Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 1993.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
21 people listed on the 990; $795K paid to officers and key staff.
Michelle Heritage’s $366K as Executive Director is at the 93rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 360 $1–10M medical research nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 7 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Ransom | — | — | $371,331 | $308,660 | $295,079 | $281,328 |
| Michelle Heritage | $365,800 | $262,990 | — | — | — | — |
| Heather Heart | $170,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Emily Christian | — | $165,667 | $143,081 | $144,769 | $121,630 | — |
| Julia Miglets-Nelson | $131,435 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kimberly Howard | $128,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Julia Mglets-Nelson | — | $123,111 | — | — | — | — |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Funds scientists to accelerate brain disease research and optimize brain health.
Questions for American Brain Foundation
Your first name shows with your question. American Brain Foundation answers here, for everyone.
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In 2025, the foundation invested in research across multiple brain diseases through its next generation research grants and cure one, cure many initiatives. It funded early-career investigators and innovative projects in als, ald, alzheimer's and age-related cognitive decline, epilepsy, frontotemporal degeneration, lewy body diseases…
The foundation advanced public understanding of brain research and brain health through educational content, research updates, patient and caregiver stories, public events, and donor engagement. These efforts helped people see the connections among brain diseases, reduce stigma, and understand the urgency and promise of research.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2025 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY25 | End FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $5.1M | $4.0M |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $12.1M | $14.1M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $0 | $0 |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $21.6M | $22.1M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $1.4M | $3.8M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $20.2M | $18.3M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $8.1M | $8.1M | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $400K | $28K | $180K | $192K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $1.2M | $495K | $52K | $605K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $151K | $52K | $22K | $78K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $115K | $49K | $6K | $60K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $106K | $36K | $15K | $55K |
| Management feesLn 11a | $154K | $154K | ||
| Legal feesLn 11b | $37K | $20K | $6K | $12K |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $27K | $14K | $5K | $8K |
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $74K | $74K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $17K | $9K | $3K | $5K |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $201K | $106K | $34K | $61K |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $90K | $15K | $41K | $35K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $99K | $5K | $11K | $84K |
| TravelLn 17 | $160K | $50K | $88K | $22K |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $13K | $13K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $92K | $11K | $31K | $50K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $11.0M | $9.0M | $734K | $1.3M |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest Viewing | $7.8M | $11.0M | −$3.2M | $18.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $6.2M | $5.3M | $985K | $20.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $10.4M | $5.0M | $5.4M | $19.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $5.9M | $7.7M | −$1.8M | $13.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $8.9M | $4.5M | $4.4M | $16.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $5.9M | $4.1M | $1.8M | $13.7M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $7,843,535 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 17 of 17 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $7,843,535 across 9 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $11,025,024 across 17 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $22,081,098 assets, 15 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $18,317,598 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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