Overview
One of The Rockefeller Foundation’s greatest recent successes was combating the Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2020, nearly every American was locked down, unable to go to work or school. We committed more than $1 billion and led a massive coalition of governments, communities, NGOs, philanthropies and individuals to help Americans recover from the pandemic, particularly those living in poor and rural areas.
Early on, we were laser focused on what we identified as the single best solution: Expanding quick and affordable testing to identify infected people, treat the sick and help businesses and schools open quickly and safely.
Our Impact
Through Project ACT, we helped deliver millions of Covid tests to local communities throughout the country. We launched a pilot program that provided tests to students and staff, enabling hundreds of schools to reopen. The pilot program became a model for the country. Its success encouraged the federal government to invest billions in a similar testing program in schools across the country.
- 0MillionMillion
Covid tests per week
the U.S. reached this testing capacity by November 2021, up from just 1 million per week in April 2020
- 0MillionMillion
Covid tests delivered
through Project ACT to local communities throughout the country
- $0BillionBillion
federal investment
the federal government invested this amount in a similar testing program in schools nationwide, modeled after the pilot program's success
What We Learned
Despite our best efforts, not everything was a success. For example, we hoped to create a global network of partners to develop democratized data and use predictive analytics to identify and head off future pandemics. We committed $150 million to the Pandemic Prediction Institute. However, we later realized we misinterpreted the field conditions and should have conducted more research to determine the market needs and the organizational structure required to strengthen the early warning system for global pandemics.
Overall, our work combating the Covid pandemic was a monumental success and showed the impact of making big bets, leveraging our financial muscle and collaborating with governments, stakeholders and other philanthropies. By focusing on increasing Covid testing in the early months, The Rockefeller Foundation helped businesses reopen and allowed children to return to their classrooms earlier than expected. The Foundation was proud to play a small but important role in combating the pandemic and helping Americans return to a normal life.
