American Brain Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
411717098
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone
8667707570
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Neurology, Neuroscience Research

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$7,843,535
Expenses
$11,025,024
Assets
$22,081,098
Liabilities
$3,763,500

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHELLE HERITAGE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MICHELLE HERITAGE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $400,075 total reported compensation
  • HEATHER HEART (DEPUTY DIRECTOR): $170,000 total reported compensation
  • JULIA MIGLETS-NELSON (DIRECTOR, RESEARCH PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS): $143,175 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The american brain foundation accelerates breakthrough research across brain diseases and disorders by investing in innovative science, early-career investigators, and cross-disease discoveries that advance treatments, cures, and brain health for all.

What it reported doing in 2025

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, multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular disease, neurological health disparities, parkinson's disease, peripheral neuropathy, and stroke. These grants help launch research careers; more than 95% of nearly 330 foundation-funded investigators have secured follow-on support from nih or other major funders. The foundation also advanced two cross-disease initiatives to target shared mechanisms and accelerate discoveries for patients.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 90% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 27
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 81.9%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 48th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -40.6%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.6%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.7% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 81.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $400K · 21 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $115K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 19/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 57/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 42/100.