The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

What The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research does

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is a private nonprofit philanthropic organization established in 2017 and headquartered at 1350 6th Avenue, New York. It partners with scientists and institutions to accelerate cancer research through a structured portfolio of competitive grant programs spanning the research pipeline—from proof-of-concept funding via ASPIRE Awards, to academic drug discovery (Drug Discovery Awards), early-career investigator support (Emerging Leader Awards and Fellowships), team-science collaborations (Endeavor Awards and Centers), and early detection research (Early Detection Awards). Since inception, the foundation has awarded over 300 grants totaling more than $300 million to investigators at 110+ institutions across 18 countries. Leadership comprises CEO Ryan Schoenfeld and Executive Chairman Raymond N. DuBois, supported by a board of directors and advisory committees.

The foundation does not develop proprietary technology or commercial products; its core offerings are grant programs funded by philanthropic donations and investment returns on its endowment. Its go-to-market is event-driven and relationship-based: the foundation reaches researchers through its website, newsletters, social media, an annual Scientific Symposium in New York, and the annual "Collaborating for a Cure" fundraiser. Distribution of capital occurs through direct, competitive grant applications administered in-house with a lean team of 11-50 employees. In April 2026, the foundation completed a merger with the 48-year-old Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, establishing the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer as a wholly owned subsidiary that will commit $15 million over three years to research at the intersection of aging biology and cancer—a thesis grounded in the fact that nearly 60% of cancers occur in people over 65.

The foundation serves three primary customer segments: cancer researchers and scientists (individuals), academic research institutions, and early-career oncology investigators. It operates within a competitive nonprofit cancer funding landscape alongside the American Cancer Society, Cancer Research Institute, Lustgarten Foundation, AACR, and Cancer Research UK, and increasingly differentiates itself through (i) willingness to fund high-risk, high-reward projects, (ii) coverage of the full pipeline from concept to clinic, (iii) emphasis on team science and international collaboration, and (iv) post-merger specialization in the aging-cancer intersection.

Name

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Legal name

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research US Ltd

Website

https://TheMarkFoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is a private nonprofit philanthropic organization that funds cancer research through competitive grants, having awarded $300+ million across 300+ awards to researchers at 110+ institutions in 18 countries since 2017, with a new aging-cancer subsidiary formed via its 2026 Waxman merger.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Cancer research grants
• Oncology research funding
• Philanthropic research grants
• Biomedical research funding
• Cancer research foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic funding and grants: The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is a charitable organization that funds cancer research through philanthropic donations and grant programs. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue but rather distributes funds to researchers and institutions advancing cancer science. Revenue consists of donations and investment returns on endowment, which are then allocated through various grant programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is a nonprofit foundation established in 2017 that funds cancer research by awarding grants to academic researchers and institutions. It has awarded over $300 million in grants to more than 110 institutions across 18 countries. The foundation completed a merger with the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation in April 2026.

Product overview

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is a philanthropic organization that provides grant funding for cancer research through multiple award programs. Their portfolio includes proof-of-concept funding (ASPIRE Award), academic drug discovery support (Drug Discovery Award), early-career investigator support (Emerging Leader Award, Fellowships), team-based research collaborations (Endeavor Award, Centers), and early detection research (Early Detection Award). Following the 2026 merger with Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, the organization now also operates the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer as a subsidiary, focusing on the intersection of aging biology and cancer research. The organization has awarded over 300 grants totaling more than $300 million across 110+ institutions in 18 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cancer Research Grants Competitive research grants awarded by the foundation to academic researchers and institutions conducting cancer research projects worldwide. The foundation has awarded more than $300 million in grants to over 110 institutions across 18 countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 60 percent of cancers occur in people over 65, with cases projected to nearly double by 2050 as populations age

