FasterCures Finds Outcomes, Metrics, and Strategic Leadership Define the Effectiveness of Venture Philanthropy Groups

Two new reports outline the practices and approaches of nonprofit funders of medical research

FasterCures today released two reports that paint a vivid picture of how medical research foundations, also known as venture philanthropy groups, have transformed the medical research enterprise. These entrepreneurial groups are accelerating medical research and development by tackling science where it needs the most effort and resources, and applying innovative business approaches in the pursuit for a cure.

Both resources tell a compelling narrative of how venture philanthropy groups are creating a culture in medical research that is mission-driven, results-oriented, and focused on the true bottom line: preventing, diagnosing, and curing disease.

• The first, Honest Brokers for Cures: How Venture Philanthropy Groups are Changing Biomedical Research, features insights from leaders of 20 venture philanthropy groups. This publication features valuable insights and perspectives from leaders of medical research foundations that are transforming the cure enterprise by virtue of how they find and fund research. In this report, FasterCures dissects the business model that has emerged from the shared sense of urgency and frustration stemming from these patient-driven organizations, and their laser-sharp focus on outcomes.

• The second, Measuring and Improving Impact: A Toolkit for Nonprofit Funders of Medical Research, is a how-to guide for foundations seeking to apply some of the best practices and lessons learned from venture philanthropy groups who’ve demonstrated their effectiveness.  It provides a common framework for assessing and improving organizational effectiveness, and a panoply of ideas, questions, and models to help guide new and emerging nonprofits with strategic and tactical choices.

Venture philanthropy groups play an outsized role in improving the medical research and development system to better meet the needs of patients. Since its inception, FasterCures has continued to shine a light on the successes of these foundations in an effort to amplify their lessons learned and sense of urgency to the rest of the medical research community.

“In the end, the most central characteristic of these groups is their close connection to the disease they are pursuing. For most, it is personal—either they or a family member or close friend is or has been affected by the disease,” said Margaret Anderson, executive director of FasterCures. “It spurs them to find the dollars to meet the challenges and change the trajectory of research. We can all benefit from the lessons they've learned.”


                                                  

To download these publications, visit http://www.fastercures.org/Publications/vp.php