Investing in breakthrough science to build a better world.

As members of the Alliance since 2019, The Brinson Foundation engaged in a multi-year learning process to identify a bold, strategic opportunity that could significantly accelerate scientific discovery in astrophysics and cosmology.

In 2018, newly retired entrepreneur Ross Brown contacted the Science Philanthropy Alliance with an ambitious goal: to dedicate the majority of his fortune—nearly half a billion dollars—to advancing discovery science. Though he was deeply committed to the cause, Brown was new to science philanthropy and, as he candidly put it in his first conversation with Alliance leaders, “didn’t know what the hell [he] was doing”.

In 2024, the Winn Family Foundation engaged the Science Philanthropy Alliance to explore how strategic science philanthropy could accelerate grassland restoration—an underfunded yet vital area of environmental science.

In 2023, the Prebys Foundation turned to the Science Philanthropy Alliance for strategic and operational support in developing a new medical research initiative. The Foundation sought to fund exceptional early- and mid-career researchers in San Diego—particularly those from groups historically underrepresented in biomedical research—whose work had the potential to drive transformative health outcomes.

Before launching one of the most influential science programs of the decade, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative leaned on the Science Philanthropy Alliance for expert advising. The collaboration offers a powerful example of how strategic counsel can shape bold new commitments to basic research.

When Allen Family Philanthropies (formerly the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation) launched a new initiative to support Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) in the Pacific Northwest, it sought to fund innovative, community-driven projects that addressed climate change while benefiting biodiversity and human well-being. To support the initiative’s success, Allen Family Philanthropies partnered with the Science Philanthropy Alliance to implement a rigorous scientific request-for-proposal (RFP) and external review process.