National Ataxia Foundation Incorporated

What it reported doing in 2025

NAF is committed to funding cutting-edge basic and translational research into hereditary and sporadic ataxia. The goals of NAF's research program are to further elucidate the disease mechanisms of ataxias, bring early-career clinicians and scientists into ataxia research, and help drive the field towards developing treatments and a cure for ataxia. Annual grants are selected through a competitive review process that includes NAF's Medical and Research Advisory Board members and over 80 leading ataxia scientists and clinicians, both domestic and international. Each year NAF awards grants to researchers from domestic and international non-profit and for-profit institutions that directly support basic and translational ataxia research through the following funding mechanisms:1. Pioneer SCA3 Translational Research Awards: Annually granted to outstanding research proposals that aim to make significant advancements in the development of treatments and/or improvements to patient care for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3). Proposals may incorporate other forms of ataxia but must have a predominant focus on SCA3 translational or clinical research. 2. Seed Money Research Grant: Granted primarily as "seed monies" to assist investigators in the early or pilot phase of their studies and as additional support for ongoing investigations on demonstration of need. It is hoped that these studies will be further developed to attract future funding from other sources. 3. Post-doctoral Fellowship Award: Post-doctoral fellowship awards are to serve as a bridge from post-doctoral positions to junior faculty positions. Applicants should have completed at least one year of post-doctoral training, but not more than two at the time of application and should have shown a commitment to research in the field of ataxia. The award will permit individuals to spend an additional third year in a post-doctoral position and increase chances to establish an independent ataxia research program.4. Early Career Investigator Award: The Early Career Investigator Award was created to encourage early career clinical and scientific investigators to pursue a career in the field of ataxia research. 5. Pre-doctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Ataxia Research: Merit-based award intended to enhance research and/or clinical training of promising graduate students from historically underrepresented backgrounds who are matriculated in pre-doctoral or clinical health professional degree training programs and who intend careers as scientists or other clinician-scientists within the field of ataxia. 6. National Ataxia Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship: The National Ataxia Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship is a competitive, non-renewable, merit-based award intended to encourage pre-doctoral students to pursue research and a career in the field of ataxia. 7. NAF Special Grants: Based on the emergent needs of the patient and research community, priority areas of ataxia research may be identified as eligible for specialized grant funding by NAF and may be awarded outside of the annual grant programs. One of these programs is the NAF Ataxia Brain Tissue Donation Program (In Memory of Carol Tate). NAF has partnered with the University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank (UMBTB) to relaunch the Ataxia Brain Tissue Donation Program. Brain tissue helps researchers advance our understanding of ataxia and to develop new therapies. NAF finacially supports brain donors from rural and remote communities to donate to the University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 38.2%; rating input score 38
• Program expense ratio: 78.7%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • 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: 98.7%; rating input score 99; 41st 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: 53%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.94; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 14.3%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.3% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings