"Cancer research in Indiana would have been pretty sleepy had the Walther Cancer Foundation not existed to enable it to achieve national prominence." ~ Marietta Harrison, Director, Purdue University Oncological Sciences Center

"Without the support of the Walther Cancer Foundation, it is unlikely that the IU Simon Cancer Center would exist in its present form." ~ Patrick Loehrer, Director, IU Simon Cancer Center

"The faculty recruitment programs funded by Walther have been the central piece of building cancer research at Notre Dame." ~ Thomas Burish, Provost, University of Notre Dame

"Following unconventional lines of research requires support from unconventional sponsors. [Walther’s] willingness to sponsor visionary 'out-of-the-box' research has been unparalleled." ~ Don Bergstrom, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Purdue University

"Sustaining great research requires consistent funding. Institutions like the Walther Cancer Foundation have played important roles in supporting high-impact research. Great discoveries today will mean new treatment for cancer tomorrow." ~ Jack Dixon, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Two Decades of Cancer Impact

Who We Are

The Walther Cancer Foundation, Inc. (WCF) is an independent, private grant-making foundation committed to eliminating cancer as a cause of suffering and death through supporting and promoting interdisciplinary and inter-institutional basic laboratory, clinical, and behavioral cancer research. The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting efforts to strengthen cancer research institutions in the state of Indiana. WCF believes that cancer research provides tangible benefits in expanding our base of knowledge, saving lives and offering hope to patients and their families. Since its founding in 1985, the Walther Cancer Foundation has invested almost $100 million in cancer-focused medical research.

Dr. Joseph E. Walther's bold vision of medical philanthropy was born in 1985 with the creation of the Walther Cancer Institute (WCI). He realized that insights into this family of diseases go beyond initiatives that seek to unlock the fundamental secrets of the transfigured cells that give rise to cancer. Thus, in addition to investing in basic research, the WCI actively supported research programs that tested new therapies and focused on human behaviors as well as ways patients and their families respond to a diagnosis of cancer.

In July, 2007, the corporate form of the Walther Cancer Institute was changed to a private foundation, and the name modified to become the Walther Cancer Foundation. The mission of the organization remains the same, while the mechanisms for providing support for cancer research have been streamlined to substantially reduce administrative costs. One of Walther Cancer Foundation’s greatest strengths is its independence. Its autonomy, both organizationally and financially, gives the Foundation the freedom of action it needs to stimulate necessary bridge building across multiple boundaries that interface research disciplines and institutions.