A supporting organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is closely tied to one or more nonprofit organizations in a way that is significant to the total support of those organizations. It lies somewhere between a private foundation and an advised fund within a community or public foundation. The mission of the supporting organization must also be compatible with the mission of the public charity with which it is identified. Because a supporting organization is identified with a publicly supported charity, donors enjoy the tax benefits of a public charity.
As a supporting organization, the Brain Science Foundation has developed a strong working relationship with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and its affiliates. This partnership allows the BSF access to the latest thinking in its multi-disciplinary approach to meningioma and other primary brain tumor research and treatment. The BSF is able to fill a critical gap by funding innovations and “seed” projects that other granting agencies would not fund until evidence of success is generated. This type of “venture funding” allows scientists and clinicians to focus on the science and leads they think are most promising. In most cases, initial BSF seed grants have resulted in investigators being able to gather enough pilot data to secure additional funding external to the Brain Science Foundation. BSF-funded projects are reviewed regularly and if they are not yielding positive results, they are adjusted or terminated and new approaches are pursued.
BSF founder Steven Haley calls this model “an entrepreneurial approach to gift-giving that is project-oriented and milestone-driven. It’s methodical and systematic. It has timelines, it has identified resources, and it aims to produce results.”
