“If you ever have money to donate, give it to mental health research.”
Jonathan Brooking · to his mother, 1985
A brother’s last wish became a fund for discovery — and a hope that his suffering might spare others.
A letter from Liz Brooking
Jonathan
Shortly before my twenty-eight-year-old brother took his life in 1985, he told my mother, “If you ever have money to donate, give it to mental health research.”
The Jonathan Brooking Memorial Fund for Mental Health Research at McLean Hospital was established by my grandmother, Margaret Williams Dumaine, in honour of his request. Its purpose is to fund research that advances our understanding of the causes of mental illness, uncovers effective methods of diagnosis and treatment, and improves the lives of those affected by psychiatric illness.
For a time, McLean Hospital was my brother’s home, and it was also a safe haven for our family as we, too, struggled through the challenges of his illness. Now McLean is a source of hope — because gifts to Jonathan’s fund enable work that will ensure others don’t experience the hardships that he did.
Despite what my brother endured, I believe there was a grander purpose in his abbreviated life: he suffered so that others may not have to. The silver lining of his tragic story is that he became a catalyst for discovery and advancement in mental health research.
He suffered so that others may not have to.
I’d like to think that if we can continue to bring the subject of mental illness out of the shadows and apply brilliant minds to this cause, we might see some real progress. My greatest wish is that together we can destigmatise mental illness — and maybe even find a cure. That would be a wonderful legacy for Jonathan, and an amazing gift for us all.
It’s likely that you, or someone you love, has been touched by mental illness. Your gift to the Fund is an opportunity to acknowledge the pain and sadness that mental illness can inflict on entire families — and to do something meaningful to help change that.
On behalf of Jonathan, thank you for making a difference.
Liz BrookingJonathan’s sister
❦
What your gift makes possible
Three aims, one purpose
01
Fund the science
To fund research that determines the causes of mental illness, improves the efficacy of treatment, and works toward a cure.
02
Keep talent in the field
To ensure that bright scientific talent stays in research, where a shortage of funding too often limits the pursuit of novel ideas.
03
Seed what grows
To provide mentorship and the seed funding that generates the early data needed for long-term, multi-year grants from government and other sources.
Jonathan’s legacy, at work
The following individuals and their novel research proposals have been selected by the Fellowship Advisory Committee at McLean Hospital. They are the direct beneficiaries of this endowed fund, but the results of their research may benefit us all.
Market value at year’s end, 2002–2025 — grown from an initial gift of $20,000.
$1.41Min market value at the close of 2025
2young investigators supported last year
Where your gift goes
What your gift makes possible
Every gift goes to work at McLean Hospital as seed funding for early-career researchers — the support that lets a promising scientist gather the first data behind a new idea. That early data is what unlocks the far larger, multi-year grants from government and national foundations, so a modest gift today can set much greater funding in motion tomorrow. It also helps keep bright minds in mental-health research at a time when funding is scarce.
Research in print
Former Brooking Fellow Nikolaos Daskalakis is the first author of a major 2024 study in Science on the biology of PTSD and depression.
While scientific research is a product of many hands and many funders, the Jonathan Edward Brooking Memorial Fund for Mental Health Research proudly plays a pivotal role in advancing the careers of young investigators and driving important scientific discovery.
A gift of any size helps to support critical research like this and honours a young man’s wish that his suffering might spare others.
Given securely through McLean Hospital, and directed entirely to Jonathan’s fund. As a nonprofit, gifts to McLean are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
More ways to help
Other ways to give
Give monthly
A small recurring gift keeps research moving, month after month.
Double it at work
Many employers match their staff’s donations — a quick word with your HR team could double your gift.
Gifts of stock
Donating appreciated securities can be a tax-wise way to give more.
Donor-advised funds
Recommend a grant to the Fund through your DAF.
A gift in your will
Remember the Fund with a bequest and leave a lasting legacy.
In memory or honour
Make a tribute gift in someone’s name to mark a life or an occasion.
McLean Hospital’s Development Office can help you to arrange for a gift of stock, a donation from a Donor Advised Fund, or a legacy gift in your will. To discuss these options, please call the Development Office at (617) 855-3415.
❤ If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In the UK & Ireland, call Samaritans on 116 123 — free, confidential, any hour.
Questions & answers
Common questions
What does the Fund support?
The Jonathan Brooking Memorial Fund supports mental health research at McLean Hospital — work that seeks to understand the causes of mental illness, improve diagnosis and treatment, and better the lives of those affected. Since 2010 it has funded an annual research fellowship, carried out by the researchers known as Brooking Fellows.
How do I make a gift?
Gifts are made securely through McLean Hospital’s giving page. You can give once or monthly, in any amount, and it takes only a minute. Give to the Fund →
Is my gift tax-deductible?
Yes. McLean Hospital is a nonprofit, and gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Your gift is directed entirely to Jonathan’s fund.
Can I give stock, from a donor-advised fund, or in my will?
Yes. McLean’s Development Office can help you arrange a gift of stock, a donation from a donor-advised fund (DAF), or a legacy gift in your will. To discuss these, please call the Development Office at 617-855-3415.
Can I give in memory or in honour of someone?
Yes. Tribute gifts — in memory or in honour of a loved one — are welcome, and are a meaningful way to mark a life or an occasion.
Where does my money go?
Every gift is directed entirely to the Jonathan Brooking Memorial Fund at McLean Hospital and supports mental health research.
Who was Jonathan, and how did the Fund begin?
Shortly before his death in 1985, Jonathan asked his mother that any money to be donated go to mental health research. His grandmother, Margaret Williams Dumaine, established the Fund in honour of that wish. You can read his sister Liz’s letter above.
How else can I help?
Share the Fund with someone who might care. The more people who know Jonathan’s story, the more research it can support.
About the hospital
McLean Hospital
For more than two centuries, McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts has cared for people living with mental illness. It is the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a member of the Mass General Brigham system, consistently ranked among the finest psychiatric hospitals in the United States — and home to one of the largest mental-health research programs in the country. Jonathan’s fund does its quiet work within that setting.
