Family values

With a degree in physics and a university professor of chemistry for a father, Janet Palmatier was primed to support scientific research. It was when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, however, that the philanthropic wheels were set in motion. She and her husband, Jason, made some local donations to breast cancer research but eventually decided that field was too narrow.

“We wanted to support research that would help the broadest community possible,” says Jason. “That’s why we began donating to Scripps Research. We can give the same amount of money but potentially impact a greater number of people.”

Jason was a software developer before transitioning into stay-at-home-dad for the couple’s three boys, ages 10, 8 and 6. He pursues an interest in science fiction and sees similarities with scientific research. “You have this idea in the science fiction genre that anything is possible; just because we don’t know how to do something now doesn’t mean we won’t know how to do it in the future. That’s why Janet and I find Scripps Research so intriguing. The scientists there are doing cutting-edge science, things that people didn’t think were possible.”

Both are in their mid-40s and while they have always managed to donate, they’re finding now that they can donate more. And that fits with strong personal values they want to pass on to their boys. “We believe that if you’re in a good place, if you can pay for the necessities, then you should be giving back,” says Janet, a Certified Financial Planner who runs her own firm. “How much does anyone really need? We’ve lived in some very materialistic communities and found that doesn’t reflect our values. We have enough; we don’t need the excess. It’s time we shared it.”

At Scripps Research, they support the lab of immunologist Wendy Havran, PhD, because they believe her investigations into harnessing the immune system to speed healing will help a lot of people. “We want our dollars to go directly to where the work is being done,” Janet explains. “Labs need money to buy equipment and hire staff, among other things, so if that helps get the research done, we’re happy to support it. Plus, it’s exciting to follow Wendy’s successes.”

Along with their philanthropic beliefs, Janet and Jason are introducing their boys to the relevance of science in everyday life, posing such questions as “Why do the bubbles rise in the glass of soda?” Their family values are helping shape the next generation of groundbreaking scientists or scientific philanthropists.