Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, already a respected philanthropist, stepped up and jumped feet first into crucial research funding. Football remains a 60-minute sport played once a week. However, apart from the game, life for so many exists.
Fans and players from different backgrounds congregate to either play or root for the game that brought them together. However, when a condition affects that tight-knit community, a common bond forms.
Lurie’s latest act of altruism will greatly help a marginalized community.
Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie Commits $50 Million to Autism Research
Lurie, in donating eight figures to research, opened the door to delving into substantial exploration into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and started a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). In a press release detailed by NBC 10 Philadelphia writer Reuben Frank, Lurie discussed his hopes for the partnership.
Jeffrey Lurie is donating a $50 million gift to open the Lurie Autism Institute in partnership with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine. Lurie announced the launch of the Lurie Autism Institute this morning. This first-of-its kind institute – located in… pic.twitter.com/WE04NOEeXr
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 10, 2025
“We established the Lurie Autism Institute to spark a new era of scientific discovery in autism,” said Lurie. “CHOP and Penn Medicine bring unmatched expertise and a proven record of innovation, and together, they have the tools to unlock answers that have eluded the field for far too long.”
“By investing in cutting-edge science and the infrastructure to move it forward, we’re aiming not just to understand autism more deeply—but to transform what’s possible for individuals and families worldwide.”
Among those outside of the Eagles fanbase, people don’t really know the team owner. It’s a world where Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones presides as the most visible NFL CEO since Al Davis led the Oakland Raiders.
Lurie may appear on camera during a game while up in the owner’s box, but he doesn’t attempt to mug for the camera or command attention. Instead, he allows his football people to handle that part of the team. Lurie earned his doctorate in social policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. The partnership is another step in a long line of contributions to ASD research.
In 1977, Lurie’s mother, Nancy, founded the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation, whose aim was to drive funding and assist in the access to information regarding autism. In 2009, the Lurie Center for Autism opened at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In 2019, Lurie founded the Eagles Autism Foundation.
The group provides funding, education, and resources to families affected by ASD. This includes the building of a sensory room at their home stadium, Lincoln Financial Field. The room provides a quieter environment for those on the spectrum to still enjoy the game without the loud noise and music associated with football.
ASD, as defined by the Mayo Clinic, is “a condition related to brain development that affects how people see others and socialize with them.”
That is the broadest definition. ASD is a neurological developmental condition that presents a wide array of symptoms and reactions, where no two cases are exactly the same. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control states that 1 in 31 Americans who are at least 8 years old are autistic.
Lurie put his money where his heart is, helping those who cannot always help themselves.
