irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $4.45MCLINICAL - SEE SCHEDULE OCRI ACCELERATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROMISING IMMUNOTHERAPIES THROUGH EARLY-PHASE CLINICAL RESEARCH AND COLLABORATIVE TRIALS. THE CLINICAL INNOVATOR PROGRAM SUPPORTS NOVEL CLINICAL STUDIES WITH FUNDING OF UP TO $1 MILLION PER TRIAL, WHILE THE CLINICAL ACCELERATOR IS AN ACTIVELY MANAGED VENTURE PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM THAT DESIGNS AND CONDUCTS DATA-DRIVEN, MULTI-PARTNER CLINICAL STUDIES IN AREAS OF HIGH UNMET NEED.
- #2 $2.85MDATA - SEE SCHEDULE OCRI ADVANCES THE USE OF DATA TO ENABLE DISCOVERY, TRANSLATION, AND CROSS-STUDY LEARNING IN IMMUNOTHERAPY RESEARCH. THROUGH SUPPORT FOR DATA RESOURCES, ANALYTIC TOOLS, AND COMMUNITY GUIDANCE, CRI SUPPORTS INITIATIVES THAT IMPROVE DATA QUALITY, STANDARDIZATION, AND INTEROPERABILITY ACROSS THE FIELD. THESE EFFORTS HELP UNLOCK INSIGHTS INTO RESPONSE AND RESISTANCE AND GUIDE MORE EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF IMMUNOTHERAPIES.
named programs · 7 · from sources
What they call their work
CRI Clinical Accelerator
Actively managed venture philanthropy program that designs and conducts multi-partner, data-driven clinical studies in cancer immunotherapy.
CRI Clinical Innovator Program
Supports novel early-phase clinical trials in cancer immunotherapy with funding up to $1 million per trial, focusing on areas of high unmet need and mechanistic insights into clinical response.
CRI Immunoinformatics Fellowship
Funds postdoctoral researchers working at the intersection of immunology and data science to advance cancer immunotherapy discovery.
CRI Irvington Fellowship to Promote Racial Diversity
Supports postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented racial backgrounds in immunology and cancer immunology research.
CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship
Provides career development and training for young immunologists at top research institutions worldwide, with funding up to $243,000 over three years.
Data Initiatives in Immunotherapy Research
Supports development of data resources, analytic tools, and community standards to improve data quality, interoperability, and cross-study learning in immunotherapy.
Lloyd J. Old STAR Program
Provides $1.25 million over five years to mid-career scientists to support high-risk, high-reward research in cancer immunology without project-specific constraints.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Cancer Research Funding 6 activities
- Co-funding collaborative immunotherapy research initiativesPartners with nonprofit organizations to co-fund research projects focused on rare or hard-to-treat cancers, leveraging CRI’s expertise in immunotherapy to expand impact.
- Funding cancer immunotherapy research globallyInvests in cancer immunotherapy research conducted by scientists worldwide, with over $570 million invested since 1953 to advance treatments and reduce cancer mortality.
- Funding high-risk, high-reward research through Lloyd J. Old STAR ProgramAwards $1.25 million over five years to mid-career scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward cancer immunology research, supporting paradigm-shifting work under the Lloyd J. Old STARs designation.
- Funding technology and data innovation in immunotherapySupports high-risk, high-reward technological innovations and advances in data quality, standardization, and interoperability in immunotherapy research through Technology Impact Awards and funding for data resources, analytic tools, and community guidance.
- Launching targeted fellowship programs for innovative researchLaunched the CRI IGNITE Fellowship in October 2025 to fund early-career scientists conducting innovative cancer immunotherapy research, awarding eight fellowships across nine institutions for projects related to seven distinct cancer types.
- Supporting clinical innovation in immunotherapyFunds early-phase clinical trials and collaborative studies through programs like the Clinical Innovator Program (awarding up to $1 million per trial) and the Clinical Accelerator, which designs multi-partner, data-driven clinical studies targeting areas of high unmet need.
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Psychoanalytic and Therapeutic Training Support 1 activity
- Awarding grants for early-career scientists in immunologyProvides multi-year funding for early-career scientists through postdoctoral fellowships such as the Irvington Fellowships and Immuno-Informatics Fellowships, offering up to $243,000 over three years per fellow for stipends, research supplies, travel, health insurance, and childcare.
