CDC Foundation COVID-19 emergency response programming: Evaluating the equitability and sustainability of emergency-response partnerships via survey

Abstract

Introduction

The CDC Foundation plays a critical role in public health emergency response through its ability to quickly mobilize funding and support by establishing formal partnerships with grantees and providing rapid resources and technical assistance. Since the activation of the CDC Foundation's Emergency Response Fund for COVID-19 in January of 2020, the CDC Foundation has funded more than 400 projects addressing various needs that have arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic with a wide range of partners, including non-profit organizations, health departments, private organizations, community-based organizations (CBOs), universities, laboratories, institutes, and educational organizations. The CDC Foundation's emergency response unit disseminated a Partnership Impact Survey to assess grantee partners' experience working with the CDC Foundation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study type

Mixed methods, qualitative and quantitative.

Methods

The survey was distributed to 285 grantees and included both quantitative and qualitative information about partnership with the CDC Foundation.

Results

The survey results and evaluation indicate that, through collaboration and feedback mechanisms, the CDC Foundation implemented successful public health partnerships with various partners during the COVID-19 response, from the private sector to academia to health departments to community-based organizations.

Conclusion

Survey results show that CDC Foundation-funded partnerships have made an impact on the sustainability and capacity of partner organizations, and have had a positive impact on local, national, and international efforts to combat the spread and negative effects of COVID-19.