Our Major Donors
The Stern Estate
Our work has been made possible as a result of The Stern Estate, from which a substantial sum was bequeathed, and was divided equally between Sydney Hospital and our Foundation.
The Mason Foundation (managed by Equity Trustees)
NFMRI wishes to acknowledge and thank The Mason Foundation (managed by Equity Trustees), with whom we are partnering to support biomedical research into Alzheimer’s disease.
The Judith Jane Mason & Harold Stannett Williams Memorial Foundation was established as a result of a generous donation in 2003 from Judith Jane Mason (nee Williams). The Foundation is named in honour of the benefactor and her father, Harold Stannett Williams, who was born in the last years of the 19th Century. His daughter describes him as “a most intelligent, wonderful and charitable man”. The memory of his personal generosity is enhanced through this Foundation, benefiting others in perpetuity.
The goal of The Mason Foundation is to achieve enduring, positive impact in the areas of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease through funding medical research principally into the causes, prevention and/or management of these diseases.
Cure4 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Cure4CF)
In 2018 the Cure4 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (C4CF) made a strategic decision to partner with the National Foundation for Medical Research and Innovation (NFMRI) to manage and administer grants on their behalf with the first call for expressions of interest commencing in 2019.
The partnership will provided a total of $460K to advance medical innovations in the area of cystic fibrosis and was named the Cure4 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Barbara Stow-Smith CF Innovation Grant‘, in honour of the Foundation’s first bequest.
Utilising NFMRI’s successful strategy, and unique capability and capacity the partnership funded research that seeks to develop therapies or cures that will result in an increase in average life expectancy of people with cystic fibrosis with consideration given to quality of life.
State Trustees Australia Foundation
Founded in 1994, the State Trustees Australia Foundation positively impacts our community through encouraging giving in perpetuity and engaging in effective philanthropy.
The Foundation does this by enabling Victorians to support their chosen eligible charities, including the National Foundation for Medical Research and Innovation (NFMRI). By providing a steady income stream each year, the Foundation empowers charities to continue with their life changing work for years to come.
NFMRI and the State Trustees Australia Foundation are together supporting cancer research in Victoria.
NFMRI Funds
NFMRI acknowledges and thanks our late donors who so generously established a fund with NFMRI, including:
- Cynthia & Patricia Gaden Fund
- Josephine White and Hiltbrunner Fund
- Tempe Mann Fund
- Bill and Shirley Westbrook Fund
- Adelaide Mary Hogan (Paine) Fund
NFMRI also acknowledges and thanks our late donors who generously contributed to our General Research Fund:
- NSW Community Foundation (managed by Equity Trustees)
- NSW Community Foundation – Nicholas and Phyllis Pinter Trust (managed by Equity Trustees)
- Vernon Sinclair Fund (managed by Equity Trustees)
- Brian Mangan Memorial – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- Myrtle Jane Eleanor Jones – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- John Joseph Matthews – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- Julian Doloras Richardson – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- Jean Mary Greenlees – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- Graham Stanton Frick – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- Prof Lal Chand Wadhwa Memorial – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- Meena Wadhwa Memorial – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- Satya Vir Kapoor Memorial – State Trustees Australia Foundation
- Estate Late Daqmar Wilhemine Halas
- Estate Late Gloria Ida Prejeant
- Estate Late Blanche Elizabeth Turner
- Estate Late Beatrice Gordon Joske
- Estate Late Mary Althouse
- Estate Late James Hoadley
- Estate Late James Trevenen Ross
- Estate Late Lily Woodley
- Estate Late Dorothy May Manning
- Estate Late Dr. John Dixon Hughes OAM
Past Directors
The National Foundation for Medical Research and Innovation has a long, rich history, having been established in 1977 on the initiative of the late Dr Frank Ritchie, who had a number of patients wishing to donate to medical research and for the capital to be preserved in perpetuity. Over the course of the years, we have been graced by the vision, foresight and commitment to the Foundation from our past Directors who have served on our Board, including:
| Sir Peter Abeles Founding Chairman | 1979-1982 |
| Mr JP Ducker AO | 1979-1983 |
| Lady Sonia McMahon | 1979-1982 |
| Dr FL Ritchie C.B.E. | 1977-1982 |
| Dr HH Spiegel | 1979-1982 |
| Dr J Raftos AM | 1982-2007 |
| Mr TL Lewis | 1984-1990 |
| Sir William W Pettingell | 1984-1985 |
| Mr RH Minter Former Chairman | 1987-1999 |
| Prof AJ Young AO | 2000-2003 |
| Mr ED Cameron | 1979-1983 |
| Mr MJ Inglis | 1979-1983 |
| Mr TE May Former Chairman | 1979-1990 |
| Mr BF Rose | 1977-1995 |
| Sir Ian Turbott C.M.G, C.V.O. | 1979-1982 |
| Sir Gordon Jackson | 1984-1990 |
| Mr JW MacBean | 1984-1987 |
| Mrs SE Ball | 1987-1999 |
| Mr PM Bowen | 1995-2011 |
| Dr V Cowlishaw Shortell | 1987-2017 |
| Dr J Graham OAM | 2002-2017 |
| Ms J Schwager AO | 2006-2017 |
| A/Prof R Garrick AM | 2002-2018 |
| Dr Ashley Bates | 2014-2019 |
| Mr Keith Drewery | 2010-2019 |
| Dr John Dixon Hughes OAM | 1977-2022 |
| Prof Elaine Saunders | 2018-2023 |
Our supporters
Supporters of NFMRI help us to fulfill our purpose. Our purpose is to advance innovations medical research across a multitude of diseases and conditions that have a significant impact on the health of humans. We do this by supporting key, targeted research components that are normally not supported by others. Our support not only enables instrumental collaborations to be formed, but it also helps advance the innovation towards and across the ‘valley of death’. There are many ways your organisation and its people can get involved. Please see our supporters’ page to learn more.