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Samuel Waxman Cancer Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Completed merger with Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation in April 2026, establishing the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer as a subsidiary operating under The Mark Foundation. The merger builds on a partnership initiated in 2022 that included $4 million in collaborative grants. SWCRF brings 48-year history of distributing over $120 million to more than 200 scientists globally.
• American Cancer SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Partnership with American Cancer Society and Cancer Research Institute for $2.5 million in funding to support five collaborative research grants at intersection of aging biology and cancer, administered through the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer.
• Cancer Research InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Partnership with American Cancer Society and Cancer Research Institute for $2.5 million in funding to support five collaborative research grants at intersection of aging biology and cancer, administered through the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer.
• Sinai Health Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Awarded over $3 million (USD) to international team led by Dr. Daniel Schramek to study genetic drivers of glioblastoma using new functional genomics tools. Additional $250,000 provided to explore metabolic targeting strategies for low-grade glioma.
• The Sontag FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Combined $4 million grant with Sontag Foundation to fund research on glioblastoma (GBM), a lethal brain cancer. Coalition of philanthropic organizations supporting collaborative projects aiming to develop new therapies.
• AACR (American Association for Cancer Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Lead partner in coalition of nonprofit cancer research organizations investing $12 million across six collaborative research projects focused on early detection of pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal cancers.
• Lustgarten FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Coalition partner in $12 million initiative for early detection research targeting pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal cancers - cancers that often grow silently with persistently poor long-term survival rates.
• Break Through CancercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Coalition partner in $12 million initiative for early detection research targeting pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal cancers.
• Tina's WishcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Coalition partner in $12 million initiative for early detection research targeting pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal cancers.
• Cancer Research UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the Cancer Grand Challenges NexTGen team conducting the largest international clinical trial testing CAR T-cell immunotherapy in children and young people with solid tumors. Trial enrolled first patients in US and UK.
• National Cancer InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the Cancer Grand Challenges NexTGen team international clinical trial for CAR T-cell therapy in pediatric solid tumors. Trial spans sites in US and UK.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: One of the largest voluntary health organizations in the US, funding cancer research across the translational pipeline plus patient support and advocacy. Comparable because Mark Foundation co-funds with ACS on the Aging & Cancer initiative and competes for grantees.
• National Cancer Institute: Largest funder of cancer research globally, supporting investigator-initiated R01 grants, cancer centers, and clinical trials through federal appropriations. Comparable as the dominant incumbent whose funding gaps Mark Foundation explicitly fills; co-funder on Cancer Grand Challenges NexTGen trial.

Direct peers

• Cancer Research UK: The largest cancer research charity in the UK, funding investigator-initiated research, clinical trials, and infrastructure globally. Direct peer because Mark Foundation co-funds the Cancer Grand Challenges NexTGen team alongside CRUK and NCI.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: US-based nonprofit grantmaking foundation funding cancer research with a similar high-impact, investigator-initiated model. Comparable as both organizations award multi-million-dollar grants to academic cancer researchers across translational stages.
• Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation: Major US cancer research foundation focused on funding high-risk early-career investigators and innovative research. Comparable as both organizations focus on early-career support (Emerging Leader Awards parallel Damon Runyon fellowships) and innovative high-risk science.
• Stand Up To Cancer: Charitable program funding collaborative team-based cancer research across institutions, with Dream Teams and Translational Research Grants. Comparable as both organizations emphasize team science and multi-institutional collaborations (Endeavor Awards parallel SU2C team models).
• Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic cancer research foundation funding collaborative research programs. Direct peer because Mark Foundation co-leads the $12M Early Detection Coalition with Lustgarten targeting pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal cancers.
• Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation: Disease-specific cancer research and patient support foundation. Comparable as a major cancer-specific nonprofit grantmaker that awards research grants and competes for the same investigator pool in breast cancer research.
• Break Through Cancer: Foundation funding collaborative, team-based cancer research with a focus on difficult-to-treat cancers. Comparable as a peer in the coalition-led $12M Early Detection Coalition and as a fellow funder of multi-institutional team science.
• Prevent Cancer Foundation: US nonprofit funding cancer prevention and early detection research through grants and fellowships. Comparable because both organizations specifically fund early detection research (Early Detection Award overlaps with Prevent Cancer's research grants) in cancer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/themarkfdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/The-Mark-Foundation-for-Cancer-Research-1551414671599374
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/themarkfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/themarkfdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A1 record

Investments13 records

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Frequently asked questions about The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research