Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

Legal name: National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
311020010
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
646-681-4888 / 800-829-8289
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$27,686,049
Expenses
$16,481,525
Assets
$62,418,636
Liabilities
$16,992,149

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN R OSTERHAUS (VICE PRESIDENT (SECRETARY THRU 10/28/24))
  • MIRIAM KATOWITZ (TREASURER (VICE PRESIDENT THRU 10/28/24))
  • JEFFREY BORENSTEIN (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • JEFFREY BORENSTEIN (PRESIDENT & CEO): $648,461 total reported compensation
  • LOUIS INNAMORATO CPA (CFO): $465,224 total reported compensation
  • FAITH ROTHBLATT (VP OF DEVELOPMENT): $333,713 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding scientific research grants that will ultimately enable people to live full, happy and productive lives.

What it reported doing in 2024

Expenses to provide research grants, select prospective grantees, submit proposals and further promote scientific advancement and research into the causes, cures, and prevention of chronic and severe mental illnesses. In addition to the expenses reported, the reporting organization's scientific council contributed services of $1,590,810. (donated services are not reported as either revenue or expense as per IRS form 990 instructions.) the scientific council consists of a group of scientists who are leaders in neuroscience and psychiatry. These volunteers primarily review research grants and projects on behalf of the organization. Also, in 2024 the reporting organization utilized a grant which provided online advertising, at no cost, having a value of $464,145.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 91% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 85% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 67.2%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 82.4%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.3 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 95%; rating input score 95; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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: Pass
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 40.5%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.79; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.27; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -6.7% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 67.2% of revenue deployed · 82.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $13.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $648K · 27 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $320K reported
  • Consistency: 43 of 44 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 87 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 82 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.
  • 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 56/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.