Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research

Commonwealth Foundation

Founders: William H. Goodwin

William H. Goodwin is an active player in the real estate business. He is current chairman of CCA industries, a diversified company that has investment holdings, including The Jefferson Hotel in Virginia and the Sea Pines Resort in South Carolina.

In 2002, the William H. and Alice T. Goodwin created the Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research to help in the discovery of treatment and eradication of cancer. The Foundation also enthuses better quality of higher education.

Areas of Interest:

  • Developing cancer treatments
  • Education

More about the Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research and its Notable Projects/Programs:

Couple William H. and Alice T. Goodwin have devoted 60% of their wealth to battle cancer, according to Newsweek. The Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research made the headlines in the field of medical research when the Foundation donated $15 million to the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. The funding was one of the largest private donations ever made in medical research history. The donation was greatly welcomed by medical researchers and health experts at the Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Robert Bast, one of the heads at Anderson, stated that the funding would allow them to further understand the disease and accelerate development and production of drugs and other alternative treatments to cancer.

Aside from the Anderson Cancer Center, the Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research has donated $88.5 million to five different cancer research institutes, namely:

  • Massey Cancer Center (Virginia Commonwealth Health System)
  • Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • John Hopkins University (Oncology Center)
  • Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
  • The Cancer Center in Charlottesville, Virginia

The Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research has also donated an estimated $80 million to provide funding for the development of Gleevac, a breakthrough drug used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

The Foundation supports the programs of the American Cancer Society, where William H. Goodwin serves as the organization’s leader in the South Atlantic Division. The American Cancer Society has awarded the Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research the Society’s Medal of Honor for their contributions to cancer research.

The Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research is also an ardent supporter of higher education. The Foundation has donated millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to both the Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, with emphasis on engineering and business administration.

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