American Epilepsy Society
The American Epilepsy Society (AES) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1936, AES is a community of professionals—including physicians, health care professionals, scientists, advocates, and others—engaged in the understanding, diagnosis, study, prevention, treatment, and cure of epilepsy. The organization employs 34 people and operates in five countries.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$20.3M
+5.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
+1.1% YoY
Grant Count
40
-2.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$38K
+3.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The American Epilepsy Society promotes research and education for professionals dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of epilepsy, working toward a world without epilepsy.
Core Activities:
- Facilitating education and research for epilepsy professionals
- Supporting continuing education, career development, and mentoring
- Promoting basic and clinical research in diagnosis, treatment, and cure of epilepsy
- Developing and disseminating evidence-based guidelines and best practices
- Improving public awareness of epilepsy and its impact on the one in 26 Americans who will suffer from epilepsy during their lifetime
- Advancing public policy and institutional support for epilepsy care
Program Areas:
- Annual meetings for medical professionals to enhance knowledge about latest therapies and steps toward finding a cure
- Research initiatives geared toward finding a cure and developing more effective treatments
- Continuing medical education for medical professionals
- Public education through website and member programs
Grantmaking
AES is an active grantmaker supporting epilepsy research and professional development.
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $6,500 to $130,000.
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
AES funds research and programs primarily in California, New York, and Massachusetts, though the organization operates internationally across five countries including India, Oman, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $19,332,170 (2023)
- Total revenues: $10,000,415 (2023)
- Total expenses: $9,832,791 (2023)
- Annual revenue: $4.5 million (alternative reporting)
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) organization; tax-exempt since March 1975; EIN: 04-6112600
Financial Transparency: AES publishes annual IRS Form 990 filings and maintains a commitment to careful stewardship of all revenue sources. Form 990s are available for 2024, 2023, and 2022.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $20,305,116 | $19,332,170 | $17,665,869 |
| Revenue | $10,460,621 | $10,000,415 | $9,656,912 |
| Expenses | $10,434,761 | $9,832,791 | $9,053,944 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $537,596 | $268,816 | $514,224 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
171 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
12 open opportunities from American Epilepsy Society
AES Infrastructure Grants
AMERICAN EPILEPSY SOCIETY
Amount
Up to US $50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
AES Research and Training Workshop Grants
AMERICAN EPILEPSY SOCIETY
Amount
US $10,000 - US $20,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
AES Seed Grants
AMERICAN EPILEPSY SOCIETY
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA, FASAE, CAE – Chief Executive Officer
- James Polous – Listed as key executive (specific title not provided)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MANISHA N PATEL PHD FAES | PRESIDENT EMERITUS | 5 | — |
| WILLIAM H THEODORE MD | PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| HOWARD P GOODKIN MD PHD | FIRST VICE PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| FRED A LADO MD PHD | TREASURER | 5 | — |
| VIJI SANTHAKUMAR PHD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JORGE A GONZALEZ-MARTINEZ MD PHD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANNAPURNA PODURI MD MPH FAES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KELLY G KNUPP MD MSCS FAES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JACK M PARENT MD | SECOND VICE PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| BARBARA C JOBST MD FAES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RENEE A SHELLHAAS MD MS FAES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| EILEEN MURRAY | CEO | 45 | $426,706 |
| SUSAN OLIVER | ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $143,986 |
| JAMES POLOUS | DIRECTOR - TECH SOLUTIONS | 40 | $166,065 |
| CHRISTINA GRAHAM | DIRECTOR - EDUCATION | 40 | $157,359 |
| SHAWNA STRICKLAND | ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $200,334 |
| JOY KELLER | SENIOR MANAGER - CLINICAL | 40 | $123,023 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
AES awarded 2024 Summer Research Grants to support early-career researchers
AES Awards 2024 Summer Research GrantsThe organization continues to expand early-career funding opportunities
Early Career Funding Opportunities - American Epilepsy SocietyAES received a grant to improve diagnostic excellence through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMSS)
American Epilepsy Society Awarded Grant to Improve Diagnostic ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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