American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Legal name: American Association for Cancer Research Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
236251648
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone
215-440-9300
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Health

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$129,520,731
Expenses
$97,689,916
Assets
$337,461,360
Liabilities
$73,322,531

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

36 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR MARGARET FOTI (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
  • MICHAEL STEWART (SR. VICE PRESIDENT, CFO)
  • DR PATRICIA LORUSSO (PRESIDENT (JAN-MAR))
  • DR LILLIAN SUI (PRESIDENT (APR-DEC))
  • DR LILLIAN SUI (PRESIDENT-ELECT (JAN-MAR))
  • Dr Keith Flaherty (PRESIDENT-ELECT (APR-DEC))

Highest reported compensation

  • DR MARGARET FOTI (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $1,705,978 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL STEWART (SR. VICE PRESIDENT, CFO): $545,581 total reported compensation
  • JON RETZLAFF (CPO & VP SCI. POL. & GOVT. AFF): $491,525 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication, and collaboration.

What it reported doing in 2025

Publications - production & distribution of the journals: "cancer research", "molecular cancer research", "cancer epidemiology biomarkers & prevention", "clinical cancer research", "molecular cancer therapeutics", "cancer prevention research", "cancer discovery", "cancer immunology research", "blood cancer discovery", and "cancer research communications".

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The program-spending lines do not add up, so the filing cannot show reliably whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 81
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 72
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.3%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 87.2%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $35.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 24.6%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.45; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 78.3% of revenue deployed · 87.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 10 filed program accomplishments · $85.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.7M · 36 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $12.8M reported
  • Consistency: 43 of 43 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.