Mission
The American Brain Foundation brings researchers and donors together in the relentless pursuit of prevention, improved treatments, and cures for brain diseases and disorders. We invest in research across the whole spectrum of brain disease, including ALS, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, neuromuscular disease, epilepsy, and more. We know brain diseases are interconnected, and our innovative, whole-brain approach gives us an edge in understanding and combating them.
Ruling year
1993
Principal Officer
Jane Ransom
Main address
201 Chicago Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55415 USA
Formerly known as
American Academy of Neurology Foundation
EIN
41-1717098
NTEE code
Neurology, Neuroscience (G96)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2020, 2019 and 2018.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, stroke and migraine affect 2 billion people worldwide. These diseases are among the leading causes of disability in the world. Another 100 million Americans live with mental health disorders and chronic pain, both of which are associated with functional and structural changes within the brain. As a result, there are very few among us who are not directly or indirectly touched by brain disease. This makes our mission to defeat brain disease and find cures critical.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Cure One, Cure Many Program
The American Brain Foundation’s Cure One, Cure Many program supports breakthrough research in brain disease. The program provides large-scale, catalyst funding to the world’s top researchers who are pursuing the most innovative, cross-cutting approaches to finding diagnoses, treatments, and cures for brain disease. The program targets research topics that cut across multiple disease areas.
The program has multiple research awards, including an annual Cure One, Cure Many Award. The 2022 Cure One, Cure Many Award is a research award for early diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD). In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and the American Academy of Neurology, the American Brain Foundation is seeking to accelerate progress in the diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD). LBD is the most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, LBD can only be definitively diagnosed with a brain autopsy after death. As a result of a delay in diagnosis and misdiagnosis, people with LBD and their caregivers endure daily challenges and uncertainty. The goal of the 2022 Cure One, Cure Many Award is to attract the best minds in brain disease research to find a biomarker (diagnostic test) for LBD.
Next Generation Research Grants
The American Brain Foundation’s Next Generation Research Grants fund and support innovative investigations by the best and brightest early-career researchers. Our Next Generation Research Grants have provided millions of dollars to support the next generation of clinical neuroscience researchers in all areas of brain disease, encouraging passion for research and laying the groundwork for future success. Funding research across a broad spectrum of the brain is our best hope for finding better treatments, prevention, and cures for brain diseases and disorders.
• Over $34 million have been raised for Next Generation Research grants.
• 300+ researchers have received scholarships and funding.
• 86% of grant recipients have gone on to secure funding from the NIH and other national funders.
Public Awareness Campaign
Our brains are the most complex organism in the known universe. There are over 600 diseases of the brain and nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, brain cancer, and migraine. Unfortunately, most of these diseases do not have a cure.
What many people don’t realize is that these brain diseases are interrelated by common biological mechanisms, and if we can find those connections, we won’t just find a cure for one brain disease, we will find a cure for many diseases.
The American Brain Foundation is on a mission to raise awareness about brain disease and the need for research. We are committed to sharing valuable and trustworthy resources, including recaps of groundbreaking research in the world of neurology, stories from those impacted by brain disease, and information and facts about brain diseases and disorders.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsTotal dollar amount active for brain research
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of brain diseases and neurological conditions addressed through research projects funded by the American Brain Foundation
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Funding research across a broad spectrum of the brain and nervous system is our best hope for finding better treatments, prevention, and cures for the brain diseases. That is why the American Brain Foundation has invested millions of dollars to support innovative scientific investigations by the best and the brightest researchers. We hope to continue to grow and expand these programs through increased awareness around our research funding and deepened partnerships with new organizational and individual partners.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The American Brain Foundation focuses on expanding opportunities for early-career clinician-scientists, developing research on healthcare disparities in neurology, and creating special research initiatives to have an impact on multiple brain diseases simultaneously.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The American Brain Foundation partners with the most respected organizations in the neuroscience community working to defeat specific diseases of the brain and nervous system. We are honored to partner with these leaders in the brain disease space.
All research funded by the American Brain Foundation is selected by our panel of experts on our Research Advisory Committee, and our founder and research partner, the American Academy of Neurology, the world's largest association of neurologists and neuroscientists. This unique partnership allows us access the best and brightest minds to source the most high-risk high-reward research on brain disease.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since 1992, we have been awarding grants in every area of brain disease, investing more than $33 million in research and granting scholarships and funding to more than 270 researchers to date. 86% of our researchers go on to secure funding from the NIH and other national funders and have lifelong research careers.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We provide research grants to clinical neuroscience researchers investigating improved prevention, better treatment, and cures for brain disease. We serve all individuals who are impacted by brain disease, including patients and caregivers, by providing resources and education.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We modified our content to better align with what our audience is most interested in.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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American Brain Foundation
Board of directorsas of 12/08/2022
Dr. David Dodick
Mayo Clinic
Robert Griggs
David Eagleman
James Essey
Jane Ransom
Dan Gasby
Ben Lenail
James Grotta
Merit Cudkowicz
Jacqueline French
Alyx Porter
Sean Sansiveri
Frances Jensen
Ralph Leslie
Mary Post
Ron Petersen
David Eagleman
Orly Avitzur
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/05/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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