September 06, 2023 A Local Foundation, a Little-Known College, and a Potential HIV and Cancer Breakthrough September 06, 2023/ Paul Karon The Engelstad Foundation supported Touro University Nevada's lone biomedical lab when few other funders would. A recent discovery there could lead to new treatments for HIV, and even cancer, Alzheimer’s and more.Read More
June 09, 2023 A New Big Gift Tackles the Problem of Inflammatory and Immune-Mediated Disease June 09, 2023/ Paul Karon To build up collaborative research infrastructure, a landmark $100 million gift from businessman Gene Lay will launch a new institute spanning Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General and Harvard Medical School. Read More
April 03, 2023 Can AI Help Locate Low-Cost Cancer Treatments? These Funders Want to Find Out April 03, 2023/ Paul Karon We can't have too many ways to fight cancer. Here’s who’s backing a nonprofit startup that’s using AI to repurpose generic drugs that could mean the difference between life and death for patients — and solvency or bankruptcy. Read More
January 03, 2023 What We Learned From a Deep Dive Into Cancer Research Giving January 03, 2023/ Mike Scutari As part of IP’s State of American Philanthropy project, we recently published an in-depth paper on trends in cancer research funding. Author Mike Scutari overviews what we learned and offers clues on what to expect going forward.Read More
October 24, 2022 The Bezos Family Committed $710 Million to Disease Research. Here’s How That Came Together October 24, 2022/ Mike Scutari The Bezos family’s mega-commitment to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center will fund cancer and infectious disease research. The gift has a 20-year backstory, and offers a peek at how the fantastically wealthy clan operates.Read More
August 29, 2022 When It Comes to Philanthropic Funding for Research, Not All Cancers Are Created Equal August 29, 2022/ Mike Scutari A team of researchers discovered that work on some of the most lethal types of cancer is consistently underfunded. We dig into their findings with co-author Suneel Kamath, MD.Read More
June 21, 2022 Founded By Billionaire Alex Knaster, the Mark Foundation Is a Growing Player in Cancer Research June 21, 2022/ Paul Karon With a new $500 million commitment from its founder, the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is ramping up its grantmaking and venture investing. It has also gotten behind an international research initiative.Read More
April 26, 2022 With Cancer in the Crosshairs, a Health Funder Digs Deep to Back Basic Science April 26, 2022/ Paul Karon The $1.5 billion Starr Foundation likes to give out big-ticket grants to create and support new medical research centers. Its latest establishes a new basic research program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Read More
February 01, 2022 Funder Spotlight: How the Rita Allen Foundation Backs Scientists and Boosts Civic Engagement February 01, 2022/ Mike Scutari Founded by a theater producer, the Rita Allen Foundation supports early-career scientists and backs civic engagement organizations. Here’s what you need to know about this New Jersey-based grantmaker.Read More
June 17, 2021 How a Quiet Family of Southern California Donors Is Helping Transform Cancer Care in the Region June 17, 2021/ Paul Karon For more than 25 years, the Chao family have been among the largest health benefactors in Orange County, California. The family’s recent $20 million gift to UC Irvine Health will create a new cancer care treatment center.Read More
May 13, 2021 How One Funder Is Bringing Greater Diversity to Cancer Research Labs May 13, 2021/ Paul Karon Cancer research, like many academic fields, has a diversity problem. The V Foundation, a cancer grantmaker, is working to increase the number of Black oncology researchers and advance their academic careers.Read More
March 16, 2021 How a New Cancer Research Funder Is Inviting Scientists at Top Institutions to Team Up March 16, 2021/ Paul Karon The newly minted foundation Break Through Cancer is all about team science. Launched with a $250 million challenge grant from a Virginia family, it will support collaborative work on some of the most intractable forms of cancer.Read More
January 05, 2021 With a Focus on Immunotherapy, a San Diego Cancer Research Funder Is Expanding its Reach January 05, 2021/ Paul Karon Just five years old, the Immunotherapy Foundation helped to make San Diego a center for cancer immunotherapy research. Now, the grantmaker is expanding its footprint.Read More
September 15, 2020 Pay it Forward: For the Lymphoma Research Foundation, Personal Connections Drive Funding September 15, 2020/ Ade Adeniji For 25 years, the Lymphoma Research Foundation has served as the nation's largest lymphoma-focused nonprofit. Board Chair Steven Eichberg shares his story as a patient and a donor, and how LRF attracts steady support for care and research.Read More
July 28, 2020 How Leading Black Philanthropist Robert F. Smith is Taking on Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer July 28, 2020/ Ade Adeniji African American Wall Street billionaire Robert F. Smith is best known for his education giving. But his philanthropy has also focused on ending health disparities for Black men and women, including giving millions for prostate cancer detection.Read More
July 24, 2020 Direct Connection: A Retired Tennis Star Focuses on Early Cancer Detection July 24, 2020/ Ade Adeniji Once ranked as the No. 4 tennis player in the world, James Blake runs a foundation focused on cancer research. His journey into giving underscores the resources that top athletes can bring to bear when they get behind a cause.Read More
April 28, 2020 A Prescription of Joy for Sick Children Takes Flight by Building a Diverse Funding Stream April 28, 2020/ Sydney Petty The Children’s Cancer Association has raised tens of millions through a fundraising effort that’s cultivated multiple revenue paths. Its success offers a case study of how to mobilize resources for health work that evokes powerful emotions.Read More
February 19, 2020 Why This Corporate Foundation is Taking on Childhood Cancer February 19, 2020/ Liz Longley Most corporations back charitable causes that align with their businesses. So it’s notable when one adopts a national issue simply because it’s overlooked. We explore what’s driving the Northwestern Mutual Foundation’s cancer funding.Read More
December 11, 2019 Does Komen Need a Cure of its Own? December 11, 2019/ Paul Karon Susan G. Komen is a fundraising powerhouse, successful in part by talking up its quest “for the cure.” But an L.A. business professor says Komen's research funding is a fraction of what it could be—and it’s not being transparent about its spending.Read More
November 07, 2019 Tapping its Vast Reach, a Retailing Giant Commits to Cancer Research November 07, 2019/ Liz Longley A partnership that brings together Walgreens, which serves 8 million customers a day, and two leaders in cancer research aims to raise $25 million at a time when retailers are having growing success with crowdfunding gifts at checkout. Read More