James S. McDonnell Foundation

The James S. McDonnell Foundation was founded in 1950 by aerospace pioneer James S. McDonnell. It was established to "improve the quality of life," and does so by contributing to the generation of new knowledge through its support of research and scholarship. Originally called the McDonnell Foundation, the organization was renamed the James S. McDonnell Foundation in 1984 in honor of its founder. The foundation is based in Saint Louis, Missouri.

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Grants are awarded via the Foundation-initiated, peer-reviewed proposal processes through the 21st Century Science Initiative. This initiative targets research in the areas of Brain Cancer, Complex Systems, and Brain, Mind and Behavior. For Brain Cancer Research, the Foundation is particularly interested in supporting novel research that will generate new knowledge leading to increased rates of survival and improve functional recovery for individuals with brain cancer. The Foundation is a member of the Brain Tumor Funders' Collaborative, a partnership among eight private philanthropic and advocacy organizations designed to bridge the “translational gap” that prevents promising laboratory science from yielding new medical treatments.

In 2004 the Foundation awarded approximately $15.5 million in grants. Since its inception, the McDonnell Foundation has awarded over $295 million in grants. Fair market value of Foundation assets were around $412 million in 2004.