Innovation Fund

The UW Carbone Cancer Center Innovation Fund and Venture Philanthropy Program represents a unique partnership between the UW Carbone Cancer Center and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) providing a novel investment vehicle for leaders to direct key seed funding in promising new ideas, expand research capabilities, support faculty recruitment, and advance the development of innovative products and approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer.

With an initial goal to raise $20 million in charitable support in its first phase, the UW Carbone Innovation Fund is a key driver of UW Carbone’s strategic plan and will provide seed funding for mission-critical projects that advance the most promising new ideas, enhance resources available to researchers, and respond to innovative and emerging needs. This opportunity also provides early access to participate in the ownership of any startup biotechnology companies supported by our partner WARF Ventures to further develop and commercialize technologies arising out of UW Carbone’s research.

Donors to this discretionary fund are true partners in the transformative work being done at the UW Carbone Cancer Center.  Innovation Fund members receive bi-annual impact reports, early notification of groundbreaking research, invitations to exclusive events in Madison and around the country, and a sense of community among the cancer center’s most generous and visionary friends. As of December 31, 2023, the Innovation Fund consists of 44 members, with a total of $14,855,175 in investments.

To access the UW Carbone Innovation Fund member only website, please Click Here!

Resources:

Innovation Fund Cover Letter

UW Carbone Innovation Fund 3.0

To learn more about our priority funds within the Carbone Venture Philanthropy Program, click this link:

UW Carbone Cancer Center – Campaign for the Future

UW Carbone Priority Giving Brochure

Members as of December 31, 2023

William and Signe Buchholz, Founding Members*

Rich and Sue Clack*

David and Lois Fritz*

Greg and Michelle Gard, Garding Against Cancer*

Melita Grunow*

Lemon Brothers*

Andy and Susan North, Andy North and Friends Initiative*

 Ty and Sherrie Trbovich, The Feature*

The Aly Wolff Foundation*

Anonymous

Norm and Barbara Berven

Brad and Madonna Binkowski

Ernest and Louise Borden

Gertrude Deinlein

Roger and Gloria DeMeritt

Walter and Londa Dewey

George A. Fait Family 2001 Irrevocable Trust

Tom and Karen Falk

Susan Nicholas Fasciano Family Foundation

John and Jeanne Flesch

Gialamas Family

Christian and Carol Rosenstock, Gunning for Hope

Forrest Hartmann

Mark and Bonnie Huetten

Dan and Lena Kelly

Donald and JoAnne Krause

John and Kimberly Leja

Dave and Kris Lenz Family

Irving and Dorothy Levy Family Foundation, Inc.

Michael and Meghan Morrissey

Todd and Shari Nelson

Estate of Eldrid T. Olson in honor of Stephen Michael Olson

Ann Palmenberg

Margaret and Tom Pyle, The Pyle Foundation

Fred Robertson and Sheryl Blair

Peter and Colleen Schmitz

John and Mary Schroeder

Ron Skoronski

Sam Soffa

Linda and John Hughes and Anne and Tim Connor, Malcolm Stack Foundation

Chuck and Denise Steinhauer

Mary K. Strachota

John and Patricia Zimbrick

 

*Denotes members of the Director’s Circle

Interested in learning more?

To learn more about advancing innovative cancer research and treatment at the UW Carbone through a gift to the UW Carbone Innovation Fund or to request a current UW Carbone Innovation Fund quarterly impact report, please contact: Valerie Zibell |Valerie.Zibell@SupportUW.org| (608) 234-0627