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Research and Scholarly Fellowship Support 1 activity
- Expanding researcher development through named fellowshipsNaming 26 new postdoctoral fellows annually as part of its ongoing investment in training the next generation of immunologists.
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Medical Professional Education & Training 1 activity
- Hosting training programs for next-generation researchersBuilds capacity in the immunology field by hosting training events such as the 2026 Bioinformatics Bootcamp, which provided hands-on immunological data analysis training for over 50 fellows and students.
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Uncategorized 4 activities
- Conducting and supporting foundational immunotherapy researchSupports research that has contributed to FDA-approved immunotherapies including BCG for bladder cancer, checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab and pembrolizumab, CAR T cell therapies, oncolytic viruses like T-VEC, and therapeutic vaccines such as sipuleucel-T, leading to treatments for over 30 cancer types and a more than 30% decline in U.S. cancer deaths over three decades.
- Developing AI-ready infrastructure for immunotherapy researchLaunched the CRI Discovery Engine to create the first AI-ready database for immunotherapy research through collaboration with external institutions, enabling advanced data analysis and discovery.
- Providing dedicated international and academic support in immunologyOffers targeted funding for immunology research in specific countries and supports academic journal publishing as part of its broader grantmaking strategy.
- Supporting patient access to precision immunotherapyLaunched a Phase 2/3 clinical trial using Labcorp liquid biopsy technology to guide personalized immunotherapy treatment for lung cancer patients, advancing precision medicine approaches.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$35.49M
Contributions & grants$26.70M75%
Program service revenue$907K3%
Investment income$7.80M22%
Other revenue$79K
expenses
Total expenses$42.15M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$7.01M
Grants paid out$28.53M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$129.63M
Cash$10.23M
Investments$97.90M
Liabilities$44.75M
Net assets$84.88M
Liquid reserves30.8 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +48.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 13
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JILL O'DONNELL-TORMEY PHD | FORMER CEO (THRU 8/2024) | 40 | $748K |
| ALFRED R MASSIDAS | FORMER CFO (THRU 2/2025) | 40 | $543K |
| LYNNE A RAPINO | CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER | 40 | $444K |
| SHARON S SLADE | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER | 40 | $431K |
| JAY R CAMPBELL | MANAGING DIR OF CRI CLINICAL ACCELERATOR | 40 | $393K |
| RUPINDER KAUR THRU 12025 | CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER | 40 | $364K |
| ALICIA ZHOU START 82024 | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $241K |
| SAMIK K UPADHAYA | DIRECTOR OF SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS | 40 | $240K |
| KASTURI SHARMA | ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DONATION PROCESSING | 40 | $235K |
| DEANNE T MARBACH | DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFT | 40 | $235K |
| QING HUA ZHANG THRU 12025 | CONTROLLER | 40 | $234K |
| SHASELL NEGRON | ASSOC DIR, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT | 40 | $188K |
| KATHRYN BEELEY START 112024 | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $21K |
board members · 12
- ADAM J SHAPIRO — TRUSTEE
- ANAND SHAH — TRUSTEE
- ANDREW K TSAI — CHAIRMEN
- ANTONIO C ALVAREZ II — TRUSTEE
- BRIAN J BRILLE — TRUSTEE
- DIANE TUFT — TRUSTEE
- DONALD J GOGEL — VICE CHAIRMEN
- EDGAR R BERNER — TRUSTEE
- FERN LAZAR — TRUSTEE
- FRANK V SICA — TRUSTEE
- GEOFFREY O COLEY — TRUSTEE
- JAMES A STERN — TRUSTEE
relationships · 53
Who they work with
- 10x Genomics Partner — Collaborates on the CRI Discovery Engine to create an AI-ready database for immunotherapy research.
- American Association for Cancer Research Partner — Cosponsors the AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology.
- Boston Children’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School Partner — Hosts Frederick W. Alt, PhD, Member of the Cancer Research Institute Inc
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital Partner — Host institution for CRI-funded scientist Jennifer Guerriero, PhD
- Broad Institute of MIT Partner — Hosts Nir Hacohen, PhD, Member of the Cancer Research Institute Inc
- CRI IGNITE Fellows Network — Network of early-career scientists supported through CRI funding and mentorship.
