The Science Philanthropy Alliance announced that Robert Tjian, biochemist at the University of California at Berkeley and former president of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), has joined the Alliance’s team of consultants who provide advice to members and other science philanthropists.

“Tij” was one of the founders of the Alliance, and was on its board of directors until he stepped down from his role at HHMI in August, 2016. He has been very actively involved in advising new philanthropists, including, most recently, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Tjian joins the Alliance’s other distinguished consultants, David Baltimore, Nobelist and president emeritus at Caltech, and Robert Birgeneau, chancellor emeritus at UC Berkeley.

“We are thrilled that Tij has agreed to continue being a resource to our members and advisees. His wise counsel, sound insights, and extensive experience are invaluable to philanthropists interested in giving to science,” said Marc Kastner, president of the Alliance.

The Alliance also announced that two new associate members have joined the Alliance: the Dalio Foundation and the Lyda Hill Foundation.

The Dalio Foundation was founded in 2003 as a family foundation led by Ray and Barbara Dalio, and their four sons. The Foundation giving is intended to support the diverse philanthropic passions of each family member. It supports organizations at all levels of development, from start-ups in need of seed capital to well-established institutions that can bring big and/or novel ideas to fruition.

The Lyda Hill Foundation is a private foundation committed to funding transformational advances in science and nature, empowering nonprofit organizations, and to improving the North Texas and Colorado Springs communities. The organizational ethos of the Lyda Hill Foundation reflects a mix of entrepreneurial vigor and a commitment to balancing profit with purpose.

The Alliance now has 15 members, growing from six at the beginning of 2016.

“It is exciting that more philanthropists are interested in giving to discovery science and in joining our community to share and learn about best practices,” continued Kastner. “Together, our members have more than 200 years of experience of giving to science, and can offer significant support to each other in thinking through the models and mechanisms of science philanthropy.”

 ***