The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is a New York, New York-based public charity, formed in 2015. It supports cancer research through grants and venture investments, partnering with individual investigators, multidisciplinary teams, and early-stage companies in the United States and internationally.
Key facts about The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd
In short: The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd gave $19.5M across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $672K), top state New York. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 36-4825921
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $19,485,041
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- Average grant
- $671,898
- Median grant
- $500,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (6 of 29, 2024)
- Total assets
- $105,459,714
- Primary geography
- New York (32% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$105.5M
+0.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$19.5M
-20.2% YoY
Grant Count
29
-19.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$672K
-0.9% YoY
Is The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 29 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $804K; repeat grants $637K. How we count
Medians: $474K first-time, $500K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to partner with scientists to accelerate research that can transform cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Its grants support innovative research across cancer types, including basic, translational, and clinical work, as well as collaborative projects and early-stage therapeutic discovery.
Its 2024 grants went to research institutions including universities, cancer centers, and independent research organizations. For example, Johns Hopkins University describes its mission as fostering independent and original research and bringing the benefits of discovery to the world. The Salk Institute says its work includes cancer research alongside other scientific fields. Harvard College describes its mission as education and research across a broad array of academic domains.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 29 grants totaling $19,485,041. Grant amounts ranged from $11,250 to $2,750,000, with a median grant of $500,000. The largest awards included $2,750,000 to the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, $2,299,837 to the Regents of the University of California San Francisco, $1,568,007 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and $1,384,340 to Johns Hopkins University. Each was listed for research.
Review Cycle
of April 30, 2026. Applicants must hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree, have established an independent laboratory during 2018–2023, and demonstrate multi-year independent funding active in 2027. The program is open to applicants worldwide; proposed projects must be based on evidence-based laboratory data and/or medical science and must not be supported by other sources.
Open Grants
11 open opportunities from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd
ASPIRE Award
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
ASPIRE Awards
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Drug Discovery Award
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it supports research in the United States and across the globe. Its 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in New York (32%), California (27%), Massachusetts (9%), Maryland (7%), and Alabama (5%), among other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $16.4M (2020) to $42.3M (2019). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $19.5M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York ($2.8M). Together the top 10 received $13.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
165 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 38 grants of 165 (23%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | Research | $2,750,000 |
| Regents of the University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Research | $2,299,837 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | Research | $1,568,007 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Research | $1,384,340 |
| The Salk Institute for Biological Studies La Jolla, CA | Research | $1,000,000 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL | Research | $1,000,000 |
| University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education Pittsburgh, PA | Research | $1,000,000 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University Redwood City, CA | Research | $948,007 |
| Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor, NY | Research | $750,000 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College Cambridge, MA | Research | $711,352 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $105,459,714 | $44,772,901 | $36,066,750 | $19,485,041 | 29 |
| 2023 | $104,492,388 | $40,937,632 | $35,209,497 | $24,414,174 | 36 |
| 2022 | $110,652,350 | $55,345,494 | $38,014,606 | $22,043,847 | 36 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $105,459,714 | $104,492,388 | $110,652,350 |
| Revenue | $44,772,901 | $40,937,632 | $55,345,494 |
| Expenses | $36,066,750 | $35,209,497 | $38,014,606 |
| Net Investment Income | $409,872 | $1,030,138 | $363,707 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 28, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 7, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Raymond DuBois as executive chairman of the board and Ryan Schoenfeld as chief executive officer. It also lists Alex Knaster, Ross Levine, Nicola Mendehlson, Paul Pospisil, and Otmar D. Wiestler as directors; Ian Lesser as director of finance and administration; Anna Turetsky as principal, venture investments; and Rebecca Bish-Cornelissen as head of discovery/pre-clinical research.