- CRI Leadership Council Corporate Sponsors Partner — Corporate sponsors who provide support and strategic guidance to advance CRI's mission and accelerate innovation in cancer immunotherapy.
- CRI Lloyd J. Old STARs Network — Network of leading scientists recognized and funded by CRI to advance cancer immunotherapy.
- Chordoma Foundation Partner — Collaborates with CRI on the Clinical and Laboratory Integration Program (CLIP) to support translational cancer immunology research.
- Columbia University Partner — Host institution for IGNITE Fellow James Swann
- Columbia University Partner — Hosts Richard Axel, MD, Member of the Cancer Research Institute Inc
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Partner — Host institution for CRI-funded scientist Mohammad Rashidian, PhD
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Partner — Host institution for IGNITE Fellow Amin Aalipour
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Partner — Hosts Glenn Dranoff, MD and Harvey Cantor, MD, affiliated with the Cancer Research Institute Inc as Associate Director and Member respectively
- Emory University Partner — Hosts Max D. Cooper, MD, Member of the Cancer Research Institute Inc
- FDA Government — Regulatory body that approves immunotherapies such as T-VEC and other drugs developed through CRI-supported research.
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center & University of Washington Partner — Hosts Philip D. Greenberg, MD, Member of the Cancer Research Institute Inc
- Harvard Medical School Partner — Host institution for IGNITE Fellow Chin San Loo
- Harvard Medical School Partner — Hosts Harvey Cantor, MD, Member of the Cancer Research Institute Inc
- Helen Coley Nauts Partner — Founded the Cancer Research Institute in 1953 to advance research into cancer immunotherapy.
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Partner — Hosts Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD and Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, Associate Directors of the Cancer Research Institute Inc
- Israel Cancer Research Fund Partner — Co-funds research grants addressing immunotherapy resistance in melanoma.
- Johns Hopkins University Partner — Host institution for CRI-funded scientist Julie Deutsch, MD
- Johns Hopkins University Partner — Host institution for IGNITE Fellow Yahui Wang
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Partner — Hosts Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, Associate Director of the Cancer Research Institute Inc
- Keytruda Partner — Provides the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab used in patient treatment.
- Kidney Cancer Association Partner — Collaborates with CRI on the Clinical and Laboratory Integration Program (CLIP) to support translational cancer immunology research.
- Labcorp Partner — Partners on a Phase 2/3 trial using liquid biopsy to guide precision immunotherapy for lung cancer.
- Lloyd J. Old Partner — STARs program named in honor of Lloyd J. Old, recognizing his foundational contributions to cancer immunology.
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine Partner — Host institution for IGNITE Fellow Luiz Henrique Medeiros Geraldo
+ 23 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Integrated Collaboration & Data Infrastructure for Accelerated Discoverymethodology: collaborative_data_infrastructureBy building collaborative clinical trial networks and large-scale, AI-ready databases across institutions, the organization accelerates cancer immunotherapy innovation because shared data and cross-sector partnerships reduce duplication, enhance statistical power, and enable faster translation of findings.
- Investing in Early- and Mid-Career Scientists to Sustain Innovationmethodology: career_transition_grantmakingBy funding postdoctoral researchers transitioning to independence and supporting mid-career scientists with unrestricted grants, the organization sustains long-term progress in cancer immunotherapy because retaining talent through critical career junctures prevents loss of expertise and fosters continuous innovation.
- Science-First Partnerships with Biotech and Pharmaceutical Companiesmethodology: science_first_partnership_modelBy forming discovery-driven partnerships with industry using a science-first approach, the organization advances immuno-oncology because aligning commercial development with rigorous basic science ensures that therapies are grounded in robust biological understanding rather than market incentives alone.
- Unrestricted, Investigator-Driven Research Fundingmethodology: investigator_driven_research_fundingBy providing long-term, flexible funding to exceptional scientists based on their scientific promise rather than predefined projects, the organization enables high-risk, transformative research in cancer immunotherapy because intellectual freedom and sustained support allow breakthroughs that rigid project grants cannot.