We support humanitarian initiatives that address the needs of people in vulnerable situations affected by humanitarian crisis


Focus on humanitarian needs
Humanitarian needs arise from several interrelated factors, including extreme poverty and the effects of conflict, disaster, climate change, displacement and the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foundation’s humanitarian grants seek to address the needs of crisis-affected populations in sectors such as health, food security, livelihoods, education and protection.
Our humanitarian grants include a continued focus on addressing the health needs of people affected by humanitarian crises, thus contributing to our strategic priority of fighting inequity in health.
We prioritise inclusive solutions that address the needs of crisis-affected populations holistically and contribute to building resilience.

How we work
We only support initiatives of the highest standard that create the best possible results for the target groups.
Thus, interventions must be evidence-based, building on existing knowledge and lessons learned from previous efforts with the most impact.
Innovation and learning are key in order to explore and document effective ways of addressing humanitarian needs and documenting inclusive solutions.
The initiatives we support must prioritise local engagement and ownership to ensure lasting results, and may cover a span of activities including direct service delivery, capacity building, anticipatory action, activities fostering social cohesion, peacebuilding activities, advocacy, rigid evaluations and research.
News on humanitarian initiatives

2022 Impact Report: For the first time, grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation fund more women than men in scientific positions

Novo Nordisk Foundation awarded close to DKK 7.5 billion for purposes benefitting society in 2022
