La Jolla Institute for Immunology
La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is a nonprofit medical research organization based in La Jolla, California, established in 1988. It focuses on understanding the immune system and applying that knowledge to promote human health and prevent disease.
La Jolla Institute for Immunology at a glance
In short: La Jolla Institute for Immunology gave $10.3M across 36 grants in 2024 (avg $287K), top state Michigan. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $10,327,878
- +18.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 36
- +12.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $286,886
- +5.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $106,022
- Total assets
- $62,503,266
- -4.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (11 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (34% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to La Jolla Institute for Immunology
- Next open deadline
- April 3, 2027 (The Tullie and Rickey Families SPARK Awards for Innovations in Immunology)
- Contact
Mailing address: 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037-1387
Phone: (858) 752-6500
Website: https://lji.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Who La Jolla Institute for Immunology funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Regents of the University of Michigan ($3.5M). Together the top 10 received $8.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($21,972), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
134 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 134 (26%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
LJI’s 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares were reported for Michigan (34%), Connecticut (11%), Texas (9%), Georgia (8%), and Pennsylvania (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is La Jolla Institute for Immunology open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 34 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $404K; repeat grants $256K. How we count
Medians: $64K first-time, $177K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2020) to $13.1M (2021). In 2024 it made 36 grants totaling $10.3M.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Regents of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Subrecipient Award | $3,462,338 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Subrecipient Award | $1,166,666 |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA | Subrecipient Award | $827,749 |
| The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galvesto Dallas, TX | Subrecipient Award | $719,089 |
| Leidos Pittsburg, PA | Subrecipient Award | $431,613 |
| Ucsd Los Angeles, CA | Subrecipient Award | $395,399 |
| Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO | Subrecipient Award | $343,718 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Subrecipient Award | $268,546 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Dallas, TX | Subrecipient Award | $251,512 |
| The Trustees of Columbia University City of NY New York, NY | Subrecipient Award | $249,927 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $62,503,266 | $84,154,783 | $86,007,343 | $10,327,878 | 36 | $1,261,351 |
| 2023 | $65,342,422 | $75,554,472 | $83,691,328 | $8,729,443 | 32 | $694,745 |
| 2022 | $80,295,864 | $92,274,481 | $92,177,095 | $10,626,734 | 31 | $535,315 |
| 2021 | $70,149,069 | $102,015,351 | $85,939,425 | $13,088,315 | 35 | $733,206 |
| 2020 | $60,537,089 | $80,623,646 | $81,170,041 | $1,119,601 | Total only | $593,426 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
LJI states that its scientists study how the immune system works to promote human health and prevent disease. Its stated areas of application include diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases, and cancer. The Institute has research centers focused on autoimmunity and inflammation, cancer immunotherapy, vaccine innovation, and sex-based differences in the immune system.
The 2024 grant recipients include universities, medical centers, and research organizations. Emory University describes its work as including life-saving medical research; the University of Pittsburgh describes itself as a public research university and a partner in its region; and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center says its researchers work from foundational biology to population-level health, with a focus on cancer and related diseases.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, LJI reported 36 grants totaling $10,327,878. Grant amounts ranged from $7,504 to $3,462,338, with a median of $106,022. The largest listed awards were to the Regents of the University of Michigan ($3,462,338), Yale University ($1,166,666), Emory University ($827,749), and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston ($719,089); each was described as a subrecipient award.
LJI also runs the Tullie and Rickey Families SPARK Awards for Innovations in Immunology, a seed-funding program for emerging researchers at LJI. Beginning with the 2026 cohort, the awards provide $30,000 in flexible start-up funding for high-risk, high-reward projects. The program’s eligible participants are LJI researchers, including instructors, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, research technicians, and researchers in LJI laboratories and core facilities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Erica Saphire as President & CEO and François Ferré as a director and chair beginning in October 2024. It also lists Mitchell Kronenberg as director, president emeritus, and professor, along with directors Anthony R Carr, Barbara Donnell, Brad Greenwald, Carolee Lee, David M Rickey, David R Webb, and Emily Holmes.
