The Lasker Foundation is proud to be a member of the Science Philanthropy Alliance.
The Alliance’s mission is to increase private funding for basic science research by providing advice and learning opportunities for individual philanthropists and foundation staffs on how to support basic research most effectively. It was founded in 2012 by six organizations: the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Kavli Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Research Corporation for Science Advancement. The Lasker Foundation joined as a member in 2016.
Lasker President Dr. Claire Pomeroy serves on the Board of Directors with Robert W. Conn (The Kavli Foundation), Elizabeth Good Christopherson (Rita Allen Foundation), Adam F. Falk (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation), Harvey V. Fineberg (Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation), Deanna Gomby (Heising-Simons Foundation), Daniel Linzer (Research Corporation for Science Advancement), and James Simons (Simons Foundation).
The Science Philanthropy Alliance currently has 29 members.
Projects
The Rita Allen, Lasker, and John Templeton Foundations recently collaborated on a report, Identifying Best Practices for Communications Workforce at Science Philanthropies, that outlined how science philanthropies can amplify their impact through investing more purposefully in communications.
Elizabeth Good Christopherson, President and CEO of the Rita Allen Foundation, Claire Pomeroy, President of the Lasker Foundation, and Heather Templeton Dill, President of the John Templeton Foundation, wrote a joint op-ed in the August 2019 issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy highlighting take-aways from the report for philanthropic leaders.
The report’s recommendations to advance effective communications as part of science philanthropy include:
- Consider communications goals, audiences, and tactics from the beginning of philanthropic initiatives and throughout their implementation.
- Diversify communications teams to provide a wider range of insights and experiences and reach broader audiences.
- Increase shared learning and partnerships, including with science communications trainers and social scientists.
- Prioritize communications-centered professional development to respond to rapidly changing information environments.
