American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand
The American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand is a public charity based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1986, it supports research, education, and outreach to advance care for hand and upper-extremity disorders.
Key facts about American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand
In short: American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $92K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 74-2428242
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,191,372
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- Average grant
- $91,644
- Median grant
- $60,000
- Total assets
- $41,407,204
- Primary geography
- Illinois (53% 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
$41.4M
+12.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
-2.5% YoY
Grant Count
13
+1200.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$92K
-92.5% YoY
How American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+19%). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to advance care for hand and upper-extremity disorders by supporting research, education, and outreach through donations and grant administration. Its grant programs are intended to develop ideas and knowledge in the field, while its education programs fund educational activities and award grants to elevate surgeons’ skills. Its outreach program provides short-term hand-surgery and therapy missions, together with practical education about treatment options in underserved areas. In 2024, the Touching Hands Project conducted missions to Ethiopia and Honduras.
The foundation’s 2024 grantees included organizations whose stated missions involve hand and upper-extremity surgery, medical research, and orthopedic research. For example, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand says its mission is to advance the science and practice of hand and upper-extremity surgery through education, research, and advocacy. Orthocarolina Research Institute says it facilitates orthopedic research, advances treatments, improves patients’ quality of life, and educates the medical community.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $1,191,372. Grant amounts ranged from $20,000 to $627,872, with a median of $60,000. The largest grant was $627,872 to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand for education, research, fellowship, and outreach grants. Other notable awards included $66,250 to Johns Hopkins University for basic science; $66,250 to the Regents of the University of Michigan for clinical research; and $65,000 each to Medstar Health Research Institute for clinical research and a practice grant, the General Hospital Corporation for fast-track/basic science, and the University of Washington for fast-track/basic science.
The foundation also awarded $60,000 to the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine for basic science, $46,000 to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for clinical research, fast-track, and HVO support, and $35,000 to HIA Technologies Inc. for a practice grant. The Henry M. Jackson Foundation describes its work as advancing military medicine and providing services to researchers and clinicians. The foundation’s listed 2024 grants also included a $20,000 joint AFSH/AHTF grant to Orthocarolina Research Institute. Separately, the Spirit of Charity Foundation reported receiving $20,000 in 2024; it describes its mission as supporting patient-centered care, health and wellness, medical research, and education for the benefit of UMCNO, its patients, and friends.
The foundation’s website describes a 2026 travel scholarship for residents, fellows, and active-duty military surgeons to attend the Adrian E. Flatt Residents and Fellows Conference and the ASSH Annual Meeting. The scholarship reimburses eligible travel expenses up to $2,000, including transportation, lodging, meals, and registration, with receipts required. Resident and fellow applicants must be North American and be candidate members or have applied for candidate membership. Military applicants must be on active duty at application and throughout the meeting. Applicants must provide a program-director or equivalent support letter stating whether institutional funding is available; military applicants’ letters must also confirm whether they may attend the entire meeting. These scholarships support participants’ own attendance and are distinct from grants to organizations.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 11% each to recipients in Massachusetts and Maryland, 8% to Michigan, and 5% to Washington. The foundation also made listed grants to recipients in Pennsylvania, California, Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $621K (2020) to $1.2M (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Society for Surgery of the Hand ($628K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
19 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 8 grants of 19 (42%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Society for Surgery of the Hand Chicago, IL | Education, Researchsearch, Fellowship and Outreach Grants | $627,872 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Basic Science | $66,250 |
| The Regents of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Clinical Research | $66,250 |
| Medstar Health Research Institute Boston, MA | Clinical Research, Practice Grant | $65,000 |
| The General Hospital Corporation Boston, MA | Fast Track/Basic Science | $65,000 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Fast Track/ Basic Science | $65,000 |
| Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Bethesda, MD | Basic Science | $60,000 |
| Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Clinical Research Fast Track HVO Support | $46,000 |
| Hia Technologies Inc La Crescenta, CA | Practice Grant | $35,000 |
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX | Goldner Award (Clinical) | $30,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $41,407,204 | $4,263,250 | $2,127,759 | $1,191,372 |
| 2023 | $36,953,787 | $3,389,748 | $1,859,648 | $1,221,634 |
| 2022 | $32,804,790 | $7,353,909 | $1,713,965 | $1,213,537 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $41,407,204 | $36,953,787 | $32,804,790 |
| Revenue | $4,263,250 | $3,389,748 | $7,353,909 |
| Expenses | $2,127,759 | $1,859,648 | $1,713,965 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,277,583 | $974,826 | $5,815,513 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 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 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Edward Diao as president; Jeffrey A. Greenberg as vice chair; William H. Seitz Jr. and L. Scott Levin as chair; and Amy L. Ladd, Duretti T. Fufa, Ana Escagedo, Julie A. Katarincic, R. Glenn Gaston, and Steven L. Moran as trustees.
