Double Your Impact Today: A $750,000 Matching Opportunity
Thanks to the generosity of an LJI Board Director and their family every gift to the LJI endowment will be matched, dollar-for-dollar - and we have $540,000 left to raise. That means your contribution provides twice the fuel, and twice the possibilities for our future. This is a limited-time opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the health of humanity.
Support the Future of Immunology: Endowment Giving
At LJI, we believe the answers to the most urgent medical questions already live within us—inside the immune system. Our scientists are uncovering how the immune system drives health and disease—laying the groundwork to prevent, treat, and even cure cancer, autoimmune conditions, infectious diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and illnesses that affect men and women differently.
The work of our researchers is changing the future of medicine. But discovery—no matter how brilliant—can’t stand on brilliance alone. It requires a foundation built for the long game. It requires an endowment.
Why Give to the Endowment?
Endowment giving is more than a contribution. It’s a vote of confidence in what this place can be for the world. It is an act of belief in science—and in the future. LJI is an independent, nonprofit research institute—ranked among the top five immunology centers globally.
For 35 years, we’ve focused solely on understanding the immune system and leveraging that knowledge to protect human life. The endowment amplifies our ability to lead—not just now, but for generations to come. It allows us to plan boldly, act swiftly, and build with intention. Endowment resources strengthen our ability to think beyond the immediate—to act not just reactively, but proactively and with precision. With a strong endowment, we can chart a long-term course with confidence, even as we navigate the inherent unpredictability of the grant cycle. Federal funding is essential—but it often lags behind emerging science, and can’t always support the boldest ideas at their earliest and most fragile stages.
The endowment gives us the freedom to move ahead without delay:
• To recruit the right scientist when the window is narrow.
• To back a promising discovery before external validation.
• To invest in areas where traditional funding hasn’t yet caught up.
It allows us to plan around the grant cycle, rather than be limited by it—keeping promising projects alive between cycles, and giving us the flexibility to take risks when the science demands it. In a field where timelines stretch across decades, that kind of stability is a superpower. The endowment is how we protect our agility, safeguard excellence, and stay focused on the future—no matter what the funding landscape looks like.
A Legacy That Powers the Next Breakthrough
An endowment gift is a powerful promise:
That discovery will not stop.
That the urgent won’t be delayed.
That the future will be ready when it arrives.
It is how you protect the breakthroughs of tomorrow—so that no clinical trial is slowed, no insight is lost to bureaucracy, and no patient must wait longer than necessary for life-changing answers to emerge. Because this is not abstract. It is deeply human. It is about the young investigator, on the verge of a breakthrough, who needs just a few more months to finish their experiment. It is about the parent waiting for the therapy that could change their child’s future—or even save their child’s life. It is about ensuring that the brilliance gathered within these walls is never dimmed.
Your gift to the endowment protects that light—and ensures it shines long into the future.
Frequently asked questions
What is an endowment fund?
Is my gift tax-deductible?
How will my gift to the endowment be used?
Does LJI accept other forms of gifts to the endowment?
Can I create my own named endowment?
Who can I contact with more questions about endowment gifts?
La Jolla Institute for Immunology is an official Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency and Charity Navigator Four-Star non-profit organization.
