September 19, 2023 Why This Texas Billionaire Is Giving Big for Biodiversity Science in the Lone Star State September 19, 2023/ Paul Karon Low-key philanthropist Stephen Winn, a Dallas-based investor and tech businessman, and his family have committed $50 million to help the University of Texas at Austin sharply expand ecology and climate research in the state.Read More
September 13, 2023 As It Shifts Strategies, the Kavli Foundation’s Zeroing in on How Climate Change Affects the Brain September 13, 2023/ Paul Karon Continuing its strategic shift, the veteran science funder has launched another new program. The aim is to address an underappreciated aspect of climate change: how it affects the neural systems of humans and animals.Read More
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
August 25, 2023 Gates Remains Among the Few in Philanthropy to Drive Research for an HIV Vaccine August 25, 2023/ Paul Karon 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.Read More
August 11, 2023 AI for the Planet: How One of the World's Biggest Tech Firms Is Backing AI-Powered Climate Science August 11, 2023/ Paul Karon Google.org is putting artificial intelligence at the center of its current efforts to foster innovation in climate research. It’s something of a return to form for a corporate funder that previously focused heavily on COVID response.Read More
August 03, 2023 Big Changes Underway at Kavli, Starting With a Program to Aid Scholars Escaping Global Strife August 03, 2023/ Paul Karon For decades, the bulk of the Kavli Foundation's funding went to establishing scientific institutes with multimillion-dollar endowments. Now, a new president is reshaping the science funder's strategy.Read More
August 01, 2023 A Big Gift to UC San Diego is the Latest Philanthropic Push to Better Understand Psychedelics August 01, 2023/ Paul Karon Psychedelics show great promise in a range of medical therapies, but legal constraints and stigma have kept public funding minimal. As a result, philanthropy remains crucial to advancing research. Here’s the latest gift. Read More
July 26, 2023 AI Is Suddenly Everywhere, but Philanthropy Has Been Involved for Years. Here Are the Top Funders July 26, 2023/ Paul Karon Artificial intelligence is on everyone’s mind now, but philanthropy has been boosting research or bracing for its implications for some time. Here are the major funders involved in the field.Read More
June 29, 2023 A Philanthropic Push to Diversify the Ranks of Researchers in Economics and Other Social Sciences June 29, 2023/ Paul Karon The Russell Sage Foundation's Pipeline Grants Competition, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, promotes the careers of diverse academics who study economic opportunity, equality and social mobility.Read More
June 26, 2023 This Megadonor Couple’s Latest Gift to a Favored University Follows Past Criticism June 26, 2023/ Paul Karon Henry and Susan Samueli are continuing their tradition of big giving to UC Irvine. But their support for the school hasn’t always been free of controversy, highlighting concerns over megadonor influence in higher ed.Read More
June 20, 2023 The Schmidt Ocean Institute Cracks the Champagne on One of the World's Largest Research Vessels June 20, 2023/ Paul Karon Eric and Wendy Schmidt’s ocean science outfit has been helping scientists study the sea since 2009. The organization recently launched an advanced new science vessel, and it's free to scientists.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
June 02, 2023 Jim and Marilyn Simons Just Doubled a Public University's Endowment. More Mega Gifts to Come? June 02, 2023/ Paul Karon The megadonor couple just committed $500 million to Stony Brook University in New York. Is this a sign of more huge gifts down the road? And can other states learn from New York’s higher ed endowment matching program?Read More
June 01, 2023 A Tale of Two Georgias: One Healthcare Funder's Roadmap for Rural Health Equity June 01, 2023/ Paul Karon In 2017, the Healthcare Georgia Foundation launched an initiative to improve health and economic opportunity for residents of the state's underserved rural areas. Here's how it went, and what other funders can learn. Read More
May 15, 2023 This Under-the-Radar Foundation Backs Medical Research. But There’s a Dark Side to Its Story May 15, 2023/ Paul Karon The Larry L. Hillblom Foundation funds research to cure diabetes and the degenerative diseases of aging. It was founded after the death of its eponymous original donor, about whom disturbing revelations emerged.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
May 04, 2023 This Oceans Funder Has Been Protecting Sharks and Rays for 20 Years. Now It’s Expanding the Fight May 04, 2023/ Paul Karon The Save Our Seas Foundation is celebrating two decades of funding marine conservation and raising awareness of the growing threats to sharks, rays and ocean ecosystems. Here’s closer look at its work and a new program.Read More
April 26, 2023 Report Finds Scant Funding for Disability Rights and Social Justice — and Points the Way Forward April 26, 2023/ Paul Karon 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.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 11, 2023 Sharks Are in Trouble. This Funder Collaborative Is Working to Protect the Oceans' Apex Predators April 11, 2023/ Paul Karon The global fishing industry is pushing many shark species to extinction. The Shark Conservation Fund is pooling money and aligning efforts to protect them — and their increasingly fragile ocean ecosystems.Read More