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The Linda And Mike Mussallem Foundation

Annual Giving
$21.7M
Grant Range
$1700K - $5.6M

The Linda And Mike Mussallem Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $21,654,960 (2024 fiscal year)
  • Total Assets: $81.8 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Typically multi-million dollar strategic gifts
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.mussallemfoundation.org/
Email: info@mussallemfoundation.org
Address: Wilmington, DE
Tax Status: Private Grantmaking Foundation (EIN 81-4585573, tax-exempt since September 2017)

Overview

The Linda And Mike Mussallem Foundation was established by Linda and Mike Mussallem, with Mike serving as the former Chairman and CEO of Edwards Lifesciences for 23 years until May 2023. The foundation has grown significantly from $10.5 million in assets in 2016 to over $81.8 million by 2024, demonstrating substantial commitment to strategic philanthropy. The foundation aims to harness the power of innovation and integrative health solutions to address complex healthcare challenges for overlooked populations in need. Their philanthropic approach is deeply personal - both Linda's brother Bob and Mike's brother George had Down syndrome, which has shaped their commitment to advancing care for underserved populations. The foundation works through strategic partnerships with major institutions rather than open grant competitions.

Funding Priorities

Focus Areas

The foundation concentrates on four strategic areas:

  1. Next-Generation Healthcare Innovation - Supporting breakthrough medical technologies and care delivery models. As Mike Mussallem stated, "Healthcare could be so much better than it is today."

  2. Down Syndrome Healthcare - Addressing the significant care gap for individuals with Down syndrome. Mike noted, "Most Down syndrome folks just don't get high quality care." The foundation recognizes that only 5% of adults with Down syndrome in the United States have access to specialized healthcare clinics.

  3. Integrative/Whole Person Health - Promoting holistic approaches to patient care. Mike emphasized, "There's so much specialization in our world that it's easy to lose the whole person." The Mussallems recognize "the importance of whole-person health for patients who are undergoing cardiovascular treatment journeys and, more importantly, the need for a science-based approach to this aspect of their care."

  4. Congenital Heart Defects (Pediatric) - Advancing innovation in pediatric cardiology. Mike observed, "1% of all children are born with heart defects... There's really been a lack of innovation."

Major Grant Recipients

Recent significant grants include:

  • Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign - Naming gift supporting expansion into policy research, life sciences innovation, and health equity initiatives
  • Adult Down Syndrome Center (Advocate Medical Group) - $5.6 million record-breaking gift to expand research and education capabilities
  • National Down Syndrome Society (CARE Down Syndrome Project) - $1.7 million to create online educational resources for primary care providers
  • UC Irvine Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute - $5 million supporting integrative cardiology training, research, and UC system-wide health coaching program
  • George and Bob Fund - Over $25 million distributed since 2005 to organizations including Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove Conservancy, Laguna Art Museum, OC United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters of OC, Glennwood Housing Foundation, Ottawa Friendship Village, and Bridges Development Foundation

What They Don't Fund

Based on their focus areas, the foundation does not appear to support:

  • General operating support for organizations outside their four strategic areas
  • Individual requests or scholarships
  • Organizations without a clear connection to healthcare innovation, Down syndrome care, integrative health, or congenital heart defects

Governance and Leadership

Co-Founders and Directors:

  • Mike Mussallem (President, Treasurer, Director) - Former Chairman and CEO of Edwards Lifesciences for 23 years. Born in Gary, Indiana, graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with a chemical engineering degree. Elected to National Academy of Engineering in 2022. Received 2025 AdvaMed Medtech Lifetime Achievement Award. Trustee of UC Irvine Foundation and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Former Chairman of AdvaMed and California Health Institute. No compensation from the foundation.

  • Linda Mussallem (Vice President, Secretary, Director) - Born in Ottawa, Illinois, graduated summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University with a Merchandising degree. Early career in manufacturing and materials management at Union Carbide and Morton Thiokol. Transitioned to interior design in 1990, establishing Westwind Interiors in 1993. Advisory Board member of Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. Received the Samueli Institute Founder's Award in 2024. No compensation from the foundation.

