In 2015, the Science Philanthropy Alliance was approached to advise two emerging philanthropists—Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan—as they began designing what would become the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). Eager to make transformative investments in science but new to the field, the couple sought expert guidance to help shape their approach to supporting discovery science.
Marc Kastner, then president of the Science Philanthropy Alliance, played a central role in this engagement. Alongside the Alliance’s science and philanthropic advising teams, Kastner worked closely with the CZI staff to help articulate a vision for their science program. The Alliance advised on potential funding models, supported the development of a scientific advisory board, and provided strategic counsel on how to structure a philanthropy capable of making long-term, meaningful contributions to basic research.
This advisory work built on the Alliance’s early vision for a trusted, impartial advisor to help new philanthropists navigate the complexity of science funding. CZI was one of the Alliance’s earliest and most high-profile advising engagements—and it set a precedent for how the Alliance could support bold, emerging funders.
When CZI publicly launched its science initiative in 2017, it included a landmark commitment to supporting basic research with the goal of curing, preventing, or managing all disease by the end of the century. The Alliance was publicly acknowledged for its role in shaping CZI’s focus on discovery science.
Today, CZI is a leading force in biomedical research, reimagining how science is done at the intersection of AI and biology. Its early partnership with the Science Philanthropy Alliance is a powerful example of how expert advising can help new philanthropists enter the field with clarity, ambition, and a strategy for lasting impact.
Insight