The Rita Allen Foundation is a venture philanthropy organization that invests in transformative ideas in their earliest stages to leverage their growth and promote breakthrough solutions to significant problems. It enables early-career biomedical scholars to do pioneering research, seeds innovative approaches to fostering informed civic engagement, and develops knowledge and networks to build the effectiveness of the philanthropic sector. We support discoveries in their earliest stages that will ultimately improve human health, democracy, and understanding.

The core parts of this position—collaborative alignment and an orientation toward learning-informed action—are key to our work to develop fields and networks collaborating to advance discovery science, philanthropic practice, and civic science. Our programs include a number of national and international philanthropic collaborative initiatives, including the field-leading Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program, and the Civic Science Fellows program, a signature effort co-created with a vibrant cross-sector community. With diverse roots and across ecosystems, we work to seed, incubate, and mobilize leaders and networks—co-creating a future where all people shape science to expand its benefits and frontiers.