Aats Foundation is a public charity based in Fairfax, Virginia, formed in 1973. It supports cardiothoracic surgeons in research and education through scholarships, fellowships, awards, and research programs.
Key facts about Aats Foundation
In short: Aats Foundation gave $808K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $35K), top state California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 23-7288866
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $807,709
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- Average grant
- $35,118
- Median grant
- $40,000
- Total assets
- $13,028,010
- Primary geography
- California (18% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$13.0M
+1.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$808K
+5.7% YoY
Grant Count
23
+21.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$35K
-12.7% YoY
How Aats Foundation gives
- 20% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−8%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to “support cardiothoracic surgeons in research and education.” Its programs include support for clinical and translational research by young cardiothoracic surgeons, including research on quality and outcomes and on innovative therapies, procedures, and technologies. Other named programs include the Graham Traveling Fellowship, Medical Student Diversity Scholarship, Resident Research Cardiac Scholarship, Summer Intern Program, and several named fellowship and scholarship programs.
Its 2024 grants went to universities, hospitals, and other institutions. For example, West Virginia University describes its mission as fostering and supporting research at WVU; Johns Hopkins University describes its mission as educating students, fostering independent research, and bringing the benefits of discovery to the world. Children’s Wisconsin describes its work as providing integrated pediatric health care, while City of Hope describes its mission as making hope a reality for people touched by cancer and diabetes. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the Foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 23 grants totaling $807,709. Grant amounts ranged from $8,500 to $80,000, with a median of $40,000. The filing says research grants are generally $40,000–$80,000 per grantee, with amounts dependent on available unrestricted funding or restricted-donation agreements. It describes this support as helping young investigators begin research efforts and pursue larger funding opportunities.
Among the largest reported 2024 grants were $80,000 to Stanford University for research scholarships; $65,000 to the American Association for Thoracic Surgery for Edwards 2020; and $50,000 each to Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin for the Surgical Investigator Program. Other $50,000 grants included awards to City of Hope for the AATS Foundation Equity Award, Johns Hopkins University for the Surgical Investigator Program and the WTS Mid-Career Investigator Award, and West Virginia University for the Surgical Investigator Program. The Foundation also gave $10,000 to Temple University in 2024.
The filing says award recipients must report upon completion of their research or fellowships, and that the Foundation verifies direct grants to supported organizations are used for approved scholarships.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest reported shares were California (18%), New York (17%), Massachusetts (15%), Virginia (13%), and Maryland (12%). These figures describe the locations of 2024 recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2018 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $29K (2020) to $880K (2021). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $808K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Johns Hopkins University ($100K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $614K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 30 grants of 67 (45%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University Redwood City, CA | Research Scholarships | $80,000 |
| American Association for Thoracic Surgery Fairfax, VA | Edwards 2020 | $65,000 |
| Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA | Surgical Investigator Program | $50,000 |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milkwaukee, WI | Surgical Investigator Program | $50,000 |
| City of Hope Duarte, CA | Aats Foundation Equity Award | $50,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Surgical Investigator Program | $50,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | WTS Mid-Career Investigator Award | $50,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital - Research Boston, MA | WTS Mid-Career Investigator Award | $50,000 |
| Trustees of Columbia University New York, NY | Surgical Investigator Program | $50,000 |
| Weill Medical College of Cornell University New York, NY | Surgical Investigator Program | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,028,010 | $2,798,765 | $2,952,370 | $807,709 (23 grants) |
| 2023 | $12,835,336 | $2,187,997 | $2,656,714 | $764,000 (19 grants) |
| 2022 | $12,292,242 | $2,768,395 | $2,214,957 | $643,578 (10 grants) |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $13,028,010 | $12,835,336 | $12,292,242 |
| Revenue | $2,798,765 | $2,187,997 | $2,768,395 |
| Expenses | $2,952,370 | $2,656,714 | $2,214,957 |
| Net Investment Income | $760,343 | $646,135 | $201,521 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS January 24, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David H. Adams, MD, as president; Marc R. Moon, MD, as vice president; Y. Joseph Woo, MD, as secretary; and Leonard N. Girardi, MD, as treasurer. Directors listed are Emile A. Bacha, MD; Yolonda L. Colson, MD; Joseph S. Coselli, MD; Gilles Dreyfus; Aubrey Galloway, MD; and A. Marc Gillinov, MD.
