Iacocca Family Foundation

About Iacocca Family Foundation

A $500,000 restricted grant to Massachusetts General Hospital for neuroscience and diabetes units sits near the center of the Iacocca Family Foundation’s recent giving, alongside another $500,000 award to Hoag Hospital Foundation for the same purpose. Those large health-system gifts point to a funder that backs hospital-based medical research, especially work tied to diabetes and behavioral health. The foundation also appears to sustain specific research programs over time: Massachusetts General Hospital received repeated support for the Ellen Braaten learning and emotional assessment program, and Hoag Hospital Foundation received multiple grants for its LEAP/LOGIC research initiatives. Beyond institutional research, the foundation funds scholarships and smaller community-oriented gifts. Lehigh University and Lehigh University Global Village received scholarship support for African and Italian villagers, while Nativity Preparatory School, Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, and University of California, Irvine each appear in recent awards. The portfolio also includes unrestricted gifts and donor-advised fund grants, showing a mix of direct program support and flexible giving channels. Overall, the foundation’s pattern is shaped by a small set of recurring health and education relationships rather than a wide scatter of one-time awards.

What Iacocca Family Foundation Funds

In neuroscience and diabetes research, the foundation gave $500,000 to Massachusetts General Hospital for restricted neuroscience and diabetes units, and $364,787 to Hoag Hospital Foundation for the LEAP/LOGIC research project. A separate $250,000 award to Massachusetts General Hospital supported the Cetrulo Research Fund for Dr. Curtis L. Certrulo. In learning and emotional assessment, Massachusetts General Hospital received $357,870 in 2024 and $347,260 in 2023 for the Ellen Braaten learning and emotional assessment program. The repeated awards suggest ongoing support for pediatric and adolescent behavioral assessment work. The foundation also backs scholarships and student support. Lehigh University Global Village received $45,000 for scholarships for 4 African villagers, while Lehigh University received $37,500 for scholarships for 5 Italian villagers. Smaller grants also reached Nativity Preparatory School and Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.

How Iacocca Family Foundation Gives