Co and ghost wrote an OpEd for Benefunder co-founder Christian Braemer for the San Diego Union Tribune, Nov. 29, 2014.
While some nonprofits are working toward a “cure” for many diseases, most of the money donated to these charities does not go toward actual research. Why not create a solution that allows more money to directly flow to researchers and less for overhead and other expenses? Wouldn’t it be more impactful to give that money to a researcher who is working on possible treatments for things like breast cancer, chronic pain, heart failure, strokes, and heart attacks?
Consider this: Over half of all wealth created in the United States since World War II can be directly attributed to university research. Technologies like Internet protocol, MRI, lasers, Google, silicon chips and countless lifesaving medicines were all born out of academic labs.
Today, however, the widening gap between available funding for research and the demand for those funds not only threaten American competitiveness, but also our health, economy, security, and overall well-being. These innovations are crucial to economic growth as new companies and industries are born, creating jobs, cures, and treatments.