Aats Foundation is led by David R. Bobbitt Msc MBA, Chief Executive Officer on every filing since 2022; none of the 23 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David R. Bobbitt Msc MBA
Chief Executive Officer
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David H. Adams MD
President
Vice President → President, 2020
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David R. Jones
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph S. Coselli MD
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mehmet C. Oz MD
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pedro J. Del Nido MD
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vaughn A. Starnes MD
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yolonda L. Colson MD
Director
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emile A. Bacha MD
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James D. Luketich MD
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lars G. Svensson
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rosemary F. Kelly MD
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
A. Marc Gillinov MD
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aubrey Galloway MD
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gilles Dreyfus
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Gibson
Director of Marketing & Communications
New on the 2024 filing
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maral Ouzounian
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marc R. Moon MD
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2018
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Binette
Vice President, Development & Strategic Partnerships
Senior Director of Meetings & Industry → Senior Director of Meeting, 2022
Senior Director of Meeting → Vice President, Development & Strategic Partnerships, 2024
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adam Silva
Vice President of Administration
Director of Administration & Quality → Director of Administration, 2022
Director of Administration → Vice President of Administration, 2024
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leonard N. Girardi MD
Treasurer
Treasurer-Elect → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Y. Joseph Woo MD
Secretary
Secretary-Elect → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deborah McClintock
Chief Financial Officer
New on the 2024 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: Ralph J. Damiano Jr. MD (2018–2023) — Director
- Former: Timothy J. Gardner MD (2018–2023) — Director
- Former: Cara Gensel-Hrubes (2020–2023) — Director of It
- Former: Daniela Molena MD (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Spencer McGrath (2020–2023) — Director of Publications
- Former: David Neal (2023) — Senior Director of Finance
- Former: Ishaque Arthur (2023) — Senior Program Manager Aqg
- Former: Andrea E. Mancinelli (2018–2022) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: James L. Cox MD (2018–2022) — Director
- Former: Kathryn Federico (2022) — Director
- Former: David Bobbitt (2021) — Chief Executive Officer
- Former: Richard Zink (2021) — Web Community Manager
- Former: Cynthia L. Vercolen (2018–2020) — Executive Director
- Former: Hartzell V. Schaff MD (2018–2020) — Director
- Former: Gregory Zaralides (2020) — Director of Meetings
- Former: Richard Mouser (2020) — Adiministrative Director
- Former: Shaf Keshavjee MD (2020) — Director
- Former: David J. Sugarbaker MD (2018) — President
- Former: Mary Linskey (2018) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Thomas L. Spray (2018) — Secretary-Treasurer
- Former: Thoralf M. Sundt MD (2018) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 10304 Eaton Place Suite 100 1040, Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: (978) 252-2200
Website: https://aatsfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Aats Foundation
How much does Aats Foundation give each year?
Aats Foundation gave $808K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $764K across 19 grants.
What is Aats Foundation's typical grant size?
Aats Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $40,000, and its average grant was $35,118, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Aats Foundation give grants?
Aats Foundation's top state is California, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (17%) and Massachusetts (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (3 grants), Philadelphia, PA (3 grants), Baltimore, MD (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Aats Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Aats Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Surgical Investigator Program" (6 grants) and "Marc R. De Leval Fellowship" (5 grants).
Who are Aats Foundation's largest grantees?
Aats Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Johns Hopkins University ($100,000 across 2 grants), Stanford University ($80,000) and Boston Children's Hospital ($68,500 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Aats Foundation?
Aats Foundation reported $13.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.8M.
What does Aats Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to “support cardiothoracic surgeons in research and education.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Aats Foundation?
Aats Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check aatsfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Aats Foundation's EIN?
Aats Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7288866. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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