China Medical Board Inc. is a private operating foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1914 as a division of the Rockefeller Foundation and incorporated as an independent entity in 1928, the organization operates as a strategic philanthropy focused on advancing health, equity, and quality of care in China and Southeast Asia. The foundation transitioned from a grantmaking foundation to a direct operating foundation in 2016, positioning itself to initiate, develop, and manage collaborative programs alongside Chinese and American partners.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$337.2M
+2.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.1M
-39.5% YoY
Grant Count
50
-16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$103K
-27.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to advance health, equity, and the quality of care in China and Southeast Asia. Working in a spirit of partnership at the forefront of strategic philanthropy, CMB strives to build capacity in an interdependent world that fosters innovation in professional education, policy research, and global health.
The foundation's work encompasses:
- Health Policy and Systems: Building essential capacities in population-based health policy and systems sciences
- Medical Education: Strengthening professional programs that produce competent graduates to meet health sector demands; supporting the next generation of academic leaders
- Rural Health: Reducing disparities in access to health services between rural and urban populations
- Public Health Challenges: Developing innovative approaches to major public health challenges, such as tobacco control
- Global Health Exchange: Expanding channels that enable health professionals in China and Asia to engage in global health exchange and development
- Leadership Development: Training a generation of leaders and building communities for advancing health equity
- Health Equity: Advancing equitable access to primary and preventive health services in market-driven economies
Grantmaking
Recent grants demonstrate the foundation's commitment to capacity building and professional education:
Review Cycle
.
Ready to take the next step with China Medical Board Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's primary geographic focus includes:
- China: Expanded support in medical education and research to more than a dozen medical universities since returning to mainland China in 1980
- Southeast Asia: Continued capacity-building grants with integrated themes of health policy systems and sciences, medical education, and rural health
- United States: Supporting U.S. scholars and institutions in collaborative work
Major cities where the foundation has funded projects include Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and various locations across North America and Europe.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Revenue:
- Total assets: $337,231,827 (2024)
- Total revenues: $24,961,543 (2024)
- Total expenses: $12,147,955 (2024)
- Total giving: $5,135,566 (2024)
- Annual income: $60.7M
The foundation maintains a staff of 6 employees.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $337,231,827 | $329,113,033 | $331,447,212 |
| Revenue | $24,961,543 | $8,199,765 | $13,671,959 |
| Expenses | $12,147,955 | $14,636,116 | $10,190,280 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $11,667,589 | $14,149,793 | $9,430,335 |
| Net Investment Income | $22,809,608 | $3,611,122 | $11,950,335 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | $15,719,733 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Roger Glass: President and Trustee (compensated $557,692 annually)
- Dr. Thaksaphon (Mek) Thamarangsi: Chief Representative and Director of the CMB Bangkok Office (appointed effective January 1, 2026)
The foundation is governed by 10 officers and trustees, with several serving without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROGER GLASS | PRESIDENT & TRUSTEE | 40 | $685,000 |
| JOHN LICHTEN | ASST. TREASURER/ CAO, CFO | 40 | $320,000 |
| LAURA BUTZEL | LEGAL COUNSEL | 0.5 | — |
| HARVEY V FINEBERG | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| FREDERICK ZULIU HU | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| JEFFREY P KOPLAN | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| WENDY H O'NEILL | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| JEFFREY R WILLIAMS | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| WILLIAM YUN | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| SUZANNE SISKEL | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| J STEPHEN MORRISON | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| KEIJI FUKUDA | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| JOSEPH KOLARS | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| CARIN PAI | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| MARK SIDEL | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**November 2025**: Appointment of Dr. Thaksaphon Thamarangsi as Chief Representative and Director of the CMB Bangkok Office, effective January 1, 2026
**May 2024**: Launch of a new postdoctoral research fellowship program for U.S. scholars from health professions and biomedical sciences
**May 2024**: The 2024 Equity Initiative Fellows traveled to New Zealand for Global Learning I to explore health equity and diversity perspectives
**July 2024**: Support for a training course in Vietnam on emergent management of traumatic brain injury, building on the EPIC (Excellence in Prehospital Injury Care) Project's evidence-focused guidelines
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
Charles J Tasker Memorial Scholarship Fund
HANOVER, MA
Assets
$98K
Grants
1
Total Given
$8K
Marshall M & Barbara J Sloane Pvt Found
CHESTNUT HILL, MA
Assets
$1.2M
Grants
11
Total Given
$75K
John J Mcardle Iii & Joan C Mcardle
ANDOVER, MA
Assets
$1.8M
Grants
13
Total Given
$205K
Massachusetts Association of Realtors
FOXBOROUGH, MA
Assets
$18.1M
Grants
2
Total Given
$71K
Communities for Restorative Justice
BOSTON, MA
Assets
$524K
Grants
1
Total Given
$61K
Hingham Historical Society Inc
HINGHAM, MA
Assets
$7.4M
Grants
1
Total Given
$10K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with China Medical Board Inc on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities