Marc Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION IS THE LARGEST PRIVATE FUNDER OF PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH IN THE WORLD. SEE SCHEDULE O.THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION IS BOLDLY LEADING THE WAY THROUGH HOPE AND INNOVATION, TURNING FEAR INTO ACTION THROUGH EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT, AND ADVANCING THE BEST SCIENCE TO TRANSFORM PANCREATIC CANCER INTO A CURABLE DISEASE. THE FOUNDATION FOCUSES ON TRANSLATING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNDERLYING BIOLOGY OF PANCREATIC CANCER INTO CLINICAL APPLICATIONS TO CHANGE, EXTEND, AND ULTIMATELY SAVE PATIENTS' LIVES. IN FY25, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED $18 MILLION TO FUEL CUTTING-EDGE PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH, INCLUDING 10 NEW GRANTS TO RESEARCHERS AT SEVEN LEADING INSTITUTIONS. RESEARCH EFFORTS ARE CONCENTRATED ON THREE KEY PILLARS: EARLY DETECTION AND INTERCEPTION, DRUG DEVELOPMENT, AND PERSONALIZED MEDICINE.
- Income
- $37.2 million
- Spending
- $27.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 29.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 26
- Volunteers
- 1,059
- Highest pay
- $528,783, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 95% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 29.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 27% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 63% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $19.8 million spent. RESEARCH PROGRAM: THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO ADVANCE THE BEST SCIENCE TO TRANSFORM PANCREATIC CANCER INTO A CURABLE DISEASE. 2025 MARKED THE FOUNDATION'S 27TH YEAR OF DRIVING PIONEERING PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS, ACCELERATING PROGRESS FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE AND PROVIDING A MORE HOPEFUL FUTURE FOR ALL PATIENTS. SEE SCHEDULE O. RESEARCH PROGRAM $19,810,727 GRANTS $18,049,864 THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO ADVANCE THE BEST SCIENCE TO TRANSFORM PANCREATIC CANCER INTO A CURABLE DISEASE. 2025 MARKED THE FOUNDATION'S 27TH YEAR OF DRIVING PIONEERING PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS, ACCELERATING PROGRESS FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE AND PROVIDING A MORE HOPEFUL FUTURE FOR ALL PATIENTS. IN 2025, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED 10 NEW GRANTS TOTALING UP TO $13.9 MILLION TO RESEARCHERS AT EIGHT LEADING INSTITUTIONS. OF THE NEW GRANTS AWARDED, 30% SUPPORT DRUG DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS; 14% SUPPORT EARLY DETECTION AND INTERCEPTION EFFORTS; AND 20% SUPPORT PERSONALIZED MEDICINE STUDIES. WITH THE ADDITION OF THESE NEW GRANTS, THE FOUNDATION NOW SUPPORTS 51 ACTIVE GRANTS ACROSS 20 INSTITUTIONS. THE CUMULATIVE TOTAL THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION INVESTED IN RESEARCH THROUGH JUNE 2025 IS $301 MILLION. DURING FY25, MAJOR LUSTGARTEN-FUNDED INITIATIVES INCLUDED: - ADVANCING THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION'S COMMITMENT TO FUNDING EARLY DETECTION PROJECTS, MARCIA CANTO, MD, DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL RESEARCH, DIVISION OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE WAS AWARDED A GRANT FOR HER STUDY "ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-AUGMENTED EARLY DETECTION AND PREVENTION OF PANCREATIC CANCER." FUNDING THE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF TOOLS TO ENABLE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF PANCREATIC CANCER, INCLUDING SCREENING IN THE GENERAL POPULATION AND APPROACHES FOR RISK ASSESSMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND INTERCEPTION IN HIGH-RISK GROUPS WILL ULTIMATELY GIVE PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES MORE HELP AND MORE HOPE THAN EVER BEFORE. - LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION-AACR CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS HONORING RUTH BADER GINSBURG AND JOHN ROBERT LEWIS AWARDED TO ANUPRIYA SINGHAL, MD, PHD, MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER, FOR HER STUDY "INTERROGATING VULNERABILITIES OF A KRAS INHIBITOR-RESISTANT CELL STATE IN PANCREATIC CANCER, AND VINCENT BERNARD PAGAN, MD, PHD, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER, FOR HIS STUDY "TARGETING ONCOGENIC METABOLIC ADAPTATIONS TO OVERCOME THERAPY RESISTANCE IN PANCREATIC CANCER." THE AWARDS SUPPORT TRAILBLAZING INVESTIGATORS COMMITTED TO INCREASING THE UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENT OF PANCREATIC CANCER. THESE AWARDS SUPPORT CAREER ADVANCEMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROMISING TALENT IN PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH, IN HONOR OF THE LIVES AND LEGACIES OF TWO ICONIC AMERICANS LOST TO PANCREATIC CANCER. - LUSTGARTEN EQUITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND DIVERSITY (LEAD) PROJECT GRANT AWARDED TO NINA STEELE, PHD, UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, AND HOWARD CRAWFORD, PHD, HENRY FORD PANCREATIC CANCER CENTER, FOR THEIR PROJECT "RACIAL DISPARITIES IN PANCREATIC CANCER." THIS PROJECT WILL ENABLE DRS. STEELE AND CRAWFORD TO DEVELOP TOOLS THAT WILL ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY AND HETEROGENEITY OF PANCREATIC CANCER. - INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION PROGRAM GRANTS AWARDED TO RONALD PARCHEM, PHD, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE FOR HIS STUDY, "MECHANISMS DRIVING TUMOR INNERVATION IN PANCREATIC CANCER, AND MASSIMILIANO MAZZONE, PHD, GROUP LEADER AT THE VIB-KU LEUVEN CENTER FOR CANCER BIOLOGY AND PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ONCOLOGY AT KU LEUVEN FOR HIS STUDY "UNRAVELING THE ROLE OF P2Y6+ MACROPHAGES IN PDAC LIVER METASTASIS." - DR. ROBERT F. VIZZA LUSTGARTEN CLINICAL ACCELERATOR INITIATIVE (CAI) GRANTS AWARDED TO GREGORY BEATTY, MD, PHD, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE (HEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOGY) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOR HIS STUDY "COMBINATORIAL MYELOID ACTIVATION AS IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR METASTATIC PANCREATIC CANCER," DUNG LE, MD, PROFESSOR OF ONCOLOGY AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOR HER STUDY "NC410 AND FOLFIRINOX IN COMBINATION WITH ANTI-PD-1 WITH AND WITHOUT ANTI-CTLA-4 FOR TREATMENT NAIVE METASTATIC PANCREATIC CANCER," KEVIN C. SOARES, MD, ASSISTANT ATTENDING SURGEON OF HEPATOPANCREATOBILIARY SURGERY AT MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER (MSK) FOR HIS STUDY "A PILOT STUDY OF NEOADJUVANT MFOLFIRINOX AND ELI-002 7P WITH OR WITHOUT ANTI-PD-1 CHECKPOINT BLOCKADE IN BORDERLINE AND RESECTABLE PANCREATIC DUCTAL ADENOCARCINOMA, AND BRIAN BOONE, MD, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY AND AN ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY AT WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY FOR HIS STUDY "TARGETING MYELOPEROXIDASE TO ENHANCE CHEMOTHERAPY RESPONSE IN PANCREATIC ADENOCARCINOMA." THE CAI REDUCES THE TIME FROM CLINICAL TRIAL CONCEPT TO LAUNCH USING A LUSTGARTEN-DEVELOPED PROCESS BASED ON THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE AND EMPLOYING INNOVATIVE BIOMARKERS. TO MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF THE CAI STUDIES, THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO DEVELOP THE LUSTGARTEN UNITED CLINICAL INFORMATION DATABASE (LUCID) TO HOUSE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS ACROSS STUDIES AND LINK THEM TO PATIENT OUTCOMES. BY PROVIDING A CENTRALIZED PLATFORM FOR DATA SHARING AND ANALYSIS, LUCID PROMOTES COLLABORATION BETWEEN RESEARCHERS, LEADING TO FASTER RESEARCH ADVANCEMENTS. ADDITIONALLY, LUCID WILL HELP RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY NEW TREATMENT APPROACHES AND BIOMARKERS AND UNDERSTAND DISEASE HETEROGENEITY AND PATIENT SUBGROUPS, DETERMINING WAYS TO MATCH THE RIGHT PATIENTS TO THE RIGHT TREATMENTS AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES. - THE LUSTGARTEN ADVANCING BREAKTHROUGH SCIENCE (LABS) PROGRAM, A HALLMARK OF THE FOUNDATION'S UNIQUE RESEARCH STRATEGY, HAD AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL YEAR ADVANCING RESEARCH AT ITS SIX DEDICATED LABORATORIES. OF NOTE: FROM THE LABS SITES AT DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE, LED BY BRIAN WOLPIN, MD, MPH, AND MIT, LED BY TYLER JACKS, PHD, FINDINGS PUBLISHED IN SCIENCE IDENTIFIED A PREVIOUSLY UNRECOGNIZED CLASS OF PANCREATIC
