Autism Speaks Inc. is the largest autism research organization in the United States and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to autism awareness, research, and advocacy. Based in Washington, DC, the organization operates with 166 employees and 35,000 volunteers. Founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright and his wife Suzanne, Autism Speaks was created following their grandson Christian's autism diagnosis. The organization has grown through strategic mergers with the Autism Coalition for Research and Education (2005), the National Alliance for Autism Research (2006), and Cure Autism Now (2007).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$35.3M
-14.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.3M
-29.9% YoY
Grant Count
31
-13.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$107K
-18.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Autism Speaks is dedicated to creating an inclusive world for all individuals with autism throughout their lifespan. The organization pursues this mission through five primary strategic pillars:
Ensure Access to Reliable Information and Services Across the Lifespan
- Expanding resources and empowering people with best practice services
- Bringing autism education and inclusion to the forefront
- Fostering and amplifying innovative autism work
- Ensuring culturally competent and accessible resources
Support Research and Innovation to Improve Quality of Life
- Bridging basic, clinical, and social sciences to drive personalized healthcare
- Increasing federal funding in research and supports
- Escalating research in challenging behavior, special care needs, and the aging process
- Expanding global open science infrastructure
Convene Service Providers Through Advocacy, Partnering, and Collaboration
- Leveraging assets to expand access to information and supports
- Partnering with external experts to expand quality of care
- Addressing gaps and opportunities in service delivery
- Enhancing support for those with challenging behaviors
Speed Delivery of Solutions for Adult Quality of Life Needs
- Driving support for transition, housing, and aging programs
- Growing employer engagement through Workplace Inclusion Now™
- Promoting inclusive, welcoming communities
- Expanding resources for autistic adults and their caregivers
Promote Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion
- Engaging the voice of autistic adults
- Enhancing internal organizational culture
- Strengthening multicultural relationships
Grantmaking
Autism Speaks maintains an active grantmaking program focused on research and early-career scientist support.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Autism Speaks' grantmaking priorities focus primarily on Texas, Ohio, and New York. The organization also connects families in 50 states and 37 countries with resources and access to autism experts.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023-2024):
- Total Assets: $35,344,611 (2024)
- Total Revenue: $34,985,535 (2023)
- Total Expenses: $40,745,638 (2023)
- Total Giving: $4,690,931 (2024)
Historical Financial Trends:
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $34,985,535 | $40,745,638 | $35,344,611 | 166 |
| 2022 | $36,262,685 | $42,911,083 | $41,380,468 | 194 |
| 2021 | $46,771,653 | $44,122,642 | $47,834,408 | 181 |
| 2020 | $42,083,296 | $41,166,504 | $48,207,079 | 206 |
| 2019 | $53,701,450 | $48,144,682 | $46,226,879 | 216 |
Organizational Rating: Autism Speaks holds a Four-Star rating with a 100% score, indicating strong accountability and financial management.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $35,344,611 | $41,380,468 | $47,834,408 |
| Revenue | $34,985,535 | $36,262,685 | $46,771,653 |
| Expenses | $40,745,638 | $42,911,083 | $44,122,642 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,304,005 | $636,469 | $5,958 |
| 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
154 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Autism Speaks Inc
Autism Speaks: Predoctoral Fellowship Grant
AUTISM SPEAKS INC
Amount
US $80,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Autistic Scientist Predoctoral Fellowship Grant
AUTISM SPEAKS INC
Amount
US $74,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Service Provider Grants: Local Impact Grants
AUTISM SPEAKS INC
Amount
Varies
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
- President and CEO: Keith Wargo
- Chief Operating Officer: Joe Vanyo
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRIAN L HARPER | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| ADRIAN M JONES | VICE CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| JAMIE T RICHARDSON | VICE CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| CURTIS ARLEDGE | SECRETARY/TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JACQUELYN NANCE | VICE CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| JUDY BENARDETE | DIRECTOR (AS OF 4/2023) | 1 | — |
| TOM BERNARD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SCOTT R CARPENTER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JENNIFER CASERTA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAURIE CHERN | DIRECTOR (AS OF 4/2023) | 1 | — |
| BARRY R FEIRSTEIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ADAM FRAZIER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TOM FRAZIER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM GILES | DIRECTOR (AS OF 4/2023) | 1 | — |
| DARREN GOODE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MATTHEW HIGGINS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TIM JONES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| AIDAN KEHOE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KEVIN J MURRAY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM O'CONNOR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DR HERBERT PARDES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUBRIANA PIERCE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STUART SAVITZ | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBERT SCHWENKEL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JENNIFER SEIDEL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DR STEPHEN SHORE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEVEN P STANBROOK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHERYL VITALI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KEITH WARGO | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $624,041 |
| JOSEPH VANYO | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $346,700 |
| KELLI SEELY | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER | 40 | $320,048 |
| ANDY SHIH | CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER | 40 | $309,227 |
| JENNIFER S PODOLL | SVP, CONSTITUENT ENGAGEMENT | 40 | $226,808 |
| STUART SPIELMAN | SVP, ADVOCACY | 40 | $241,720 |
| LYNN S HAPPEL | SVP, IT & DATA SUPPORT | 40 | $226,611 |
| JACQLYN NEDVIN | VP, PEOPLE AND CULTURE | 40 | $225,150 |
| CLAUDINE LAROCQUE | VP, INDIVIDUAL/FOUNDATION RELATIONS | 40 | $200,151 |
| RYAN SILVER | VP, FINANCE AND FACILITIES | 40 | $200,300 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Autism Speaks has announced new grant funding initiatives for early-career scientists and continues to expand its research portfolio. The organization launched two research studies to improve precision autism care and early identification, and hosted a thought leadership summit on autism and aging to develop programs and policies for better systems of care for older autistic people and their caregivers. The organization also released its first "Autism by the Numbers" report to support individual, family, and community decision-making.
NEXT for AUTISM ANNOUNCES ITS 2025-26 AUTISTIC-LED AND COMMUNITY-BASED GRANTThe organization operates the Empower Walk & 5K Run, combining signature walking events with a 5K run component to engage the community and raise awareness and support for autism initiatives.
NEXT for AUTISM ANNOUNCES ITS 2025-26 AUTISTIC-LED AND COMMUNITY-BASED GRANTSubject 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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