About Us

The T.J. Martell Foundation funds innovative medical research to find cures and treatments for leukemia, cancer and AIDS.

We were founded on these basic philosophies that we continue to practice today:

Our Mission:

Firmly Committed to the Fight

The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry's largest foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS.  The Foundation sources and supports early-stage research projects aimed at developing more effective clinical treatments for patients which otherwise might not be funded.

A Unique Approach
We provide funds for highly targeted research projects at leading medical and scientific institutions. We raise money through a series of ongoing campaigns and signature events leveraging the star power, celebrity and mass appeal of recognized music industry talent.

Collaborative and Cooperative
We are a non-profit, collaborative organization dedicated to funding and supporting the efforts of scientists and physicians engaged in the global battle against multiple forms of cancer and AIDS. In addition to fighting these diseases, we also work to improve the lives of cancer and AIDS patients and their families.

Pushing Boundaries
Cancer and AIDS are complex illnesses. Although medical science has made great strides, cures for these diseases remain elusive. The T.J. Martell Foundation actively promotes, encourages and funds scientific research that is "ahead of the curve." We push the boundaries of scientific knowledge to develop new treatments that will help save lives and improve the lives of cancer patients and children with AIDS.

Funding Innovative Research
The T. J. Martell Foundation has provided more than $250 million to innovative, early-stage research and provides funding to ten leading research facilities. Over the years, we have emerged as one of the world’s leading sponsors of early-stage innovative research into the treatments and cures of leukemia, cancer and AIDS.

From the Laboratory to the Bedside
The research the T. J. Martell Foundation supports is categorized as translational research; in other words, it can be rapidly transitioned from the laboratory to the patient's bedside. The merging of cutting-edge innovation with translational research makes the projects supported by T. J. Martell Foundation truly unique. Further, we encourage our funded scientists to leverage our funds with other larger funding sources, such as the National Institute of Health and the National Cancer Institute. This has been done successfully by many of our researchers and we can conservatively estimate that our funding has resulted in more than a billion dollars in additional research funding.

Recent Advances
Research we now fund has resulted in new, significant discoveries about prostate, colon and breast cancers. Our research partners recently achieved dramatic results in developing improved treatments for a particularly deadly form of lung cancer, adult leukemia and improved the survival of children with a neuroblastoma to over 90%.

Proteomics Research
With support from the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center engineered and staffed the nation’s premier facility dedicated to the study of proteins involved in the cancer process. "Molecular fingerprinting" of cancers linked to the human genome project, enables scientists to predict responses to treatment. It also allows them to tailor therapy more effectively for individual patients, identify new targets for therapy and discover markers that will help detect cancers in their earliest and most treatable stages.

In its 2003 ranking of best hospitals, U.S. News and World Report listed the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center as one of the nation’s very best hospitals for cancer care.

Selecting the Best and Encouraging Innovation
Each year, the T.J. Martell Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee gauges the merits of invited applications from the scientific community, using a sophisticated system analogous to the one employed by the National Cancer Institute. The advisory committee looks for research projects that show promise of delivering fast results. The committee prides itself on taking risks and rewarding bold, innovative work in the battle against cancer and AIDS.

The committee’s novel approach has paid off. As research funded by the foundation results in improved treatments, the publicity attracts more inquiries from top scientists and researchers worldwide. As the process of discovery accelerates, more treatments and practical remedies become available even sooner to patients. More lives are saved and more lives are improved – a direct result of the foundation’s commitment to funding vanguard research.

Saving Lives, Improving Life
The T.J. Martell Foundation is about more than fundraising and medical research. Our efforts are aimed squarely and directly at saving lives – today and tomorrow. We also believe we have a duty to do whatever we can to improve the lives of cancer and AIDS patients and their families. We take a holistic approach that acknowledges the present and future needs of people diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. We see the fight against cancer and pediatric AIDS as an ongoing fight for life.

Good Deeds with a Difference
Because of our unique connections to the music industry, which gave rise to the T. J. Martell Foundation in 1975, our fundraising activities generate interest, excitement and enthusiasm. We are proud of our long history and our reputation for thinking "out of the box" when it comes to raising money for a great cause.

As we extend the base of our support beyond the music industry, we invite you to partner with us. Together, we will continue the battle against leukemia, cancer and AIDS. Together, we will encourage and fund the scientific research necessary for developing new effective treatments and potential cures.