American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand is led by Edward Diao MD, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 20 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Edward Diao MD
President
Vice President → Afsh President, 2021
Afsh President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William H. Seitz Jr.
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
L. Scott Levin MD
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Chandler
CFO & Foundation Director
CFO → CFO & Foundation Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$15K (2020) → $54K (2024)
Amy L. Ladd
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bobby Chhabra
Trustee
Treasurer → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Moraitis Wolf
Trustee
Treasurer → Assh President Elect, 2021
Assh President Elect → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mihir J. Desai
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tamara D. Rozental
Trustee
Trustee → Assh Research Director, 2021
Assh Research Director → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ana Escagedo
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie A. Katarincic MD
Trustee
Assh Outreach Director → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
R. Glenn Gaston
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan P. Calfee MD
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven L. Moran MD
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brent R. Degeorge
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Duretti T. Fufa MD
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Kleifgn
Digital Project & Content Manager
New on the 2024 filing
5.5 hrs/week
$14K (2024)
Jeffrey A. Greenberg
Vice Chair
Assh President → Trustee, 2022
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Baratz
Vice President
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles A. Goldfarb
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Arnold-Peter C. Weiss MD (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Olivia Williams (2020–2023) — Director of Communications
- Former: Nicole Renn (2022–2023) — Senior Marketing & Communications Manager
- Former: Pamela Schroeder (2022–2023) — Dep Executive Vice President & Interim CEO
- Former: Melissa Garcia (2023) — CEO & Executive Vice President
- Former: Mark C. Anderson (2020–2022) — CEO & Executive Vice President
- Former: Martin I. Boyer MD (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Scott H. Kozin (2020–2022) — Chair
- Former: Haley Licata (2021–2022) — Foundation Director
- Former: Donald H. Lalonde MD (2020–2021) — Outreach Director
- Former: Glenn R. Gaston (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: John G. Seiler III MD (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Kevin C. Chung (2020–2021) — Assh President
- Former: Orsa L. Britton (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Danielle Roesmann (2020) — Foundation Director
- Former: Deana Mercer MD (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Lscott Levin MD (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Terry R. Light (2020) — Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 $54K, to William Chandler (CFO/ Foundation Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 822 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: (312) 880-1900
Website: https://afsh.org
Frequently asked questions about American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand
How much does American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand give each year?
American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 1 grant.
What is American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand's typical grant size?
American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand's median grant in 2024 was $60,000, and its average grant was $91,644, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand give grants?
American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand gives mostly in Illinois: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (11%) and Maryland (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (2 grants) and Ann Arbor, MI (2 grants).
Does American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand's largest grantees?
American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand's largest 2024 grantees include American Society for Surgery of the Hand ($627,872), The Regents of the University of Michigan ($91,250 across 2 grants) and Johns Hopkins University ($66,250), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand?
American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand reported $41.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.3M.
What does American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand fund?
The foundation’s mission is to advance care for hand and upper-extremity disorders by supporting research, education, and outreach through donations and grant administration. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand?
American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check afsh.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand's EIN?
American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2428242. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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