Company

Biogen Foundation

Biogen employees volunteering to sort food for the nonprofit Food For Free

The Biogen Foundation is committed to advancing better health by engaging our employees and collaborating with high-impact partners in local communities. The Foundation activates this mission by working for equitable access to healthcare, addressing social determinants of health and building a more diverse healthcare workforce.

Through the Foundation, we strive to make an impact beyond our medicines, working with underserved communities and focusing our grantmaking* on:

  • Equitable access to healthcare in our communities.
  • Fundamentals of community health (e.g., food security)

Learn more about the Biogen Foundation’s work and partnerships to advance better health in our Corporate Responsibility Report.

For inquiries related to the Biogen Foundation, please email foundation@biogen.com.

3 million

People who have benefited from the Biogen Foundation and Community Lab

$29.2 million

In grants, sponsorships and in-kind contributions from Biogen and the Biogen Foundation in 2023

Impact of the Biogen Foundation: Youth Neurology Program

The Biogen Foundation collaborated with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to develop the MGH Youth Neurology Education and Research Program. This first-of-its-kind program aims to advance health equity and scientific innovation by building a diverse pipeline of future neuroscientists and neurologists with strong leadership skills. Since its launch in 2020, the program has equipped 118 student interns with paid and mentored neurology research experiences and reached more than 500 participants through learning sessions with leading neurologists and neuroscientists from diverse backgrounds.

Photo courtesy of Massachusetts General Hospital
A MGH Youth Neurology Education and Research Program Intern and a neuroscience major at Emmanuel College.

Employee Matching Gifts Program

The Biogen Foundation matches employee donations to eligible nonprofit organizations, maximizing community benefit and demonstrating the powerful difference we can collectively make in the lives of others.

In 2023, Biogen employees and the Biogen Foundation contributed more than $3.3 million to support disaster relief efforts, address food insecurity, provide health support to patients in need and more. 

"The Biogen Foundation embodies how we serve our communities at Biogen. Through our work, we strive to build a supportive ecosystem that enables all of our neighbors to live the healthiest, fullest life possible."


Teresa G. Cachero, Ph.D.
Vice President of Asset Development and Portfolio Management and Chair of the Biogen Foundation

Tables are set up with fresh produce for community members at the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Greater Lawrence Family Health Center Mobile Market.

The transformative impact of food as medicine

Food insecurity can be the linchpin in a cascade of health issues, from mental health challenges like depression and anxiety to chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. To address this issue, the Biogen Foundation supports a range of high-impact nonprofit programs, including The Greater Boston Food Bank’s Mobile Markets, farmers market-style food distribution points set up at healthcare centers throughout the city. A 2023 study found patients who visited the Mobile Markets experienced a marked reduction in depressive symptoms over a three-year period. Mental health improved for all Mobile Market participants, with people who were diagnosed with moderate or severe depression before they began shopping at the market experiencing the largest improvement.

Read more in the Corporate Responsibility Report

Employee Volunteering

Employees contribute their time and talents to communities through volunteering. Employees are given one day of paid time off annually to volunteer in their communities – and they use it to the fullest. In 2023, we collectively logged more than 10,000 volunteer hours.

Our Community Currency program encourages employees to financially support their favorite charities and nonprofit organizations without having to spend their own money by investing a more valuable resource: their time. For every hour our employees spend volunteering, the Biogen Foundation provides $10 (or local currency equivalent) for employees to donate to an eligible nonprofit organization of their choosing.

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*The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. Nonprofits and community organizations may sign up to be considered for our matching and volunteer programs (eligibility requirements apply) through the Biogen Benevity Causes Portal. Benevity is a software platform that helps nonprofits around the world access corporate giving, volunteering, and grantmaking programs.