The Coleman Foundation was the first funder of the Bone Marrow Transplant program at Rush University Medical Center, which intended to make treatment services for patients diagnosed with cancer available to individuals residing in the Chicago land area. Through major grants, sophisticated medical equipment has been acquired and support given to capital projects at community hospitals, teaching hospitals and medical centers.

With a desire to increase the body of knowledge and expertise in the region, endowed chairs in oncology have been established at leading institutions. The Foundation established endowed chairs in oncology at the following institutions.

• Rush University Medical Center
  The endowed chair is Dr. Henry Fung, Coleman Foundation Chair for Blood and Bone Marrow Transplantation.
• Loyola University Medical Center
  The endowed chair position is held by Dr. Patrick Stiff, Coleman Professorship of Oncology Medicine and Director of the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center.
• University of Notre Dame
  The Coleman Chair of Biological Sciences position is vacant. The University is currently conducting a search for a Premier Chair in Cancer Research.

The Foundation supports translational research, intended to translate knowledge derived from laboratory work into clinical applications. The exchange of information between clinic to lab and vice versa facilitates gains in basic science that are translated to utilization in clinical settings. Through partnerships with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Illinois Chapter, Leukemia Research Foundation, and Rush University Medical Center, the Foundation has supported translational research project focused on specifically on blood cancers.

To supplement the work of the endowed chair holders, the Foundation occasionally supports educational programs for cancer patients and survivors and workshops for healthcare professionals.