Ear Research Foundation INC

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Education, Research & treatment of hearing & balance disorders

Form 990 Part I, line 1, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 59-1862386) · Dispute this line
501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
33¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$84K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
The IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
The latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
1 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1K a year · 0.2% of revenue · last 5 filings
A surplus in 1 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
33%
of spending
33% of spending went to programs.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$84K
to officers and key staff · 15% of spending
Pay to officers and key staff is 15% of spending.
Part VII, Section A
1.4 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $316K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
1.4 months of spending in cash.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $12K
3 funders name it on their filings.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$955K
43% of total assets
Liabilities are 43% of assets.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
10
of 13 voting members
10 of 13 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Revenue
$346K
-46% vs prior year
Spent
$552K
To programs
33%
Net assets
$1.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$346K
FY2024▼ -46%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$479K
FY2021$514K
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$638K
FY2024$346K
Expenses
$552K
FY2024▼ -34%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$548K
FY2021$565K
FY2022$717K
FY2023$833K
FY2024$552K
Net assets
$1.3M
FY2024▼ -14%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.2M
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$1.7M
FY2023$1.5M
FY2024$1.3M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Feb 1979.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

33 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 33% · $182K Management & general 65% · $358K Fundraising 2% · $12K

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

14 people listed on the 990; $84K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$84,101Pt VII · Sec A
President/Founder
$0Pt VII · Sec A
VP/Director of Education
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
VP/Director of Research
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chairman/CEO
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2020
Ms Christina Defranisco$84,101$77,390—
Ms Melissa Voigt——$29,594

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.

See Ear Research Foundation INC executive salaries →

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

Provides education, research, and treatment for hearing and balance disorders.

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3 programs · $182K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Educational seminars, workshops & symposiums on treatment of ear and related diseases.

Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 59-1862386) · Dispute this line
$104Kprogram expense
02

Research on treatment of ear and related diseases

Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 59-1862386) · Dispute this line
$54Kprogram expense
03

Clinic & Outreach

Hearing screening tests, treatment of hearing related problems

Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 59-1862386) · Dispute this line
$24Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$12K
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$346K
Ln 12
Other incomeLn 4–11$205K
Investment incomeLn 3$56K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$54K
Money outPt IX
$552K
Ln 25
Programscol B$182K
Managementcol C$358K
Fundraisingcol D$12K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$64K
Total assetsLn 16$2.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$955K
PeoplePt VI, VII
14
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a13
IndependentVI 1b10
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$31K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$7K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$54K
Investment incomeLn 3$56K
Other incomeLn 4–11$205K
Gains on assetsLn 7$46K
Total revenueLn 12$346K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$64K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$64K
Accounts receivableLn 4$144
Notes and loans receivableLn 7$7K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$117K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$316K
Other assetsLn 15$1.7M
Total assetsLn 16$2.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$955K
Net assetsLn 32$1.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$59K$64K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$459K$316K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$140K$117K
Total assetsLn 16$2.5M$2.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.0M$955K
Net assetsLn 32$1.5M$1.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5$84K$84K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$153K$103K$50K
Payroll taxesLn 10$10K$2K$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c$17K$17K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$3K$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$9K$1K$8K
Office expensesLn 13$15K$5K$9K$540
OccupancyLn 16$130K$130K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$22K$7K$16K
InsuranceLn 23$7K$7K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$100K$63K$34K$3K
All other expensesLn 24e$795$265$530
Total functional expensesLn 25$552K$182K$358K$12K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 14, 2025 $346K$552K−$206K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Dec 12, 2024 $638K$833K−$196K$1.5M 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Feb 13, 2024 $1.2M$717K$528K$1.7M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Dec 1, 2022 $514K$565K−$51K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 5, 2021 $479K$548K−$69K$1.2M 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

A · Public support I · Grants O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990
Part I · Summary $346,099 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $88,482$31,074
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $267,824$53,545
I-10 Investment incomePrior year −$1,633$55,999
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $282,943$205,481
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $637,616$346,099
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $343,643$246,730
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $489,684$304,876
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $833,327$551,606
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$195,711−$205,507
Part VI · Governance 10 of 13 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body13
VI-1b Independent voting members10
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $346,099 across 10 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for −$4,829 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$6,892
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$24,182
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$31,074
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $53,545$53,545
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $10,192$10,192
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossUnrelated business $56,013$56,013
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $45,807$45,807
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $154,297$154,297
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $53,545 · Unrelated business $50,892 · Excluded from tax $210,588$346,099
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $551,606 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Management $84,101$84,101
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $103,050 · Management $49,941$152,991
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $2,424 · Management $7,214$9,638
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $16,913$16,913
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $3,475$3,475
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,000 · Fundraising $8,455$9,455
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,923 · Management $9,181 · Fundraising $540$14,644
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $130,103$130,103
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $6,651 · Management $15,517$22,168
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $7,124$7,124
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $63,408 · Management $33,976 · Fundraising $2,815$100,199
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $265 · Management $530$795
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $181,721 · Management $358,075 · Fundraising $11,810$551,606
Part X · Balance sheet $2,205,805 assets, 14 lines filed
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $58,779$63,765
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $11,103$144
X-7 Notes and loans receivableStart of year $18,383$7,071
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $139,605$117,437
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $459,336$315,681
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,781,544$1,701,707
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,468,750$2,205,805
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $9,824$32,223
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $1,003,107$923,270
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $1,012,931$955,493
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $586,249$380,742
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $869,570$869,570
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,455,819$1,250,312
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,468,750$2,205,805
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,250,312 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$346,099
XI-2 Total expenses$551,606
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$205,507
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,455,819
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,250,312

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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