Novo Nordisk Fonden
Novo Nordisk Fonden is a Denmark-based public charity, formed in 1989, that makes grants to improve people’s lives and support a sustainable society. Its stated focus areas are health, sustainability, and the life science ecosystem.
Novo Nordisk Fonden at a glance
In short: Novo Nordisk Fonden gave $16.4M across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $967K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $16,432,176
- -41.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +142.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $966,599
- -75.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $691,468
- Total assets
- $8,588,465,835
- +0.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (22% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Novo Nordisk Fonden
- How to Apply
-
Researchers can apply through advertised open calls; the call guidelines describe the evaluation committee and expected notification date. The Foundation also awards stand-alone grants based on peer review and supports partnerships and initiatives it develops.
- Contact
Phone: (452) 499-9199
Website: https://novonordiskfonden.dk
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Novo Nordisk Fonden funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Johns Hopkins University ($2.2M). Together the top 10 received $13.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
24 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $500K–1M range: 9 grants of 24 (38%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation is based in Denmark. Its website describes global challenges and international collaboration, and its 2024 U.S. filing reports grant dollars to recipients in multiple states: New York (22%), California (20%), Maryland (15%), Colorado (12%), and Massachusetts (11%). These figures describe the reported distribution of 2024 grant dollars, not an exclusive geographic focus.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Novo Nordisk Fonden gives
- 12% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2023 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $16.4M (2024) to $28.0M (2023). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $16.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | INFDIS | $2,233,117 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | SOCHUM | $2,175,332 |
| Nrel Foundation Golden, CO | Biotech | $1,953,680 |
| Regents of the University of California Davis Campus Davis, CA | Innovation | $1,898,517 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | E&O | $1,457,038 |
| Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Cambridge, MA | Nat-Tech | $1,015,155 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Biotech | $725,991 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College Boston, MA | O&NS | $715,788 |
| International Medical Corps Los Angeles, CA | SOCHUM | $691,468 |
| Community Partners International San Francisco, CA | SOCHUM | $665,991 |
Ready to take the next step with Novo Nordisk Fonden?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,588,465,835 | $1,362,313,838 | $1,252,266,819 | $16,432,176 | 17 | $1,241,276,861 |
| 2023 | $8,537,586,696 | $225,759,846 | $1,186,935,341 | $28,041,733 | 7 | $82,297,396 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to contribute significantly to research and development that improve people’s lives and the sustainability of society through grantmaking. Its three strategic pillars are health, sustainability, and the life science ecosystem.
Under health, it identifies cardiometabolic and infectious diseases, regenerative medicine, and equitable health outcomes as priorities. Sustainability includes developing knowledge and solutions for society’s green transition, while the life science ecosystem focus supports scientific breakthroughs and new technologies. The Foundation also describes support for education and outreach, natural sciences, humanitarian initiatives, and art research.
The 2024 filing describes grantmaking objectives that include medical research, research-hospital activities related to diabetes in Denmark, and other scientific, humanitarian, and social purposes. It reports that 25% of 2024 grants were for medical research, 0% for research-hospital activities, and 75% for other purposes.
Recipients in the 2024 filing include universities and research organizations, as well as humanitarian organizations. For example, Johns Hopkins University describes its mission as educating students, fostering original research, and bringing discoveries to the world. The International Rescue Committee says it responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster survive and recover. NREL Foundation describes its work as advancing an affordable and secure energy future by catalyzing energy research and innovation.
Grantmaking
The Foundation uses several grantmaking models: open-competition calls, stand-alone grants, partnerships with public or private partners, impact investments, and its own initiatives. Open calls are advertised to the academic research community; applications are evaluated by Danish and international expert committees, with external peer review also used in some cases. The Foundation says its average success rate across funding areas is approximately 20%.
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 17 grants totaling $16,432,176. Individual grants ranged from $150,816 to $2,233,117, with a median of $691,468. Among the largest reported awards were $2,233,117 to Johns Hopkins University, $2,175,332 to the International Rescue Committee, $1,953,680 to NREL Foundation, and $1,898,517 to the Regents of the University of California Davis Campus. Other recipients included the University of Chicago ($1,457,038), Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research ($1,015,155), and International Medical Corps ($691,468).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lars Rebien Sorensen as chair and Lars Henrik Munch as vice chair. Directors listed are Steen Riisgaard, Mads Boritz Gron, Stig Strobaek, Lars Henrik Fugger, Liselotte Hojgaard, Nana Sejbaek, Ole Jakob Muller, and Christopher Ashby Voigt.
Novo Nordisk Fonden is led by Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO on every filing since 2023; all 13 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen
CEO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$1.2M (2023) → $1.3M (2024)
Lars Rebien Sorensen
Chair
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$277K (2023) → $374K (2024)
Christopher Ashby Voigt
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$84K (2023) → $104K (2024)
Lars Henrik Fugger
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$86K (2023) → $123K (2024)
Liselotte Hojgaard
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$80K (2023) → $86K (2024)
Mads Boritz Gron
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$62K (2023) → $71K (2024)
Nana Sejbaek
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$65K (2023) → $86K (2024)
Ole Jakob Muller
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$62K (2023) → $71K (2024)
Steen Riisgaard
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$201K (2023) → $224K (2024)
Stig Strobaek
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$62K (2023) → $71K (2024)
Erika Soderberg Johnsson
CFO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$374K (2023) → $453K (2024)
Lars Henrik Munch
Vice Chair
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$141K (2023) → $172K (2024)
Soren Nedergaard
COO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$463K (2023) → $495K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Marianne Philip (2023) — Vice Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $1.3M, to Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen (CEO). 13 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Novo Nordisk Fonden
How much does Novo Nordisk Fonden give each year?
Novo Nordisk Fonden gave $16.4M across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $28.0M across 7 grants.
What is Novo Nordisk Fonden's typical grant size?
Novo Nordisk Fonden's median grant in 2024 was $691,468, and its average grant was $966,599, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Novo Nordisk Fonden give grants?
Novo Nordisk Fonden's top state is New York, with 22% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (20%) and Maryland (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants) and Cambridge, MA (2 grants).
Does Novo Nordisk Fonden give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Novo Nordisk Fonden's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Sochum" (4 grants) and "Medsci" (3 grants).
Who are Novo Nordisk Fonden's largest grantees?
Novo Nordisk Fonden's largest 2024 grantees include Johns Hopkins University ($2,233,117), International Rescue Committee ($2,175,332) and Nrel Foundation ($1,953,680), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Novo Nordisk Fonden?
Novo Nordisk Fonden reported $8.6B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.4B.
What does Novo Nordisk Fonden fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to contribute significantly to research and development that improve people’s lives and the sustainability of society through grantmaking. Its three strategic pillars are health, sustainability, and the life science ecosystem. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Novo Nordisk Fonden?
Researchers can apply through advertised open calls; the call guidelines describe the evaluation committee and expected notification date. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Novo Nordisk Fonden's EIN?
Novo Nordisk Fonden's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 98-1718091. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Novo Nordisk Fonden funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/novo-nordisk-fonden-morg_304083be39664e779e46b4139228c25f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_981718091_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Novo Nordisk Fonden funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/novo-nordisk-fonden-morg_304083be39664e779e46b4139228c25f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Novo Nordisk Fonden's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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