Steve and Lisa Altman
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Qualcomm
FUNDING AREAS: Education, Health & Scientific Research
OVERVIEW: Steve and Lisa Altman conduct philanthropy through the The Lisa & Steve Altman Family Foundation, which gave away around $945,000 in a recent year. The Altmans prioritize grantmaking to health projects. Diabetes research is a top priority, driven by personal forces.
BACKGROUND: Raised in Tuscon, Arizona, Steve Altman graduated from Northern Arizona University with a B.S. in criminal justice and police science. He had plans of being a probation officer and also received his J.D. from University of San Diego Law School in 1986. His wife Lisa was hired as the first-ever attorney at Qualcomm and Altman followed her to the company, rising to the role of vice president and chairman.
ISSUES:
HEALTH & MEDICAL RESEARCH: The couple gave a $10 million to UC San Diego Health Sciences to help build the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, which is working to find cures for Type 1 diabetes, among other diseases. The forces here are personal as type 1 diabetes has afflicted many generations of the family including the couple’s son and Altman’s father, who lost all of his vision for a time. The Altmans also give steady support to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and have hosted “Rock the Cure,” a fundraising event at their residence. Other grantees have included Immunotherapy Foundation, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.
EDUCATION: The Altmans support Lisa’s alma mater University of San Diego. Other grantees have included Big Brothers Big Sisters and San Diego Mesa College.
OTHER: Other grantmaking has touched Jewish organizations like Temple Adat Shalom, and local cultural organizations like Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect diabetes research to remain a top cause for this funder.
CONTACT:
The Lisa & Steve Altman Family Foundation does not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch with the couple but below is an address:
The Lisa & Steve Altman Family Foundation
9696 La Jolla Farms Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
