Private Foundation Grants Patricia Gregory, Ph.D., Senior Director Jeffrey J. Sich, Ph.D., Sr. Associate Director Catherine Reitz, Program Coordinator Corporate and Foundation Relations Medical Alumni and Development Programs

n How foundations work n How to find funding sources –and make sure they are the right ones for you n How we can help you n A few words about gifts from individual donors Major Topics

What is a Private Foundation? n Usually set up by wealthy business people n Decision makers often are not scientists n Different types of foundations –Independent –Family –Community n Public Charities –American Cancer Society, Amer. Heart Assn.

Examples of Private Funders n Howard Hughes Medical Institute n Arnold and Mabel Beckman Fdn n Elsa U. Pardee Foundation n Doris Duke Charitable Foundation n Steven and Michele Kirsch Fdn n Retirement Research Foundation n Greater St. Louis Health Fdn n Missouri Foundation for Health n Charles A. Dana Foundation n Burroughs Wellcome Fund n McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience n Merck Genome Research Institute n Ellison Medical Foundation n Robert Wood Johnson Fdn n Brookdale Foundation n Concern Foundation n CaP Cure n Sidney Kimmel Foundation n Susan G. Komen Foundation n Rockefeller Brothers Fund n Deaconess Foundation n John Merck Fund n William T. Grant Foundation n John A. Hartford Foundation n Whitehall Foundation

How a Foundation Makes Grants n Driven by the interests of the founder n Looks for investment opportunity n Priorities often in lay language Cancer, public policy, scholarships, social services Can’t search by specific research areas like cell signaling, growth factors, ion channels, apoptosis n Some use peer review, like NIH –Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pew and Searle Scholars, etc.

Kinds of Projects Foundations Prefer to Fund n Start-up funding for new investigators n Projects that Washington University is uniquely qualified to undertake n Projects that push current technological limits n Too risky for federal funding but don’t submit rejected NIH renewal proposals

How Development Can Help You Refine a list of Foundation Funding Sources n Refine a database search –Retrievals from SPIN, Community of Science, Foundation Center, often too large to pore through n Most foundations are too small n Most have no staff n Geographic restrictions n Family foundation, not a “funding agency” n May only accept one proposal from WU

Deadline for Internal Competition StatusProgram Amount 01/23/2002CLOSEDMary Kay Ash FoundationMary Kay Ash Foundation Grants for Translational Research in CancerGrants for Translational Research in Cancer$100,000 over two years 01/24/2002OPENPfizer Postdoctoral Fellowship ProgramPfizer Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Infectious Diseasesin Infectious Diseases$65,000 per year for three years 01/31/2002OPENLouis and Artur Lucian Award$50,000(CAN)Louis and Artur Lucian Award 02/01/2002OPENClinical Investigator Award$200,000 per year for five yearsClinical Investigator Award 02/12/2002SELECTION Kirsch Investigator Program$100,000 per year for two yearsKirsch Investigator Program PENDING 02/15/2002OPENEllison New Scholar Award in Aging$50,000 per year for up to four yearsEllison New Scholar Award in Aging 02/15/2002CLOSEDEllison New Scholar/Global Infectious Dis$50,000 per year for four yearsEllison New Scholar/Global Infectious Dis 02/21/2002OPENShared Instrumentation Grant$100,000 to $500,000Shared Instrumentation Grant 03/13/2002OPENCBWF Career Awards at Scientific Interface$500,000 over five yearsCBWF Career Awards at Scientific Interface 03/15/2002OPENThe ARA Program: A Focus on the Science$50,000 per year for up to two yearsThe ARA Program: A Focus on the Science 03/18/2002OPENPackard Fellowship/Science 7 Engineering$125,000 per year for five yearsPackard Fellowship/Science 7 Engineering If no internal nominations are received by the internal deadline, the competition remains open until all positions are filled with eligible candidates.

“I have made this letter longer than usual, because I lack the time to make it short.” Blaise Pascal

Strong Letters of Inquiry n Short, concise, clear n Say it up front: “We’re looking for funding” n Briefly describe the project n Describe why it fits this foundation n No references, minimal attachments

The Importance of Working with Development n Save time, focus on the right funders n Long-term relationships with foundations n Institutional spokesperson n “Clearance” protects the foundation from unwanted multiple funding requests –Also keeps WU informed of faculty approaches n Good stewardship: Very important!

Mismatched: University Needs and Foundation Interests n Foundations have become proactive –Interests are precisely defined n Most foundations look for small, short-term projects with immediate impact n Only 4% of money to science and technology n Competition with community organizations –Urgent needs—food banks, health care for the needy –This is especially true of local foundations

Local Foundations n Proximity allows closer relationship n Multiple institutional contacts –WU Alumni serve on boards –Interests in multiple WU schools n Site visits more common n But there are only five in St. Louis that support scientific research –And only two accept proposals from faculty

Summary n Institutional history is important n Save time by calling us early in the process n Foundations are a good source for new faculty awards n Local foundations: Call us first n Good stewardship is essential

Help with Private Foundation Grants for Washington University faculty Patricia Gregory, Ph.D., Senior Director Jeffrey J. Sich, Ph.D., Sr. Associate Director Catherine Reitz, Program Coordinator