- $1.2 million spent. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INFORMATION PROGRAM: THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION IS THE LARGEST PRIVATE FUNDER OF PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH IN THE WORLD, FUNDING PREEMINENT PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCHERS, DRIVING THE PURSUIT OF BOLD AND INNOVATIVE SCIENCE TOWARD EARLIER DETECTION AND BETTER TREATMENTS, AND TRANSFORMING PANCREATIC CANCER INTO A CURABLE DISEASE. THE FOUNDATION FUNDS RESEARCH WHERE CREATIVE RISKS YIELD HIGH REWARDS TO ACCELERATE AND EXPAND LIFE-SAVING TREATMENT OPTIONS. WE BELIEVE TIME IS EVERYTHING TO PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND THAT COMMUNITY IS POWER. LUSTGARTEN PROGRAMS AND EVENTS PROVIDE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY PANCREATIC CANCER A VOICE AND A PLACE TO CREATE HOPE, TOGETHER. SEE SCHEDULE O. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INFORMATION PROGRAM $1,235,976 THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION IS THE LARGEST PRIVATE FUNDER OF PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH IN THE WORLD, FUNDING PREEMINENT PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCHERS, DRIVING THE PURSUIT OF BOLD AND INNOVATIVE SCIENCE TOWARD EARLIER DETECTION AND BETTER TREATMENTS, AND TRANSFORMING PANCREATIC CANCER INTO A CURABLE DISEASE. THE FOUNDATION FUNDS RESEARCH WHERE CREATIVE RISKS YIELD HIGH REWARDS TO ACCELERATE AND EXPAND LIFE-SAVING TREATMENT OPTIONS. WE BELIEVE TIME IS EVERYTHING TO PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND THAT COMMUNITY IS POWER. LUSTGARTEN PROGRAMS AND EVENTS PROVIDE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY PANCREATIC CANCER A VOICE AND A PLACE TO CREATE HOPE, TOGETHER. THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION CREATED, PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED MATERIALS TO UPDATE PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS, SURVIVORS, DONORS, VOLUNTEERS, WALK AND EVENT LEADERS AND CORPORATE SPONSORS ON RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS, FOUNDATION MILESTONES, AND WALKS/EVENTS. MATERIALS INCLUDED: - LUSTGARTENLIVE! SERIES OF RESEARCH-FOCUSED, INTERACTIVE WEBINARS - PROGRESS & PROMISE NEWSLETTER - ANNUAL REPORT - IMPACT REPORT - RESEARCH MILESTONES UPDATE - MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER WITH VIDEO INTRODUCTION - DIRECT MAIL AND ACQUISITION MAIL PIECES - MONTHLY PANCCHATS ON TWITTER, BRINGING EXPERTS AND PATIENTS TOGETHER TO DISCUSS TOPICS PERTINENT TO THE PANCREATIC CANCER COMMUNITY - INCREASED FOCUS ON VIDEO WE ALSO CONTINUED DISTRIBUTING OUR NAVIGATING PANCREATIC CANCER: A GUIDE FOR PATIENTS & CAREGIVERS HANDBOOK, CONTAINING INFORMATION ON MANAGING A PANCREATIC CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATING THE DISEASE. THE BOOK AND MANY OF THE MATERIALS NOTED ABOVE ARE ACCESSIBLE AT WWW.LUSTGARTEN.ORG.
- $773,834 spent. PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM: PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION FOCUSED ON THE FOUNDATION'S SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP CONDUCTING HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS WITH FUNDED SCIENTISTS AND DIRECTORS OF THE LABS PROGRAM SITES AND COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR THE AACR SPECIAL CONFERENCE IN PANCREAS CANCER RESEARCH, AACR-LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION-MARK FOUNDATION JOINT WORKSHOP ON SOLVING THE EARLY STAGE DIAGNOSIS FOR RALCITRANT CANCERS, THE GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE ON PANCREATIC DISEASES, THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY SYMPOSIUM AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, AND THE FOUNDATION'S SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD ANNUAL MEETING. SEE SCHEDULE O. PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM $773,834 PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION FOCUSED ON THE FOUNDATION'S SENIOR LEADERSHIP CONDUCTING HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS WITH FUNDED SCIENTISTS AND DIRECTORS OF THE LABS PROGRAM SITES AND COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS ATTENDING/PRESENTING AT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS FOR ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH (AACR) AND STAND UP TO CANCER (SU2C). ADDITIONALLY, THE LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR THE AACR SPECIAL CONFERENCE IN PANCREAS CANCER RESEARCH, AACR-LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION-MARK FOUNDATION JOINT WORKSHOP ON SOLVING THE EARLY STAGE DIAGNOSIS FOR RECALCITRANT CANCERS, THE GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE ON PANCREATIC DISEASES. THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY SYMPOSIUM AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, AND THE PANCREAS COURSE AT COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1999.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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