Giving to Penn's Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics
The Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) was established in January 2005 to support research at the interface of basic and clinical research, with a particular focus on facilitating the development of new and safer therapeutics – both drugs and devices.
Translational Medicine is the effort to move a basic discovery from the laboratory bench to a new way of treating patients. Therapeutics are treatments – traditional drugs, vaccines, stem cells, proteins, genes or devices . Translational Medicine and Therapeutics is at the heart of our efforts progressively to personalize medicine; to ensure that medicine is increasingly likely to work effectively and safely in you.
ITMAT has expanded to include investigators focused on clinical and translational research in all schools at Penn, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Wistar Institute, and the University of Sciences in Philadelphia. These partner institutions competed successfully for the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) funded under the NIH Roadmap, designating ITMAT as the academic home for the program. The two major focus areas of this CTSA are (i) Translational Therapeutics and (ii) Bridging the Pediatric – Adult divide in our understanding of both human physiology and disease
Make a Gift to ITMAT
Private philanthropy meets funding needs not covered by government grants, tuition revenue, or insurance reimbursements. This has become particularly crucial during this period of economic turbulence and pressure on traditional funding sources such as the National Institutes of Health. The work sponsored by ITMAT is rarely supported by traditional funding mechanisms and yet is what is vital to moving discoveries from the bench to the bedside – crossing what is called the “valley of death in science” – the gap between the basic breakthrough and making new drugs and devices that actually reach patients and alleviate human disease. ITMAT was the first institute founded in the world that targeted this gap where resources are desperately needed. Since the foundation of ITMAT many institutions in the United States and around the world have followed our lead. Your donation will also enable us to respond rapidly and seize unexpected opportunities that emerge from breakthroughs in the most basic science at Penn and our sister institutions, shortening the time to delivering novel therapies.
Giving Opportunities
Many types of giving opportunities are available to support ITMAT. We support actual scientific programs, infrastructure that allows translational work to proceed and, most importantly, educational structures to train physicians and scientists in new interdisciplinary ways so that they are equipped to pursue translational research.
Unrestricted Gifts
These donations go to areas with the greatest need. They are allocated only at the discretion of the leadership team of ITMAT. With these gifts we can rapidly respond to unanticipated emerging opportunities. Please make a gift today.
Special Purpose Funds/Targeted Research
You may wish to join the many donors who support specific programs or types of research, such as Autism, Heart Disease, Diabetes or Cancer. For example, you can designate your donation for research in the specialty area of your personal physician. Please make a gift today.
Named/Endowed Funds
These significant gifts are among the most powerful ways you can support our work. You designate how the fund is to be used, and because only the interest may be spent, endowed funds live on in perpetuity. These funds might be used to name a particular research program, educational activity or indeed the institute itself. These funds may be named and offer an excellent opportunity to memorialize or honor someone, for example, The Jane and John Doe Fund for Translational Therapeutics.
A minimum gift of $25,000 is required to create an endowed fund. To learn more, we invite you to discuss, in confidence, with the Senior Director of Development for Centers and Institutes, opportunities that will best match your interests. Please contact Carol A. Forte, Senior Director of Development, at 215-898-0578 or fortec@upenn.edu.
Planned Gifts
ITMAT accepts gifts made by bequest, gifts of real estate, personal property, life insurance, retirement assets, and trusts.
We are happy to arrange a confidential, no-obligation discussion of your particular situation with a planned giving specialist. Please contact Christine Ewan, J.D., Director of Development and Planned Giving, cewan@upenn.edu, or visit the Penn Medicine Planned Giving web site for more information (http://med.upenn.planyourlegacy.org/).
Matching Gifts
Your gift to ITMAT can be doubled or tripled through your employer’s matching gift program. Visit your or your spouse’s Human Resources office to learn more about matching gifts and to obtain the appropriate form.
How to Make Your Gift
You may make a tax-deductible contribution online, by phone, or by mail. Gifts may be made by check, credit card, cash, or appreciated securities.
Online
Make an unrestricted gift today by visiting our secure giving web site [Link].
By mail
Checks should be made payable to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and mailed to:
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics
Penn Medicine Development and Alumni Relations
3535 Market Street, Suite 750
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309
By phone, or to learn more
We invite you to discuss, in confidence, with the Senior Director of Development for Centers and Institutes, opportunities that will best match your interests. Please contact:
Carol A. Forte
Senior Director of Development for Centers and Institutes
Penn Medicine Development and Alumni Relations
3535 Market Street, Suite 750
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309
215-898-0578 (tel)
215-573-2800 (fax)
fortec@upenn.edu