The Martha P M Mack Foundation concentrates its giving on health care and biomedical research in the San Diego region, alongside substantial support for local higher education institutions. Grants are large, often unrestricted or for general operating support, and directed repeatedly to a small set of prominent hospitals, research institutes, and universities. Though based in New Jersey, the foundation’s activity is geographically focused and mission-driven toward medical discovery and university programs.
Concentrated, high-value grants to a small number of repeat grantees; favors large unrestricted/general operating support and multi-year or multiple gifts to institutions in one geographic area (San Diego).
A defining feature of Martha P Mack Foundation’s recent giving is the repeated use of large, often operating-support grants to a small circle of San Diego-area health and research institutions. The foundation gave $600,000 to Scripps Health in 2024 for general operating support, then followed with $500,000 to Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in 2025 and another $500,000 to Scripps Health Foundation in 2025 for support of daily operations. That pattern points to a funder that backs core institutional capacity rather than short-term projects. The foundation’s grantmaking also reaches university partners in the same region, including UC San Diego Foundation, University of San Diego, and the Regents of the University of California. Those awards sit alongside support for biomedical discovery organizations such as Salk Institute for Biological Studies and The Scripps Research Institute. A smaller number of grants extend beyond the core San Diego concentration, including support for The Salvation Army in Rancho Palos Verdes and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Across the recent record, the foundation appears to favor a concentrated portfolio of established institutions and to give at levels that are substantial relative to the organizations it supports.
Health care and patient services are central to the foundation’s recent grants. In 2024, it gave $600,000 to Scripps Health for general operating support, and in 2025 it awarded $100,000 to Sharp Healthcare Foundation for support of daily operations. Those grants suggest sustained backing for hospital systems and the services they deliver. Biomedical research is another clear theme. The foundation gave $500,000 to Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in 2025 for support of daily operations, after a $200,000 general operating grant in 2024. It also provided $100,000 to Salk Institute for Biological Studies in 2025 for support of daily operations and $5,000 to La Jolla Institute of Immunology in 2025 for support of daily operations. Higher education appears in the portfolio as well. Recent awards include $405,000 to UC San Diego Foundation in 2025 for support of daily operations and $250,000 to University of San Diego in 2024 for general operating support.
Martha P Mack Foundation’s typical grant size sits at $100,000 at the 25th percentile, median, and $175,000 at the 75th percentile, with several awards far above that range. The recent record shows repeated support to the same institutions across multiple years, especially in San Diego. Grants are commonly described as general operating support or support of daily operations, indicating a preference for unrestricted or core-budget funding. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, funds individuals: false, and makes program-related investments: false.
$3.4M
$23.1M
$6.2M
$1.9M
Most grants fall between $100K and $175K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$175K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Notable grantees: Scripps Health / Scripps Health Foundation, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, UC San Diego Foundation, University of San Diego
Grantmaking is highly concentrated in California, which is also the top state by grant count. Recent awards land mostly in San Diego and La Jolla, with additional grants in Rancho Palos Verdes. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based: 19 grants, or 100%. Outside California, the recent record includes Dallas, Texas, through Southern Methodist University.
The recent grants center on hospitals, biomedical research institutes, and universities. Examples include Scripps Health, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, UC San Diego Foundation, University of San Diego, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and The Scripps Research Institute.
Its grant-size profile is centered on $100,000 awards: the 25th percentile is $100,000, the median is $100,000, and the 75th percentile is $175,000. Recent grants also include larger awards such as $600,000, $500,000, and $405,000.
Yes. The recent record shows repeat support to several organizations across multiple years, including Scripps Health, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, UC San Diego Foundation, and Southern Methodist University.
Its giving is most concentrated in California, which is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include San Diego, La Jolla, Rancho Palos Verdes, and Dallas, with all recorded grants going to U.S. recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE | LA JOLLA, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| SCRIPPS HEALTH FOUNDATION | LA JOLLA, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION | LA JOLLA, CA | $405,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE | LA JOLLA, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES | LA JOLLA, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| SHARP HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| LA JOLLA INSTITUTE OF IMMUNOLOGY | LA JOLLA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY |
| SCRIPPS HEALTH | SAN DIEGO, CA | $600,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY | LA JOLLA, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| U C SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION | LA JOLLA, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE SALVATION ARMY VENTURA RESIDENCES IN | RCH PALOS VRD, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES | LA JOLLA, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | LA JOLLA, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY | LA JOLLA, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SUPPORT THE ENLISTED PROJECT INC | SAN DIEGO, CA | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX | $26,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE
$500,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
SCRIPPS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$500,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION
$405,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
$100,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
$100,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
SHARP HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
$100,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
THE SALVATION ARMY
$50,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
$25,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
LA JOLLA INSTITUTE OF IMMUNOLOGY
$5,000FOR SUPPORT OF DAILY
SCRIPPS HEALTH
$600,000GENERAL OPERATING
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO
$250,000GENERAL OPERATING
SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY
$200,000GENERAL OPERATING
U C SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING
THE SALVATION ARMY VENTURA RESIDENCES IN
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING
SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING
SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING
SUPPORT THE ENLISTED PROJECT INC
$30,000GENERAL OPERATING
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
$26,000GENERAL OPERATING