Michelson Philanthropies
Making Life Less Unfair
As a network of private operating foundations, Michelson Philanthropies creates transformative opportunities, makes positive impact investments, and fosters strategic partnerships supporting vulnerable or underserved communities. Reflecting the passions and interests of Dr. Gary K. Michelson and his wife, Alya Michelson, Michelson Philanthropies focuses on medical research, animal welfare, education, and the principles of intellectual property.
What We Do
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Fund forward-thinking medical research
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Support animal welfare
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Promote equity and access to education for all
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Advance intellectual property education
How We Do It
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Make impact investments that spur innovation
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Operate programs that fix broken systems
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Make catalytic grants to high-reward opportunities
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Drive progress through education and advocacy
Recent News
News
Our Network of Foundations
Michelson Medical Research Foundation enables researchers to translate ideas into therapies that make an impact as quickly as possible. The Michelson Prizes focus on rebalancing research funding to support more early-career investigators with brilliant high-risk, high-reward idea potential.
Michelson 20 Million Minds Foundation (20MM) advances programs promoting universal adoption of free and open educational resources for college courses, student basic needs, smart justice, and digital equity. Its work focuses on fostering a more equitable world and increasing educational access and opportunity for students, including those in underserved communities, community colleges, and those who have been justice-impacted.
Michelson Found Animals Foundation seeks to end shelter euthanasia and enhance the lives of pets and people, regardless of the pet owner’s socioeconomic status. The foundation operates a range of projects including research and policy initiatives, community partnerships, and impact investments.
As a part of 20MM, the Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property (Michelson IP) promotes national adoption of curriculum to educate students on principles of intellectual property and how to protect it. Michelson IP designs, tests, and shares a comprehensive collection of IP education offerings for the next generation of inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs – all at no cost.
Advancing Public Policy
The Michelson Center for Public Policy is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that propels legislative change through meaningful collaboration with elected officials, government agencies, and civic leaders to achieve positive outcomes in education, equity, medical research, and animal welfare. The Michelson Center for Public Policy is an affiliated but separate organization from the Michelson Philanthropies network of foundations (Michelson 20MM Foundation, Michelson Found Animals Foundation, and Michelson Medical Research Foundation) and complements the Michelson Philanthropies’ thought leadership and expertise with bold and effective advocacy.