Focus

 

Prioritizing early-stage medical research that promises a sweeping, positive impact for humanity

Pushing Humanity Forward

The Karen Toffler Charitable Trust prioritizes medical research, projects, and initiatives that have the potential to heal, protect, and advance humanity in profound, high-impact ways. We strive to advance bold ideas and help to make a big impact by supporting areas of research others may overlook. We do that by filling in funding gaps and connecting early-stage researchers with a powerful and relevant network.

We accomplish this objective by offering meaningful annual grants and marshaling other scientists, researchers, and donors in support of new ways of thinking and problem-solving.

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Funding for Early-Stage Research

Where others see risk, we see the potential for profound impact. As so often happens in medical science, young researchers lack the support necessary to compete with established labs. For most traditional funding organizations, early-stage projects are considered too risky. As a result, some of the most promising ideas stall.

The Karen Toffler Charitable Trust has built a future-focused framework that allows us to be a bridge from early-stage ideas to a stage of research where funding traditionally is more obtainable. We back our commitment to groundbreaking science with meaningful financial support. The impact is seen in the incredible work being done by individuals and organizations that might otherwise be unable to move their work forward.

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Interconnected Ideas

Due to the increasing demand for specialization and the tendency for funding to be targeted to a specific sector, medical research is often siloed. It can be difficult for researchers to create cross-disciplinary ideas because there are fewer grants available. Through the funding awarded by the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust, disparate focus areas and research endeavors are connected to drive exponential impact.

Grantees gain necessary funding as well as connections to relevant projects outside their immediate area of study that could benefit from their focused discovery and insights. By strengthening their funding support and research networks, scientists, researchers, and institutions discover new ways of problem-solving together.

Current Karen Toffler Charitable Trust Priorities

Dementia Research

Around the world, approximately 50 million people have been diagnosed with dementia, a group of brain disorders that cause memory, thinking, behavior, and coordination to deteriorate. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause. Every year, nearly 10 million new cases emerge. As the population ages, the numbers are projected to rise substantially.

Some models show that more than 150 million people could be categorized as having dementia by 2050¹.

The impact is profound, and not limited to diagnosed individuals and their families. The physical, psychological, social, and economic impacts of dementia are staggering. Direct care for dementia care is estimated to cost upwards of $1 trillion worldwide and is forecasted to double by 2030².

¹ World Health Organization Fact Sheets, “Dementia,” https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia

² Alzheimer’s Disease International, “World Alzheimer Report 2018, The state of the art of dementia research: New frontiers,” https://www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2018.pdf

Rare and Underfunded Conditions

The Tofflers were renowned for their dedication to humanity and their ability to bring together disparate ideas to form world-shaping discoveries. It’s in that spirit that the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust commits funds to little-known and micro areas of research that show promise for understanding and solving pressing and unexplained medical issues on a macro level. By supporting research for rare diseases such as Guillain-Barre syndrome or Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), as well as emerging infectious disease surveillance, we help to care for those who may be impacted now and create connections to the breakthroughs essential for the future health and security of humanity.

“The future patterns of global power can only be glimpsed if, instead of looking at each major shift of power as an isolated event, we identify the common forces running through them.”

― Alvin Toffler, Powershift

See a Bigger Picture

Passion and promise fuel our work, the work of those we fund and support, and the people in their lives.
Your involvement will change humanity for the better.

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