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From Death Comes Gift For a Cure
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"We didn't want to go public with an announcement of the amount until we were more sure," Berkowitz said.
That announcement came recently, following an additional donation of $4.8 million by the estate, with the promise of $500,000 more next year.
It is not clear what the source of Alley's wealth was. Berkowitz said Alley's father had been a successful businessman, and she indicated in her will that she owned Merck stock purchased when she worked at the pharmaceutical company as a secretary before she married in 1949.
"I think she held that stock throughout her life," he said.
Alley was specific about where she wanted her money to go: "She wanted it to be used to support research that would find a cure for diabetes that wouldn't require a person to take immunosuppression agents" after receiving transplanted pancreatic cells, Berkowitz said.
"Her wishes were pretty consistent with our mission."
The foundation was established in 1970 by parents whose children had Type 1 diabetes. Since then, it has given $1.16 billion for diabetes research, the foundation said.
"Our mission has always been to fund research and find a cure for diabetes and its complications," Berkowitz said.
That mission relies on fundraising and the generosity of supporters, many of whom are "small-dollar donors" -- or at least appear to be.
"In most cases," Berkowitz said, "we don't know the ones who are going to be big."
