About Melanoma Research Foundation
To accelerate medical and scientific research while supporting patients and caregivers through education, advocacy, and prevention efforts to end suffering from melanoma.
Focus Areas
melanoma researchpatient support and educationclinical trials participationprevention and awarenessadvocacy
Who They Fund
people with melanoma and related skin cancersmedical and scientific research community (researchers, labs, institutions)
Funding Style
disease-specific fundingresearch grantmakingtargeted project support
Topics
About Melanoma Research Foundation
The Melanoma Research Foundation centers its grantmaking on melanoma cancer research, and its recent awards show a consistent commitment to funding major research institutions with targeted project support. The largest awards in the available grant list include $300,000 to Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in both 2023 and 2025, each described as support for melanoma cancer research, alongside a $300,000 grant to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2024. That pattern points to a funder supporting established scientific teams rather than broad general operating support. The foundation’s giving is also closely tied to the research pipeline. Its active programs include awards for pilot studies, resident and fellow training, career development, medical student support, established investigators, and young investigators. Recent grants to institutions such as Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, and The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology show that the foundation backs both major cancer centers and academic medical institutions. Across the data provided, the recurring purpose language is direct: to support melanoma cancer research.
What Melanoma Research Foundation Funds
Melanoma cancer research is the core of the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it gave $250,000 to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York for melanoma cancer research, and in the same year awarded $200,000 to the same institution for the same purpose, indicating layered support within the research portfolio. The foundation also funds other scientific institutions working on melanoma. It awarded $250,000 to Schepens Eye Research Institute Inc in Boston, $200,000 to Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, and $100,000 to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, each described as support for melanoma cancer research. Its program list adds another dimension: pilot studies, clinical training, career development, and medical student awards. That structure shows a focus on both research output and the development of the next generation of melanoma researchers.
How Melanoma Research Foundation Gives
Typical grant size sits at $100,000 at the 25th percentile, $149,501 at the median, and $200,000 at the 75th percentile, with some grants reaching $300,000. The recent grant list includes repeated awards to the same institution across multiple years, including Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than one-off support. The foundation appears to be a private research grantmaker; it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including BC Pilot, Resident/Fellow Award, Career Development Award, Other, SMR Christopher J. Marshall Award, MRF Endowed Merit Award (ASCO), Established Investigator Award, and SMR Young Investigator Award.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.6M
Total Assets
$8.3M
Total Revenue
$7.4M
Total Expenses
$6.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $100K and $200K, with a median of $150K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$150K
75th Percentile
$200K
Geographic Reach
National14 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
KYLEIGH LIPIRA
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