous impact on our mission. The Fund is a donation-only model and current donors have shared that they enjoy diversifying the risk of their substantial donations, while applying a venture capital mindset to achieve mission results.

To participate in the March of Dimes Innovation Fund, donors must make a minimum contribution of $500,000 over five years. Donors do not receive a return on their investment. Donors are provided access to the highest level volunteers and executive staff, receive regular updates on investments and enjoy a highly curated stewardship experience.

Interested in learning more?

We'd love to hear from you! To help us ensure the quickest response, please connect with us as follows:

  • Apply for investment consideration - If you're an early-stage company and are seeking funding, please submit this initial application form here.
  • If you're interested in making a philanthropic contribution to March of Dimes Innovation Fund, please reach out to Karyn DeMartini at kdemartini@marchofdimes.org or 415-217-6362.
  • If you're interested in potential partnership or for any other inquiry, please complete the following form: