American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770355224
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone
5207331570
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Medical Research N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$51,876
Expenses
$170,625
Assets
$873,074
Liabilities
$90,000

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kristin Thorson (President)
  • Steve Thorson (Vice President & Secretary)

People named in this filing

  • Kristin Thorson (President)
  • Steve Thorson (Vice President & Secretary)
  • Jennifer E Randle (Chief Financial Officer)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association's (AFSA's) two missions are: (1) fund superior quality studies on fibromyalgia and (2) educate patients about this disease so that they can seek improved healthcare and achieve a better quality of life.

What it reported doing in 2024

With research grants from AFSA (typically $85,000 each), scientists advance the understanding of fibromyalgia. Our focus is on causes, treatments, and developing biomarkers for the disease. In the current year, AFSA funded 2 projects and approved the funding for a third project that is pending IRB approval. Project 1: Nicholas Fallon, Ph.D., and Andreas Goebel, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Liverpool (U.K.) are investigating the processes involved in causing fibromyalgia symptoms to flare, with emphasis on the brain and immunological functions. Award amount is $78,058 (U.S. funds).Project 2: Shafaqq Sikandar, Ph.D., at Queen Mary University of London (U.K.) is examining how neutrophils are different in fibromyalgia and will determine if these cells can be used as a biomarker for the disease. Award amount is $74,649 (U.S. funds).Project 3: Katherine Martucci, Ph.D., at Duke University (U.S.) is conducting a treatment trial using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat the pain, fatigue and cognitive symptoms of fibromyalgia with an accelerated protocol targeting the medial prefrontal cortex. Project was approved in June of 2025 for $90,000 and funding is expected in October 2025.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 94% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 94.8%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • 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; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -228.9%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.12; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.2% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 94.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $162K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes foreign activity
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 12/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 18/100.