Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is a public charity based in New York, New York. Founded in 1998, it funds research in academia and the biotech industry to accelerate the development of drugs and diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Key facts about Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
In short: Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation gave $54.8M across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $2.1M), top state California. 73% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 20-1082179
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $54,800,524
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- Average grant
- $2,107,712
- Median grant
- $694,460
- New grantees (estimate)
- 73% first-time grantees (19 of 26, 2024)
- Total assets
- $299,394,693
- Primary geography
- California (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Submit an LOI through the ADDF Funding Portal for a relevant funding opportunity. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The Funding Opportunities page lists September 14, 2026, as the LOI deadline for its therapeutics funding programs.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$299.4M
-7.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$54.8M
+53.6% YoY
Grant Count
26
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2.1M
+53.6% YoY
Is Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation open to new grantees?
73%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 19 of 26 grantees (73%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2.2M; repeat grants $1.7M. How we count
Medians: $789K first-time, $494K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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
ADDF’s mission is to rapidly accelerate the development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease. Its stated scope also includes related dementias, including frontotemporal, vascular, and Lewy body dementias.
ADDF funds academic centers and biotechnology companies worldwide. Its focus areas include IND-enabling studies and early-stage clinical trials; development and validation of plasma, CSF, neuroimaging, and digital biomarkers; and prevention research. Its drug-development program considers novel, repurposed, and repositioned drugs, natural products, and devices. ADDF’s strategy also supports diverse approaches, including small molecules, biologics, gene therapies, and non-pharmacologic devices.
Recipients in 2024 included both research institutions and other organizations. For example, Johns Hopkins University describes its mission as fostering independent research and bringing the benefits of discovery to the world. The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative says it works to drive scientific discovery and align health systems, including in low-resource environments.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, ADDF reported 26 grants totaling $54,800,524. The grants ranged from $9,992 to $10,016,094, with a median of $694,460. ADDF’s website describes its funding as mission-related investments, which may involve returns tied to scientific or business milestones. It says academic investments typically include a share of potential commercial returns, while biotech investments may use convertible notes, equity, royalties, or milestone agreements.
Review Cycle
The Funding Opportunities page lists September 14, 2026, as the LOI deadline for its therapeutics funding programs.
How to Apply
begins with a letter of intent (LOI) submitted through its funding portal. ADDF’s science team reviews LOIs for fit with its mission and funding priorities. Invited full proposals receive external scientific and business review, followed by further due diligence. LOIs request project information and brief descriptions of the scientific rationale, specific aims or milestones, and supporting data. Applicants may submit one LOI per cycle; biotechnology companies are limited to one LOI and one invited full proposal per cycle. Academic institutions may have multiple applicants submit different projects in a cycle. Therapeutics applicants may resubmit up to twice if they address reviewer concerns. Beginning in 2026, a full proposal must be submitted in the same cycle as its LOI.
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
ADDF-Harrington Scholar Program Grant
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
Amount
Up to US $600,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Conference Funding
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Diagnostics Accelerator: Digital Biomarkers Program Grant
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
ADDF says it funds academic centers and biotech companies around the world. In 2024, the largest shares of reported grant dollars went to recipients in California (38%), Massachusetts (16%), Missouri (13%), and Texas (11%); New York recipients received 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $16.8M (2020) to $54.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $54.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Alamar Biosciences ($10.0M). Together the top 10 received $48.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
128 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 37 grants of 128 (29%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alamar Biosciences Fremont, CA | Alzheimers Research | $10,016,094 |
| C2N Diagnostics St. Louis, MO | Alzheimers Research | $7,025,121 |
| Pharmatrophix Menlo Park, CA | Alzheimers Research | $5,609,700 |
| Coya Therapeutics Houston, TX | Alzheimers Research | $5,000,000 |
| Metro International Biotechedenroc Cambridge, MA | Alzheimers Research | $5,000,000 |
| Modulo Bio Inc San Diego, CA | Alzheimers Research | $4,845,794 |
| University of Nevada Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV | Alzheimers Research | $3,247,762 |
| Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals Cambridge, MA | Alzheimers Research | $2,999,586 |
| Davos Alzheimers Collaborative Philadelphia, PA | Alzheimers Research | $2,500,000 |
| University of Arizona - Health Sciences Tucson, AZ | Alzheimers Research | $1,774,201 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $299,394,693 | $47,282,987 | $88,250,427 | $54,800,524 | 26 |
| 2023 | $324,173,528 | $37,742,020 | $61,943,588 | $35,675,288 | 26 |
| 2022 | $340,253,841 | $254,027,105 | $36,842,901 | $21,272,540 | 18 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $299,394,693 | $324,173,528 | $340,253,841 |
| Revenue | $47,282,987 | $37,742,020 | $254,027,105 |
| Expenses | $88,250,427 | $61,943,588 | $36,842,901 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,534,433 | $3,119,933 | $-2,054,312 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS November 16, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 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 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Howard Fillit as founding executive director and chief science officer. It lists the following governors: Adam Hoffman, Alice Shure, Ann Jackson, Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Carol Boulanger, David Weinreb, Gary M. Lauder, and Henrik Zetterberg.
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is led by Mark Roithmayr, CEO on every filing since 2019; 8 of 37 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mark Roithmayr
CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$153K (2020) → $651K (2024)
Howard Fillit MD
Founding Executive Director & Chief Science Officer
Founding Executive Director & Chief Science Officer → Founding Executive Director & Chief Sci. Officer, 2023
Founding Executive Director & Chief Sci. Officer → Founding Executive Director & Chief Science Officer, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$426K (2019) → $663K (2024)
Laura Nisenbaum
Executive Director & Drug Development
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$430K (2022) → $443K (2024)
Leonard A. Lauder
Co-Chairman & Governor
Co-Chair & Governor → Co-Chairman & Governor, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald S. Lauder
Co-Chairman & Governor
Co-Chair & Governor → Co-Chairman & Governor, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eli Shobin
Senior Director Dxa
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$236K (2024)
Karen Harris
CFO & Head of Mission Related Investment
CFO & Head of Mission Relate → CFO & Head of Mission, 2023
CFO & Head of Mission → CFO & Head of Mission Related Investment, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$110K (2021) → $369K (2024)
Jane McIntosh
Chief External Affairs
Chief External Affairs & Philanthropy Officer → Chief External Affairs, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$310K (2022) → $378K (2024)
Aaron Burstein
Head of Search & Evaluation
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$302K (2023) → $314K (2024)
Lakita Cavin
Attorney & Mission-Related
Attorney & Mission-Related Investments → Attorney & Mission-Related, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$208K (2023) → $220K (2024)
Alice Shure
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bonnie Pfeifer Evans
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary M. Lauder
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lanny Edelsohn MD
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
LAURENCE C LEEDS Jr.
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Corzine
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Goodes
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paula Zahn
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Randal Sandler
Co-Vice Chairman & Secretary
Vice Chair & Governor → Co-Vice Chairman, Secretary & Governor, 2022
Co-Vice Chairman, Secretary & Governor → Co-Vice Chairman & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Mohs PhD
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roberta Diaz Brinton PhD
Governor
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas F. McWilliams
Co-Vice Chairman & Treasurer
Governor → Co-Vice Chairman, Treasurer & Governor, 2022
Co-Vice Chairman, Treasurer & Governor → Co-Vice Chairman & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Weinreb
Governor
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Sager
Governor
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miia Kivipelto MD PhD
Governor
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Smith Jr.
Governor
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adam Hoffman
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann Jackson
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Boulanger
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henrik Zetterberg MD PhD
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julieann Shanahan CFA
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Steele
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Niranjan Bose PhD
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Philip Scheltens MD PhD
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachid Izzar
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ric Edelman
Governor
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: Robert A. Belfer (2019–2023) — Governor
- Former: Sandra Day O'Connor (2020–2023) — Honorary Chairman
- Former: Beatriz Illescas Putzeys-Claugus (2022–2023) — Governor
- Former: Melvin Goodes (2022–2023) — Honorary Governor
- Former: Christopher Carlson (2023) — Director, Search & Evaluation
- Former: Sally Susman (2021–2022) — Honorary Governor
- Former: Jennifer S. Iselin (2022) — Director & Special Events
- Former: Marina D'emic (2022) — Director of Finance
- Former: Sarah Giardina (2022) — Associate Director & Dxa
- Former: Beatriz Iiiescas (2020–2021) — Governor
- Former: Mel Goodes (2020–2021) — Governor
- Former: Shobha Prushothama (2020–2021) — Scientist
- Former: Giorgio Zeolla (2021) — Director
- Former: Janie Shissler (2021) — Scientist
- Former: Mark Forman (2021) — Scientist
- Former: BRUCE McEWEN PhD (2019–2020) — Governor
- Former: Kevin Dieterich (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Lisa Somar (2019–2020) — Assistant Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Lauren Friedman (2020) — Scientist
- Former: Yuko Hara (2020) — Scientist
- Former: Steven Marc Paul MD (2019) — Governor
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $663K, to Howard Fillit MD (Founding Exec. DIR. & Chief Science Off.). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 57 West 57Th St 904, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 901-8000
Website: https://alzdiscovery.org
Frequently asked questions about Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
How much does Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation give each year?
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation gave $54.8M across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $35.7M across 26 grants.
What is Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's typical grant size?
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $694,460, and its average grant was $2,107,712, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation that year got $2.2M on average.
Where does Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation give grants?
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's top state is California, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Massachusetts (16%) and Missouri (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants), Cambridge, MA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 26 grants with a stated purpose on Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Alzheimers Research" (26 grants).
Who are Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's largest grantees?
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Alamar Biosciences ($10,016,094), C2N Diagnostics ($7,025,121) and Pharmatrophix ($5,609,700), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation?
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation reported $299.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $47.3M.
What does Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation fund?
ADDF’s mission is to rapidly accelerate the development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease. Its stated scope also includes related dementias, including frontotemporal, vascular, and Lewy body dementias. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation?
Submit an LOI through the ADDF Funding Portal for a relevant funding opportunity. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's EIN?
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1082179. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?