May 17, 2023 Can an Aging Population Stay Healthy? Two Global Funders Hope to Unlock the Secrets of Resilience May 17, 2023/ Liz Longley Humans are living longer, but in our later years, we become more vulnerable to injury and age-related diseases. Wellcome Leap and the Singapore-based Temasek Trust are funding a new program to extend “healthspans.”Read More
May 17, 2023 How Wall Street Winner Anne Dinning Backs Anti-Poverty Work and More May 17, 2023/ Ade Adeniji This leader at quantitative investment firm D.E. Shaw & Co. has been a big backer of the Robin Hood Foundation, along with public health work and other causes. With a fortune of $900 million, expect more giving to come.Read More
May 10, 2023 The Huge Philanthropic Gift at the Heart of a Major University Initiative to Advance Computing May 10, 2023/ Paul Karon A $260 million gift from the Lord Foundation of California to USC seeded a billion-dollar, campus-wide effort to reshape technology research and teaching. It’s part of a unique windfall of funds that boosted four universities.Read More
April 20, 2023 A Major Gift for Alzheimer's at a Pivotal Time for the Development of Treatments April 20, 2023/ Paul Karon The Lauder family, with wealth from the cosmetics dynasty, is a top supporter of Alzheimer's research. We take a closer look at a recent $200 million commitment for drug development and philanthropy’s role in the field.Read More
April 04, 2023 CZI’s Grant for Diversity in Neuroscience is a Positive Development. Is it Part of a Larger Trend? April 04, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is backing an effort to diversify the neuroscience field and the people participating in research on brain disorders. Is more such funding on the way? Read More
March 28, 2023 Gordon Moore's Philanthropy Was Rooted in a Fundamental Optimism About Science and Tech March 28, 2023/ Paul Karon Computer technology pioneer Gordon Moore died last week at age 94. His legacy includes the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation — and a dedication to the idea that scientific progress can change the world.Read More
March 15, 2023 Roku Founder Anthony Wood Is a Billionaire Donor to Watch. Here's an Overview March 15, 2023/ Philip Rojc Serial entrepreneur Anthony Wood helped usher in the current dominance of streaming TV. Now, he’s also ramping up his philanthropy with a DAF-centric approach and interests across a range of causes.Read More
March 07, 2023 What We Learned From a Deep Dive into Neuroscience Research Giving March 07, 2023/ Mike Scutari We recently published an in-depth paper on trends in neuroscience research funding as part of IP’s State of American Philanthropy project. Author Mike Scutari takes a look at some of the report’s key findings.Read More
March 06, 2023 This Small but Mighty Research Hub Is Expanding. Here’s Who’s Helping Make That Happen March 06, 2023/ Paul Karon Since 1963, Salk Institute scientists have been advancing our knowledge of cancer, aging, infectious disease and more. With a new seven-year, $750 million fundraising goal, the aim is to grow both its facilities and research ranks.Read More
February 15, 2023 COVID Won't be the Last Pandemic. A Top Biomedical Funder Seeks to Get Ahead of Emerging Pathogens February 15, 2023/ Paul Karon With a $100 million commitment, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute is the latest funder backing research to prepare for pathogens with the potential to threaten human health, or even trigger new pandemics. Read More
February 13, 2023 A Top Science Funder Wants to Keep Ukraine's Scientists at the Blackboard February 13, 2023/ Paul Karon The war in Ukraine offers scope for funders to draw on their strengths to assist the embattled nation. For the Simons Foundation, that means helping Ukraine's physicists, biologists and other scientists continue their work.Read More
February 02, 2023 Sergey Brin's Off-the-Radar Foundation Is Huge — and Growing Fast. Here’s What We Know About It February 02, 2023/ Michael Kavate Sergey Brin’s foundation has nearly $5 billion in assets and a portfolio spanning Parkinson’s disease, science and activism. It’s not known for transparency, but we do know a fair amount about what it supports and why.Read More
January 24, 2023 “It Is Not a Panacea.” A Conversation About Philanthropy With ChatGPT January 24, 2023/ Mike Scutari AI can now write fairly convincingly on any topic a human throws at it, including philanthropy. So we naturally checked in with OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT to see if it could provide us with some hot takes on the state of the field.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
December 15, 2022 How a Grantmaker Focused on Rare Diseases Galvanizes Critical Research and Patient Support December 15, 2022/ Mike Scutari Over 25 million Americans live with rare diseases, and 90% of rare diseases do not have an FDA-approved treatment. We look at how the National Organization for Rare Disorders is moving the needle in this evolving field.Read More
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 29, 2022 As Americans Grow Older, These Funders are Advancing the Field of Cognitive Aging Research November 29, 2022/ Mike Scutari Millions will experience the effects of cognitive decline without being diagnosed with a neurological disease. Two prominent funders of cognitive aging research share how they are working to overcome this challenge.Read More
November 17, 2022 This Research Funder Is on a Mission to Cure — and Destigmatize — Epilepsy November 17, 2022/ Mike Scutari CURE Epilepsy funds research to cure and more effectively treat a neurological condition that affects 3.4 million Americans. Part of that mission involves ending the silence that still surrounds epilepsy.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 26, 2022 “Explore the Gaps.” A Closer Look at the Kavli Foundation’s Neuroscience Grantmaking October 26, 2022/ Mike Scutari The Kavli Foundation is one of philanthropy’s most impactful supporters of neuroscience research. We check with Life Sciences Director Amy Bernard about the funder’s grantmaking priorities and an emerging area of focus.Read More