Diseases Funding
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With New Drugs on the Market, the Alzheimer’s Association Continues to Rake in Support
At a recent gala in New York, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, daughter of the legendary performer Rita Hayworth, spoke with Ade Adeniji about her mother’s legacy and about raising money for Alzheimer’s research.
One Family Aims to Change the Game in Pancreatic Cancer Research with a Million-Dollar Prize
After losing their wife and mother to pancreatic cancer, entrepreneurs Emmet Stephenson and daughter Tessa Stephenson Brand gave $150 million to the City of Hope cancer research center. The goal: a cure.
As Funding Dwindles, HIV and AIDS Remain as Much an Issue of Human Rights as of Health
A new report shows a continued decline in HIV giving as infection rates in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and other regions rise. Long-underserved groups, including women and girls, are disproportionately impacted.
Why Five Spinal Cord Injury Organizations Teamed Up to Launch a New Venture Philanthropy Fund
SCI Ventures, launched with $27 million, will invest in companies developing new therapies and technologies to treat spinal cord injuries and paralysis. Spearheading the effort is the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
The WHO Foundation: Applying a “Start-up Mentality” to the Challenges of Global Health
Founded amid the pandemic, the World Health Organization’s foundation channels philanthropic cash to rapid responses, several medium-term priorities, and bigger bets. We connected with CEO Anil Soni to learn more.
A Billionaire Couple’s Quest to Cure the Genetic Disorder That Claimed Their Son’s Life
A year after their son died as a result of complications from neurofibromatosis, mortgage lending billionaire Dan Gilbert and his wife Jennifer continue to plow research dollars into the incurable genetic disorder.
From Grassroots Beginnings, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation Now Funds Nationwide
Started by a group of families to support a single researcher, this funder aims to advance basic science and drive better treatments and cures. It now provides millions in annual grants and has plans to expand further.
Post-WeWork, the Neumanns Are Still Billionaires. Whatever Happened to Their Philanthropy?
Before being forced out of the company, Adam and Rebekah Neumann signaled some big philanthropic aspirations. They’re still very wealthy; did they continue giving?
A Public-Private Cancer Funder Backs Team Science and Targets Inequities in Care and Outcomes
Cancer Grand Challenges has announced $125 million across five new grants to take on key questions in cancer research and to better understand causes of poorer health outcomes for certain patient populations.
A Foundation’s Long Quest to Take on Huntington’s Disease Picks Up Speed
The neurodegenerative disease gets less funder attention than other more common conditions, which is why a set of new $1 million research grants from the Hereditary Disease Foundation could really move the needle.
Backed By Sergey Brin, the Newest Force in Parkinson’s Research Looks to Speed Cures
Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s, established by the Google cofounder, wants to diversify genetic research into the neurodegenerative disease. Its latest big grant will expand the geographic scope of a key international study.
Five Questions for Alice Pomponio, Head of the American Cancer Society’s Impact Investing Arm
The ACS is the largest nongovernment, nonprofit funder of cancer research in the U.S. We spoke with the head of BrightEdge, its venture capital team, which uses a for-profit model to advance the mission.
How the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Is Working to Ensure Equitable Access to Care
A top priority for cancer research funders is ensuring that patients receive equitable and timely access to treatment and care. We check in with a leading advocate and grantmaker to see how it’s approaching this work.
A Quiet Exodus: Funders Exit HIV Giving Even as Equity Gaps Grow
For World AIDS Day, guest authors Athena Cross, Carl Baloney and Jesse Milan Jr. call attention to diminishing HIV-related philanthropic support, despite prevailing racial equity gaps in diagnoses and treatment.
Paul Allen’s Philanthropic Legacy Continues with Funding for a Brand-New Field of Health Research
The late Microsoft co-founder’s Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group has launched its newest Discovery Center. Its goal: exploring how the human nervous system and immune system interact to shape health and disease.
Progress on Breast Cancer Hasn’t Been Evenly Distributed. This Funder’s on the Case
Tackling demographic disparities in outcomes and care has been a big priority for cancer funders lately. Susan G. Komen, a major backer of breast cancer research, care and advocacy, is no exception.
Starting With a Big Boost for Rare Disease Research, This Couple Are Ramping Up Their Giving
Mike and Sofia Segal came to the U.S. in 1978 from Ukraine with $120 and built a fortune in the electric power industry. Now, they’re rolling out a set of big donations, starting with a $17 million gift to fight a rare blood cancer.
Military Experience Is Less Common Today, But These Funders Are Staying True to Veterans
Philanthropy for veterans often stems from personal or family experience, making a decline in the percentage of Americans who’ve served a cause for concern. But these veterans-focused funders bucked that trend in 2023.
A Local Foundation, a Little-Known College, and a Potential HIV and Cancer Breakthrough
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.
Gates Remains Among the Few in Philanthropy to Drive Research for an HIV Vaccine
Philanthropy makes up only a small fraction of spending on research and support for people with HIV, still a major threat around the world. In the push for a vaccine, Gates and Gilead are leading the pack.
After a Tragic Diagnosis, a Former NFL Player and His Wife Rally Support for ALS Research
ALS remains a devastating disease, but research is advancing, thanks in large part to the efforts of those impacted. Eric and Amanda Stevens have turned to the athlete and first responder communities to raise awareness and funds.
Type 1 Diabetes Is an Overlooked Global Threat. This Health Funder Has Made it a Top Priority
Among non-communicable diseases, diabetes has a particularly low profile as a global health concern. The Helmsley Charitable Trust has made it a central focus, including two recent commitments to the WHO.
A New Big Gift Tackles the Problem of Inflammatory and Immune-Mediated Disease
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.
Report Finds Scant Funding for Disability Rights and Social Justice — and Points the Way Forward
A study commissioned by the Disability & Philanthropy Forum is a must-read for funders aiming to drive social justice for disabled people and address complex and overlapping issues of racial, gender and other inequities.
Can AI Help Locate Low-Cost Cancer Treatments? These Funders Want to Find Out
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.
How Effective is Effective Altruism? A Deep Dive Into Two of Open Philanthropy’s EA-Inspired Programs
Effective altruism has had a rough year, but remains a major force within philanthropy. We take a closer look at two of this EA-driven outfit’s programs: farm animal welfare and biosecurity and pandemic preparedness.
Why a Relatively Small Funder Made a Big Donation to Study Neglected Diseases
The $78 million gift from a foundation built by an heir to the du Pont fortune will fuel research and clinical care for children with cancer, sickle cell disease and other life-threatening blood disorders.
These Health Research Funders Are Facing Down the Next Pandemic Threat — Whatever It May Be
The Gates Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation and Open Philanthropy are collaborating under a partnership called Pandemic Antiviral Discovery, funding research to develop treatments that may be needed for future pandemics.
Six Things to Know About This Billionaire Hedge Fund Manager’s Philanthropy
Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller have a $1.9 billion foundation and a reported fortune of $10 billion. Here’s a closer look at how the couple makes big bets for economic mobility, the environment and health.
A Q&A With Stanley Druckenmiller on Priorities, Big Bets and Feeling “Incredibly Privileged”
In this candid conversation, the storied investor and mega-donor discusses what he and his wife Fiona look for in grantees, how much they plan to give away, why they won’t sign the Giving Pledge, and more.