La Jolla Institute for Immunology is led by Erica Saphire, President & CEO since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 11 of 35 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Erica Saphire
President & CEO
Professor → President & CEO, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$388K (2020) → $782K (2024)
Gail K. Naughton
Chair & Director
Director & Chair → Director & Chairman, 2023
Director & Chairman → Chair & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Francois Ferre
Director & Chair
Director → Director & Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Croft
Director & Academic Affairs
Division Head & Professor → Director & Academic Affairs, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$334K (2020) → $380K (2024)
Mitchell Kronenberg
Director, President Emeritus & Professor
Chief Scientific Officer → Director & Chief Sci. Officer, 2023
Director & Chief Sci. Officer → Director, President Emeritus & Professor, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$580K (2020) → $262K (2024)
Linda Sherman
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$5K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Anthony R. Carr
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David M. Rickey
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David R. Webb
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Genevieve T. Jacobs
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark V. Bowles
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Thiel
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard S. Bodman
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert C. Dynes
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandor W. Shapery
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas L. Tullie
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carolee Lee
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Donnell
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Holmes
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fred Miller
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandra Schmid
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yoshifumi Torii
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John M. Carethers
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Renetta Haas
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Davis
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brad Greenwald
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandy Boek Werness
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alessandro Sette
Division Head, Center Head & Prof
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$525K (2020) → $599K (2024)
Stephen P. Schoenberger
Professor
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$278K (2020) → $330K (2024)
Richard Stryjewski
CFO & Treasurer
CFO, Treasurer & Secretary → CFO & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$45K (2021) → $323K (2024)
Shane Crotty
Chief Scientific Officer
Professor → Chief Sci. Officer, 2023
Chief Sci. Officer → Chief Scientific Officer, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$332K (2021) → $406K (2024)
Bjoern Peters
Professor
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$378K (2023) → $411K (2024)
Hilde Cheroutre
Division Head & Professor
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$324K (2023) → $323K (2024)
John Keegan
COO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$298K (2023) → $299K (2024)
Margaret Ng Thow Hing
Secretary & Chief Legal Officer
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$292K (2024)
Former officers (23)
- Former: J. Mark Waxman (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Pamela K. Wasserman (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Barton J. Cohen (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: David A. Brenner MD (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Franois Ferr PhD (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Michael D. Coit (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Mitsuo Satoh PhD (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Robert W. Mahley MD PhD (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Joel Martin (2022) — Managing Director & Cbo
- Former: Susan Davis Msw (2022) — Director
- Former: Catherine Hedrick (2020–2021) — Professor
- Former: David Dominguez (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Eric V. Zwisler (2020–2021) — Director & Chair
- Former: Hunt Pettit (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Klaus Ley (2020–2021) — Division Head & Professor
- Former: Kristine Charton JD (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Larry S. Spitcaufsky (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Lynda Stuart MD PhD (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Dollar (2020–2021) — CFO, Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Stephen Wilson (2020–2021) — Executive Vice President, COO & CTO
- Former: Douglas Henson (2021) — Controller & Interim CFO
- Former: John E Major Chair (2020) — Director
- Former: Vanessa V Wertheim PhD MBA RN (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $782K, to Erica Saphire (President & CEO). 11 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about La Jolla Institute for Immunology
How much does La Jolla Institute for Immunology give each year?
La Jolla Institute for Immunology gave $10.3M across 36 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $8.7M across 32 grants.
What is La Jolla Institute for Immunology's typical grant size?
La Jolla Institute for Immunology's median grant in 2024 was $106,022, and its average grant was $286,886, across 36 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from La Jolla Institute for Immunology that year got $404K on average.
Where does La Jolla Institute for Immunology give grants?
La Jolla Institute for Immunology's top state is Michigan, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Connecticut (11%) and Texas (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (3 grants), Seattle, WA (3 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Boston, MA (3 grants).
Does La Jolla Institute for Immunology give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on La Jolla Institute for Immunology's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Subrecipient Award" (36 grants).
Who are La Jolla Institute for Immunology's largest grantees?
La Jolla Institute for Immunology's largest 2024 grantees include Regents of the University of Michigan ($3,462,338), Yale University ($1,166,666) and Emory University ($827,749), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($21,972), which are not listed by name. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is La Jolla Institute for Immunology?
La Jolla Institute for Immunology reported $62.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $84.2M.
What does La Jolla Institute for Immunology fund?
LJI states that its scientists study how the immune system works to promote human health and prevent disease. Its stated areas of application include diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases, and cancer. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from La Jolla Institute for Immunology?
La Jolla Institute for Immunology has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check lji.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is La Jolla Institute for Immunology's EIN?
La Jolla Institute for Immunology's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0328688. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 3, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). La Jolla Institute for Immunology funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/la-jolla-institute-for-immunology-morg_945cf9652bae4e12a2f18066cd6938ad
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330328688_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{La Jolla Institute for Immunology funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/la-jolla-institute-for-immunology-morg_945cf9652bae4e12a2f18066cd6938ad},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from La Jolla Institute for Immunology's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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