Lupus Research Alliance Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

The lupus research alliance (lra) advanced its scientific mission in 2025 by strengthening its research strategy, expanding operational grantmaking activities, and advancing collaborative initiatives designed to accelerate progress in lupus diagnosis, treatment, and clinical trial readiness.in 2025, lra implemented the second year of its 2024-2028 research strategy. As part of this work, lra renewed the common mechanisms in autoimmune diseases program and advanced planning for biomarker and data strategies intended to support more precise, efficient, and collaborative lupus research.lra's grantmaking programs, including the global team science award, empowering research program, lupus innovation award, translational bridge award, and mechanistic clinical trial award, continued to support innovative and translational lupus research. During 2025, lra also released multiple requests for applications through the global team science award and continued the administrative supplement training program to help strengthen the lupus research workforce. To increase awareness of its scientific programs and research findings, lra presented work at major scientific meetings and convened its annual forum for discovery and additional program-specific investigator meetings.operational improvements included the selection and implementation of a new grant management system, the recruitment and onboarding of staff members including administrators and scientists and continuing the strengthening of the research team through targeted team-building and professional development efforts. Lupus abc has been successfully established as a model public-private partnership in the regulatory space, demonstrating leadership and innovation in advancing lupus therapy development. Since its launch, participation in lupus abc, including engagement from the fda, has grown threefold, highlighting the consortium's convening power and collaborative influence. Works from lupus abc has resulted in five publications, including one with the fda's acknowledgment of clasi 70 as a primary efficacy endpoint in cutaneous lupus clinical trials, marking a significant advancement in clinical outcome measurement. In addition, lupus abc launched three new working groups, two of which focus on patient-reported outcomes (pro) to further integrate patient perspectives into research and regulatory strategies. The third working group centers on immune reset therapies, a rapidly evolving field with promising potential for individuals with lupus. In 2025, lupus abc released its first request for proposals (rfp) with new projects selected for support to be announced in mid-2026.lupus nexus completed its infrastructure build and officially launched to both research and patient communities. It finalized foundational analysis plans, selected key vendors, and recruited 635 participants. Additionally, 7 new clinical sites were activated through lucin (see below), and a sustainable financial model with a defined membership fee structure was established. The program was presented at 8 scientific conferences, helping to spread the word about the resource available to the research community.lupus therapeutics, llc: the lra founded lupus therapeutics, llc (lt) as the clinical research affiliate of the lra in 2018. With this addition, the lra is the only organization leading lupus research across the continuum from accelerating basic discoveries in the lab through clinical evaluation of new therapies. Lt is actively supporting several clinical studies for new therapies through the lupus clinical investigators network (lucin). Lt oversees lucin, a north america-based lupus clinical trials network of 60+ premier research medical centers. The lra provided over $2.4 million in grants in 2025 to continue funding top academic centers to foster robust, high quality clinical trial conduct with participation across north america.lt also offers expertise combined with that of 250+ lucin providers and the lra t

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 78.7%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $2.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Pass
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Pass
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th 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; 64th 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: -77.8%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.1; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.45; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.7%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings