Its focus is technology, health care, and national security.

Formally incorporated on April 26, 1927,[1] as the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation,[7] the organization began by funding traditional social welfare programs as well as projects that focused on medicine and medical research.

In 1998, when Zoë Baird became president, she shifted the foundation's focus to accelerating the use of information and information technology to address critical public problems, particularly in the areas of health and national security.

For fiscal year 2008, Ms Baird's compensation from this tax exempt charitable organization was recorded as $505,750.00, in the Form 990-PF filed by Markle.

[8] In 1948, the Foundation established an award to assist qualified people wishing to remain in academic medicine.