Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Targets Lead Poisoning in the First of Its New “Big Bets”
The consultancy and philanthrosphere stalwart has a new program of collaborative big bets in the works. Its first tackles a global problem that's benefiting fro... Read more.
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 Hop... Read more.
Basic Data, Big Impact: Why Bloomberg’s Doubling Down on Tracking Global Births and Deaths
With additional backing from Gates, Bloomberg Philanthropies is pumping more money into its decade-long project to help low- and middle-income countries collect... Read more.
Another Major Science Funder Dives into How Climate Change Affects Animal Brains
The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group’s newest Allen Discovery Center, based at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will research how climate change is impac... Read more.
Why a Top Science Funder Is Centering AI in Its Support for Biology and Life Sciences Research
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has committed $500 million over the next decade for AI-driven biomedical research. Amid broader AI fears, HHMI sees this as ... Read more.
Will Bloomberg’s Big HBCU Gift Spur Other Donors to Narrow the Racial Wealth Gap in Higher Ed?
Bloomberg Philanthropies' $600 million commitment more than doubles the endowments of three of the nation's four historically Black medical schools. Is a paradi... Read more.
This $50 Million Funding Challenge Seeks Solutions for a Resilient and Sustainable Gulf Coast
The Gulf Futures Challenge — launched by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine through Lever for Change — aims to help the Gulf regio... Read more.
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, incl... Read more.
How One Foundation Aims to Get Ahead of the Curve on Utilizing AI — and Avoid Its Pitfalls
The Annenberg Foundation has brought in expert help to better understand how AI can be integrated into its operations in a deliberate and mission-oriented way.... Read more.
Why Three Top Science Philanthropies Think Open Source Software’s a Good Investment
The Kavli Foundation and Wellcome Trust have joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to support the development of open source software tools — often the unsung... Read more.
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. Spearhe... Read more.
How a New Philanthropy Advisory Firm Aims to Drive Science and Tech Innovation
With initial backing from Eric and Wendy Schmidt, Renaissance Philanthropy wants to engage donors around ambitious ideas in science and tech, building out a new... Read more.
Neuroscience Funders Are Moving in Unexpected Directions: Three Boundary-Pushing Initiatives
As the field advances at a quick clip, the Dana Foundation, Kavli Foundation and the late Paul Allen’s philanthropic vehicles are all pursuing ways to push ne... Read 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... Read more.
AI Is Here, for Better and for Worse. This Tech Funder Doesn’t Want to Leave It to the Marketplace
Vilas Dhar, president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, is a technology optimist. But he believes philanthropy must support human-centered AI applications ... Read more.
Jim Simons Gave Billions for Basic Science in an Era of Short-Term Thinking
The mathematician-turned-hedge fund mogul was a pivotal figure in science giving, backing long-term breakthroughs along with his wife Marilyn. Through his child... Read more.
A Longtime Neuroscience Funder Pivots to Giving the Public a Voice in Research
The Dana Foundation has been a key backer of neuroscience research for four decades. But as the field increasingly impacts broader society, the foundation wants... Read more.
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 ... Read more.
Many Mental Health Issues Start in Early Childhood. This Funder Aims to Help the Youngest Patients
Morgan Stanley has made childhood mental health a signature focus of its charitable giving. A new $20 million commitment, along with a new category of partnersh... Read more.
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 ... Read more.
A Huge Gift to Cut Medical School Tuition Looks to Make a Dent in a Deep Systemic Problem
Crushing medical school debt has been contributing to a shortage of physicians and steering doctors away from needed but lower-paid specialties. A $1 billion gi... Read more.
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... Read more.
This Higher Ed Funder Recognized the Growing Crisis of Student Mental Health Over Ten Years Ago
The Duke Endowment started working with four colleges back in 2013 to support students’ emotional wellbeing. With mental health concerns on the rise among you... Read more.
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... Read more.
How CZI’s Tech Team Builds New Tools to Unlock Advances in Biomedical Research
One unique feature of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is that it not only funds biomedical research, it employs a team of specialists to build new technology tha... Read more.
Can Philanthropy and Government Work Together to Drive Socially Responsible Tech?
Five philanthropies are partnering with the National Science Foundation to advance the field of public interest technology — hopefully spurring the idea that ... Read more.
How Two Bioscience Funding Giants are Partnering to Advance Synthetic Biology Research
The Allen Institute and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative teamed up with the University of Washington to pioneer a new generation of research tools with the ability to... Read more.
The Biggest XPRIZE Yet Seeks Therapies that Roll Back the Depredations of Aging
XPRIZE Foundation, the organization known for multimillion-dollar competitions to solve global problems, has announced its biggest purse ever — $101 million t... Read more.
A Major Bequest Finally Puts the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence on Solid Financial Ground
The SETI Institute has been looking for extraterrestrial life for 40 years, often with limited support. Now, a $200 million bequest from Qualcomm cofounder Fran... Read more.
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 i... Read more.
