As a child, Melanie Lundquist and her family had a deeply personal connection to Tay-Sachs disease, a rare genetic condition that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and is often fatal. Their family experience inspired Melanie’s mother to initiate annual Tay-Sachs screening events throughout the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley. Witnessing her mother’s dedication instilled in Melanie lifelong passions for science and health advocacy, interests that eventually drew her to LA BioMed (now The Lundquist Institute) some fifty years later.
Around that same time, Melanie’s husband, Richard Lundquist, President and CEO of Continental Development Corporation, was separately introduced to LA BioMed during his career as a leading commercial real estate developer in California. Having built office, retail, medical, and entertainment complexes, Richard understood the importance of high-quality structures and spaces in fostering professional success. His first visit to LA BioMed revealed outdated facilities – including military barracks still in use from World War II – which deepened his commitment to helping modernize and transform the institute. Recognizing both the urgent need for upgraded facilities and the organization’s exceptional talent and potential for groundbreaking medical research, Melanie and Richard made their initial generous contribution of $1 million in 2012.
Their strategic philanthropy expanded further when Melanie joined The Lundquist Institute’s Board of Directors, bringing her fundraising and marketing skills and a commitment to transparency and efficiency. Several years later, Melanie and Richard provided an additional $2.5 million donation specifically earmarked for a state-of-the-art vivarium, investing in what researchers need to engage in impactful research and exemplifying the Lundquists’ targeted and impactful approach to giving.
Combining Melanie’s dedication to advancing scientific research with Richard’s pragmatic business insights, the Lundquists became vital catalysts for The Lundquist Institute’s growth. In 2019, to commemorate their 70th birthdays, they made an extraordinary $70 million gift to transform the institute by providing a sustainable source of unrestricted funding that supports the recruitment and retention of top researchers and significantly enhances infrastructure. In recognition of their transformative support, totaling nearly $80 million, LA BioMed was renamed The Lundquist Institute.
As philanthropists, Melanie and Richard have consistently advocated for strategic and impactful giving to support sustained, systemic change. In recent years, both have actively served on The Lundquist Institute’s Board of Directors, directly engaging in development and fundraising initiatives. Melanie emphasizes the importance of impact philanthropy, advocating for accountability and clearly defined metrics to ensure that charitable contributions deliver measurable and transformative outcomes that continue to have impact long past the first dollar given. She and Richard firmly believe that creating meaningful change requires consistent giving and involvement over decades.
“When you provide funding with intention, your money works in perpetuity. Like a stone thrown into a pond, there is a ripple effect,” said Melanie Lundquist. “You have the ability to remove obstacles to care, and to save lives. With ‘impact philanthropy,’ you give a dollar, you serve the world. The returns you can generate have a significant impact.”
The Lundquist Institute remains deeply grateful for Melanie and Richard Lundquist’s visionary leadership, significant contributions, and unwavering commitment. With their continued support, TLI is thriving, expanding its impact and footprint all while advancing innovative biomedical research and community-focused healthcare initiatives that save countless lives.