The Mussallems reside in Laguna Beach, California, and have been married for 48 years. They have been active philanthropists since 2000.

Related Initiative:

  • Mussallem CHD Alliance - A separate nonprofit organization co-founded by Linda and Mike Mussallem, led by President Orin Herskowitz, focused on advancing congenital heart disease care and health equity.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Linda And Mike Mussallem Foundation does not have a public grant application process. The foundation operates through strategic partnerships and initiative-based grantmaking, where the trustees identify and approach organizations aligned with their four focus areas.

Based on publicly available grant patterns, the foundation makes large, multi-year commitments to established institutions and initiatives that align with their strategic priorities. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion rather than competitive application cycles.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation appears to identify grantees through:

Strategic Institutional Partnerships - The foundation has established relationships with major research universities and medical centers, including Stanford University, UC Irvine, and Advocate Medical Group. These partnerships often evolve from existing connections through Mike's leadership in the medical device industry and Linda's involvement on advisory boards.

Advisory Board Connections - Linda serves on the advisory board of the UC Irvine Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, which has received foundation support. This suggests board involvement can lead to funding relationships.

Professional Networks - Mike's extensive network through Edwards Lifesciences, AdvaMed, California Health Institute, and the National Academy of Engineering appears to inform the foundation's grantmaking strategy.

Focus Area Expertise - Organizations making significant impact in the foundation's four priority areas (Down syndrome care, congenital heart defects, integrative health, healthcare innovation) may come to the trustees' attention through their deep involvement in these fields.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed, as grants appear to be the result of strategic planning discussions rather than application reviews.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis.

Application Success Factors

For Organizations Already in Discussion with the Foundation

Strategic Alignment - The foundation seeks organizations that advance their specific mission areas. Mike Mussallem emphasized their belief in "the center's mission, leadership, students and fellows," indicating they prioritize institutional strength and vision alignment.

Innovation Focus - The foundation consistently supports organizations developing new care pathways, deepening disease understanding, and advocating for underserved conditions. Innovation is central to their philosophy.

Measurable Impact - The foundation's support for the Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign, whose alumni have founded 57 health technology companies helping over 13 million people globally, demonstrates their interest in scalable, measurable outcomes.

Educational Components - Multiple grants support education and training (CARE Down Syndrome Project for primary care providers, UC Irvine health coaching program, Stanford Biodesign training). Organizations with strong educational missions may find alignment.

Health Equity Mission - The foundation explicitly targets "overlooked populations in need" and seeks to create "meaningful, long-lasting change." Organizations serving underserved communities with complex healthcare needs align with this priority.

Systems-Change Approach - Rather than supporting individual patients or small programs, the foundation funds initiatives that can transform entire systems of care (e.g., training all primary care providers on Down syndrome care, not just funding one clinic).

Research and Evidence Base - The foundation values "a science-based approach," as evidenced by their support for research capabilities at the Adult Down Syndrome Center and integrative health research at UC Irvine.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is an invitation-only funder - There is no public application process. The foundation identifies and approaches potential grantees through strategic planning.
  • Multi-million dollar strategic gifts - The foundation makes substantial commitments ($1.7M - $5.6M+) to major initiatives rather than numerous small grants.
  • Four clear focus areas - Healthcare innovation, Down syndrome care, integrative/whole person health, and congenital heart defects are the exclusive funding priorities.
  • Systems-change orientation - The foundation seeks to transform care delivery systems, not fund individual programs in isolation.
  • Personal mission - The Mussallems' lived experience with family members with Down syndrome deeply informs their philanthropy and commitment to underserved populations.
  • Network-driven - Relationships through Mike's medical device industry leadership and Linda's advisory board service appear to inform funding decisions.
  • Growing capacity - With assets growing from $10.5M to $81.8M in less than a decade and annual giving exceeding $21M, the foundation has significant and expanding grantmaking capacity.

References

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