Venture Philanthropy in Biotechnology and Drug Development

1. The Foundation Center publishes a variety of annual reports, including one on giving trends. Here are some you might be interested in.

· Funding Trends and Analysis: http://fdncenter.org/research/trends_analysis/

· Top US Foundations: http://fdncenter.org/research/trends_analysis/top100assets.html

You can order their Foundations Today, 2002 set for $95.00 (see http://fdncenter.org/marketplace/catalog/product_monograph.jhtml?id=prod40004). It includes:

· Foundation Giving Trends: Update on Funding Priorities

· Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: 2001 Preview

· Foundation Yearbook: Facts and Figures on Private and Community Foundations

· Foundation Staffing: Update on Staffing Trends of Private and Community Foundations

· Foundation Reporting: Update on Public Reporting Trends of Private and Community Foundations

1. The June 2001 issue of Biotechnology and Development Monitor was devoted to Public-private research for health. The first article is titled New models for public-private partnerships in drug development. The entire issue is available at http://www.biotech-monitor.nl/index46.htm. [We happen to have two copies of this issue in the library – I can send you the extra one if you prefer to have it in hand.]

In addition, the March 2001 issue Biotechnology and Development Monitor had the following articles:

· The Rockefeller Foundation: http://www.biotech-monitor.nl/4407.htm

· Biotechnology in the Rockefeller Foundation’s new course of action http://www.biotech-monitor.nl/4406.htm

2. A report titled How to Fund Science: The Future of Medical Research is the result of an AAAS workshop held in early 1999. The report’s website is http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/fundscience.htm.

Of special interest:

· Federal Financing for Medical Research through Trust Funds and Entitlements is at: http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/fundscience/papers/meyers.htm

· The Future of Philanthropic Support for Medical/Health Research is at: http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/fundscience/papers/bond.htm

3. Venture Philanthropy Partners (http://venturephilanthropypartners.org/) seems to be the leader in the field. Mario Morino is the oft-quoted founder. Of particular interest is their third annual report on this emerging field: Venture Philanthropy 2002: Advancing Nonprofit Performance Through High-Engagement Grantmaking, which is at http://www.venturephilanthropypartners.org/info-url_nocat2026/info-url_nocat.htm.

4. The Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (http://www.redf.org/) is the philanthropic venture arm of The Roberts Foundation. A list of recommended readings about social enterprise and venture philanthropy is at http://www.redf.org/download/other/readlist.doc. You’ll find a variety of relevant reports at http://www.redf.org/pub_other.htm, such as:

· A Nonprofit Guide to Developing and Implementing An Income Stream Venture

· Going Mainstream: NPOs Accessing the Capital Markets

· When is it Time to Say Goodbye?: Exit Strategies and Venture Philanthropy Funds

· CDFIs and the Private Sector: Sustainable Subsidy through Strategic Philanthropy

5. An article about VP in small technology companies titled Venturing a Bet on Giving: 'Investment' grants are booming, but can they bring real change? from the June 1, 2000 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy is at http://philanthropy.com/free/articles/v12/i16/16000101.htm.

6. Guide to Venture Philanthropy at http://www.VenturePhilanthropyGuide.org is a good introduction and contains a list of links to some VP groups

http://www.charityvillage.com/charityvillage/ires11.html.

7. Assessing Venture Philanthropy (http://pages.prodigy.net/michael_collins/VP/VP.htm) is an older (1997) but comprehensive paper prepared for a Harvard Business School course on "Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector."

8. The Biotechnology Foundation, Inc. (http://home.earthlink.net/~globalme/FOUNDATION/) exists to supports research done at the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories (http://www.jci.tju.edu/bfl/) at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. The Foundation and Laboratories were founded by Hilary Koprowski, M.D., one of the developers of the first oral polio vaccine.

9. The International Brain Research Organization has a list of funding opportunities and funding news at http://www.ibro.org/secondary/funding/index.htm.

10. The Institute for the Study of Aging, Inc. (http://www.aging-institute.org/ ) “is one of the largest private sources of philanthropic funding for drug discovery in cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease in the United States and internationally. We have developed an innovative grant making strategy to enable us to fund drug discovery research in both academia and in industry. The Institute is led by a strong internal scientific team that proactively seeks and assists investigators to develop research projects focused on drug discovery for cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the Institute has an internationally recognized external Scientific Advisory Board which assists the executive director in strategic planning, program evaluation, and review of projects.”

See http://207.237.183.77/vo/isoa/all/grants/ for a list of programs they’ve funded.

11. The Neuroscience Canada Partnership, a national non-profit charitable organization, seeks to promote and advance neuroscience research to bring relief and hope to all Canadians challenged by neurological and psychiatric disorders. See http://www.neurosciencecanada.ca/page.asp.78.html.