December 07, 2022 A Tech Winner Seeks Policy Change to Advance Racial Justice in the Industry December 07, 2022/ Paul Karon The Kapor Foundation has launched a multipronged initiative to allow communities of color access to the employment, economic and other benefits of the $2 trillion technology sector.Read More
November 15, 2022 Why a Regional Funder is Backing a National Ad Campaign to Open Minds About Mental Health November 15, 2022/ Paul Karon The Utah-based Huntsman Foundation is a lead sponsor of an upcoming multiyear Ad Council marketing and media initiative to drive awareness — and solutions — for the U.S. mental health crisis.Read More
November 04, 2022 Funding Seeks to Shed Light on a Crucial Question: Are We Alone in the Universe? November 04, 2022/ Paul Karon The question of life beyond Earth is compelling, both scientifically and spiritually. As new technology reveals multitudes of planets beyond Earth, the quest to identify signatures of extraterrestrial life is drawing more support.Read More
October 20, 2022 Of Mice and Men: How Paul Allen's Giving Set the Stage for an Ambitious Effort to Map the Human Brain October 20, 2022/ Paul Karon Twenty years ago, Paul Allen's Institute for Brain Science launched with a project to map the mouse brain. Now, the NIH has tapped the institute to manage a global collaboration to map the human brain.Read More
October 03, 2022 Why Three Deep-Pocketed Funders Joined Forces to Take on Bipolar Disorder October 03, 2022/ Paul Karon Bipolar disorder has been significantly understudied. In response, several donors with personal experience of the condition are working with the Milken Institute on a $150 million initiative to fund and coordinate global research.Read More
September 28, 2022 As Attention to Mental Health Grows, a Major Nonprofit Lands a New Leader and Some Big Backers September 28, 2022/ Paul Karon Policymaker and former OSF Program Director Ken Zimmerman has been named head of Fountain House, a group that has also picked up big donors lately. What does that say about mental health philanthropy?Read More
September 15, 2022 Parkinson's Funders Take a Venture Philanthropy Approach to Speed Development of Treatments September 15, 2022/ Paul Karon The Parkinson's Foundation in the U.S. and Parkinson's U.K. have inked a new partnership to boost investment in treatments for the neurodegenerative condition that affects 10 million people worldwide.Read More
September 09, 2022 New Funding Aims to Accelerate Treatments for Lupus, an Autoimmune Disease with Many Faces September 09, 2022/ Paul Karon Often missed or misdiagnosed, lupus disproportionately affects women of color in the U.S. Here’s how a leading lupus research funder is speeding along the development of much-needed treatments.Read More
September 01, 2022 Seven Questions for Stephen Quake, the New Head of Science at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative September 01, 2022/ Paul Karon The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative recently named Stanford Professor Stephen Quake as its new head of science. We spoke about his new role leading CZI's ambitious mission to treat all human disease within the century.Read More
August 30, 2022 How Is Philanthropy Backing Science Journalism? August 30, 2022/ Paul Karon The pandemic drove home the need for quality science journalism, but the field has struggled along with the rest of the industry. Here are a few ways key funders are supporting training and coverage.Read More
August 09, 2022 Telescopes Are Seeing Farther Than Ever Before. What's Philanthropy's Role? August 09, 2022/ Paul Karon While government funding is crucial for many of the telescopes used in astronomy, philanthropy has been involved for decades and is pitching in for the next generation of even more powerful telescopes.Read More
August 03, 2022 Funding for Mathematics Research is Scarce. A Big Gift Underscores the Potential Impact for Donors August 03, 2022/ Paul Karon Two donor couples split a $70 million gift to a Berkeley-based math research institute. It’s the largest unrestricted donation to a U.S. math institute, and a reminder of the important role a small number of funders play in the field. Read More
July 21, 2022 A Startup Philanthropy Targeting Serious Mental Illness Ramps Up July 21, 2022/ Paul Karon The Baszucki Brain Research Fund, created by tech industry couple David and Jan Baszucki, has accelerated grantmaking in 2022 to support research in bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression.Read More
July 19, 2022 Six Questions for Heather Templeton Dill, President of the John Templeton Foundation July 19, 2022/ Paul Karon We spoke with Heather Templeton Dill, president of the John Templeton Foundation since 2015, to get her perspective on the eclectic science philanthropy that her grandfather set in motion 35 years ago.Read More
July 11, 2022 Study: Philanthropy May Play an Even Bigger Role in Science Funding Than We Thought July 11, 2022/ Paul Karon Analyzing millions of tax filings, a research team found that philanthropic funding for science has reached $30 billion a year recently, rivaling government outlays. And that wasn’t the only interesting fact they unearthed.Read More
July 05, 2022 A Major Health Insurance Foundation Targets Disparities in Substance Use and Mental Health July 05, 2022/ Paul Karon The Elevance Health Foundation, like its corporate counterpart, recently changed its name from Anthem. It’s seeking to address disparities, emphasizing the continuum of care around substance use and mental health.Read More
June 29, 2022 The Country's Oldest Science Philanthropy Plays the Long Game by Supporting Young Scientists June 29, 2022/ Paul Karon The Research Corporation for Science Advancement has been funding science research for more than a century. Here are five takeaways on how the funder works, from an interview with President Daniel Linzer. 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
June 13, 2022 This Research Funding Giant Is Spending $1.5 Billion to Diversify Academic Science June 13, 2022/ Paul Karon As part of an even larger diversity initiative, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute will extend long-term support to scientists from underrepresented backgrounds during the tough early years of their academic careers. Read More
June 06, 2022 Scientists Say a New Quantum Revolution Is Underway. Who's Funding It? June 06, 2022/ Paul Karon Arcane though it may seem, quantum physics has been — and will be — central to our understanding of the universe and to technologies that shape our lives. Here’s how some leading philanthropies are backing research in the field.Read More