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd is led by Ryan Schoenfeld, Chief Executive Officer since 2022 (on filings since 2019); 10 of 14 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ryan Schoenfeld
Chief Executive Officer
Vice President & Scientific Research → Chief Scientific Officer & Interim CEO, 2021
Chief Scientific Officer & Interim CEO → Chief Executive Officer, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$305K (2019) → $507K (2024)
Raymond Dubois
Executive Chairman of the Board
On filings since 2022
24 hrs/week
$513K (2022) → $560K (2024)
Rebecca Liu
Director & Grants Administration
Director of Grants Adminstration → Director of Grants Administration, 2022
Director of Grants Administration → Director & Grants Administration, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$127K (2019) → $197K (2024)
Ross Levine
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$10K (2019) → $10K (2024)
Michael Carleton
Senior Scientific Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$212K (2020) → $176K (2024)
Ian Lesser
Director Finance & Administration
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$67K (2023) → $173K (2024)
Paul Pospisil
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alex Knaster
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicola Mendehlson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Otmar D. Wiestler
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Bish-Cornelissen
Head Discovery & Pre-Clinical Research
Head of Pre-Clinical Research → Head Discovery & Preclinical Research, 2023
Head Discovery & Preclinical Research → Head Discovery & Pre-Clinical Research, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$261K (2020) → $311K (2024)
Robert Magin
Associate Scientific Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$127K (2022) → $169K (2024)
Amy Fehir
Head of Development
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$107K (2023) → $216K (2024)
Anna Turetsky To
Principal & Venture Investments
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$327K (2024)
Former officers (16)
- Former: Anna Turetsky (2020–2023) — Principal & Venture Investments
- Former: Janice Lin (2022–2023) — Portfolio Manager, Research & Investments
- Former: Kevin O'Flaherty To (2023) — Director
- Former: S. Patrick Lewis To (2023) — Head of Finance & Operations
- Former: Stuart Thomson To (2023) — Director
- Former: William Shapard To (2023) — Director
- Former: Kevin O' Flaherty (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: S. Patrick Lewis (2019–2022) — Head of Finance & Operations
- Former: Stuart Thomson (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: William Allen Shapard (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Irena Ivanovska (2021–2022) — Senior Scientific Research
- Former: Michele Cleary Ph D. To (2021) — Chairman of the Board & CEO
- Former: Kasandra Davis (2019–2020) — Project Manager
- Former: Michele Cleary PhD (2019–2020) — Chairman of the Board & CEO
- Former: Elisa Venturini (2020) — Scientific Program Lead
- Former: Rebecca Bish PhD (2019) — Senior Scientific Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $560K, to Raymond Dubois (Executive Chairman of the Board). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 1350 Avenue Of The Americas 2902, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (646) 866-5950
Website: https://themarkfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd
How much does The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd give each year?
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd gave $19.5M across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $24.4M across 36 grants.
What is The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's typical grant size?
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's median grant in 2024 was $500,000, and its average grant was $671,898, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd that year got $804K on average.
Where does The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd give grants?
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's top state is New York, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (27%) and Massachusetts (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 29 grants with a stated purpose on The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research" (29 grants).
Who are The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's largest grantees?
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's largest 2024 grantees include The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York ($2,750,000), Regents of the University of California San Francisco ($2,299,837) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($1,568,007), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd?
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd reported $105.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $44.8M.
What does The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd fund?
The foundation’s mission is to partner with scientists to accelerate research that can transform cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd?
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check themarkfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's EIN?
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4825921. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
American Cancer Society Inc
Atlanta, GA
The American Cancer Society funds cancer research, patient support, advocacy, and related programs, with research support available to institutions across the United States. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,648 to $9.6 million, with a median of $15,000. It accepts applications for research grants through specific programs and ProposalCentral; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests for other funding.
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
509
Total Given
$23.1M
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Emory University funds research, health care, and medical research, including university research awards and subcontract grants to organizations. Its 2024 grants had a median of about $87,500, though awards ranged from about $5,300 to $35.5 million; recipients were concentrated in Georgia, which received 46% of grant dollars. The profile does not state whether Emory accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$24.9B
Grants
362
Total Given
$183.7M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health-access initiatives for disproportionately affected populations, including cancer, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation, in the United States and internationally. In 2024, its median grant was $134,090, though awards varied widely; it says application materials are available upon request and advises organizations to contact it about the process, but does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Yale supports education, research, scholarship, preservation, public service, and community organizations, including through sponsored research and fellowships. Its 2025 grants ranged from $3,000 to $14.3 million, with a median of about $136,000; recipients were based mainly in Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. The profile does not state whether Yale accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$58.9B
Grants
364
Total Given
$168.2M
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY
Columbia funds research, education and research, and capital projects, primarily through grants to universities and medical and research institutions across the United States, with the largest share going to New York recipients. Its 2025 grants had a median of about $109,000, though awards ranged from $5,350 to $15.1 million. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$26.0B
Grants
417
Total Given
$208.3M
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
The Ford Foundation funds organizations, individuals, and ideas working to reduce inequality and advance social justice, including work in areas such as immigrant justice, criminal justice reform, gender equity, and arts and culture, through grants around the world. Its 2024 grants had a median of $100,000, with amounts ranging from $45 to $15 million; it does not accept unsolicited requests by mail, email, or phone.
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
The New York Community Trust
New York, NY
The New York Community Trust funds projects in areas including arts, education, health, human services, community development, and the environment, primarily in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, with some opportunities elsewhere. Its 2024 median grant was $20,000, though awards varied widely. It accepts applications through its open competitive grants program and selected RFPs or letters of interest; donor-advised funds do not accept proposals.
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
The Simons Foundation Inc
New York, NY
The Simons Foundation funds research in mathematics and the basic sciences, as well as autism and other disease research, through grants to research centers, universities, and related organizations. In 2024, grants ranged from $1,480 to $20 million, with a median of $72,000; funding is concentrated in New York, California, and Massachusetts, with awards also made elsewhere in the U.S. and internationally. Whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$4.5B
Grants
1,727
Total Given
$272.0M
More Funders in New York
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (US) Ltd down — hundreds of funders to go?