About Cure Starts Now
The Cure Starts Now is a grassroots foundation dedicated to finding the "Homerun Cure" for cancer by focusing funding and research on the most aggressive, treatment-resistant cancers—particularly pediatric brain cancers (DIPG/DMG and medulloblastoma)—with the goal of eliminating cancer entirely.
Focus Areas
Pediatric brain cancerDiffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG)MedulloblastomaTranslational and clinical researchFamily support services and warrior programGlobal research collaboration and registries
Who They Fund
children with DIPG (pediatric brainstem tumor patients)pediatric medulloblastoma patients with leptomeningeal diseaseacademic medical researchers and clinician-scientists specializing in neuro-oncology
About Cure Starts Now
The Cure Starts Now Inc concentrates on finding a “Homerun Cure” for the hardest-to-treat childhood cancers, especially DIPG, DMG, medulloblastoma, and related pediatric brain tumors. The recent record shows a research-first funder using grants to move lab findings toward clinical use, with awards reaching $300,000 and multiple $100,000 and $200,000 projects. A large share of its recent grantmaking supports clinician-scientists working on brain tumor biology, immunotherapy, liquid biopsy diagnostics, and tumor microenvironment research. One of the clearest signals in the portfolio is repeated support for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where the foundation backed medical research in 2023 and 2025 and also funded Dr. Biplab Dasgupta’s work on novel DIPG targets. Another recurring recipient is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which received support for CSF cell-free tumor DNA liquid biopsies. The foundation also funded Children’s National Medical Center for Dr. Gene Hwang’s medical research, along with projects at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the University of Chicago Medical Center, and the University of Texas health system. The overall pattern is consistent with investigator-led, disease-specific research aimed at aggressive pediatric brain cancers.
What Cure Starts Now Funds
A central thread in the portfolio is DIPG and DMG research. The foundation gave $200,000 in 2024 to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for Dr. Lu’s project, “Targeting DIPG with innovative T-cell immunotherapy,” and another $93,250 in 2025 to the same institution for Dr. Biplab Dasgupta’s work on novel DIPG targets. Another major theme is translational tool-building for pediatric brain tumors. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center received $100,000 in 2024 for CSF cell-free tumor DNA liquid biopsies, pointing to interest in diagnostics that can support monitoring and research. The portfolio also includes projects that probe tumor biology and resistance mechanisms. The University of Chicago Medical Center received $100,000 in 2024 for Dr. Eric Thompson’s work on ABL1 and ABL2 in medulloblastoma leptomeningeal dissemination, and Children’s Hospital Colorado received $100,000 in 2024 for Dr. Nathan Dahl’s work on MYC-driven circuitry in medulloblastoma.
How Cure Starts Now Gives
Typical grants cluster at the high end of research funding: the p25 is $50,000, the median is $100,000, and the p75 is $100,000. Recent awards also include $200,000 and $300,000 projects, alongside smaller $25,000 grants for consortium support. The pattern suggests a mix of targeted project funding and repeated support for a few research partners over multiple years, rather than a one-time-only approach. The foundation operates as a grantmaker rather than an operating charity, and it accepts unsolicited applications in several of its research programs, including collaborative and annual grant cycles.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.4M
Total Assets
$4.3M
Total Revenue
$5.7M
Total Expenses
$8.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $50K and $100K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$100K
Geographic Reach
National16 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
BROOKE DESSERICH
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