Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation

SCOTTSDALE, AZ EIN: 27-3322123

The Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) grantmaking foundation headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Established in 2005, the foundation is the largest non-government organization supporter of brain tumor research in the world. The foundation was founded by Catherine Ivy and her late husband Ben following Ben's diagnosis with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer, which led Catherine to dedicate the foundation to advancing research and treatment for brain tumors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$299.8M

+2.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$14.5M

-3.8% YoY

Grant Count

+64.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$314K

-41.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $17.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission: The mission of the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation is to improve the quality of life and increase the life expectancy of people diagnosed with brain tumors. The foundation funds promising research on brain cancer in order to develop diagnostics and treatments that lead to long-term survival and a high quality of life for patients.

Primary Focus: The foundation's giving primarily supports patient-focused gliomas research and the development of better diagnostics and treatments that offer long-term survival and high-quality of life for patients with brain tumors. The foundation has committed over $132 million to brain tumor research and has funded clinical and basic science investigational efforts across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Core Values: The foundation operates according to eight guiding values:

Innovation
Efficiency
Transparency
Accountability
Excellence
Collaboration
Integrity
Flexibility

Grantmaking

The foundation offers multiple grant programs:

Grant Range

s and Activity:**

Average Grant

amount: approximately $150,000 to $5,970,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds initiatives across numerous U.S. cities and states, including Albuquerque, Ann Arbor, Atlanta, and New York. Geographic focus areas include Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and other states.

Grant Distribution by State

Arizona $57.0M (73%)

California $2.5M (3%)

Virginia $2.3M (3%)

Texas $2.1M (3%)

Washington $1.9M (2%)

Florida $1.8M (2%)

New York $1.8M (2%)

Minnesota $1.7M (2%)

+12 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Indiana Massachusetts Maryland Michigan Minnesota New Mexico New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington

Cities

AlbuquerqueAnn ArborArtesiaAtlantaBaltimoreBloomingtonBostonCharlottesvilleClevelandColorado SpringsDallasDuarteHoustonJacksonvilleLa JollaMemphisMiamiNashvilleNew HavenNew York

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets and Revenue (2023-2024):

Total assets (2023): $293 million
Total assets (2024): $299.8 million
Total revenue (2023): $13.5 million
Total revenue (2024): $23 million
Total expenses (2023): $16.6 million
Total expenses (2024): $16.3 million
Total liabilities (2023): $11,700

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$299,789,615	$293,276,902	$296,393,021
Revenue	$23,008,132	$13,515,379	$10,801,831
Expenses	$16,330,216	$16,610,755	$17,812,441
Qualifying Distributions	$15,456,321	$15,815,372	$16,911,722
Net Investment Income	$22,294,096	$12,869,664	$10,174,905
Distributable Amount	$17,126,318	$15,482,251	$15,678,442

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

144 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation

Foundation

Translational Adult Glioma Grant

BEN AND CATHERINE IVY FOUNDATION

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Neuro Trials Llc ($2,830,000), Neuro Trials Llc ($1,350,000), Society of St Vincent De Paul ($1,000,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER SEATTLE, WA	HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING (HTS) CLINICAL TRIAL TREATING RECURRENT GBM PATIENTS.	$150,000
SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL PHOENIX, AZ	CENTER FOR PURPOSE, HOPE AND MISSION AS PART OF THE COMMON GROUND.	$1,000,000
FRED HUTCHISON CANCER RESEARCH CENT SEATTLE, WA	DR GUJRAL - EMERGING LEADER AWARD. (1ST PAYMENT)	$250,000
ARCS FOUNDATION ARTESIA, CA	2024 - 2025 SCHOLAR AWARD.	$8,500
REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR, MI	DR. WAHL - EMERGING LEADER AWARD. (2ND AND LAST PAYMENT)	$250,000
CITY OF HOPE MEDICAL CENTER DUARTE, CA	DR. BROWN - TRANSLATIONAL ADULT GLIOMA AWARD. (1ST PAYMENT)	$300,000
NOTMYKID SCOTTSDALE, AZ	LIFESAVING PROGRAMS, SUPPORT, RESOURCES, AND EDUCATION TO EMPOWER AND EDUCATE YOUTH, FAMILES, AND COMMUNITIES WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND COURAGE TO IDENTIFY AND PREVENT NEGATIVE YOUTH BEHAVIOR.	$500
MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES FOUNDAT TEMPE, AZ	NURSING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.	$520,000
NEUROTRIALS LLC PHOENIX, AZ	IVY BRAIN TUMOR CENTER - PHOENIX SKY HARBOR ADVERTISING FOR CLINICAL TRIALS.	$420,675
TRANSLATIONAL GENOMICS RESEARCH TGE PHOENIX, AZ	MIKE BERENS - DIPG PEDIATRIC GLIOMA RESEARCH.	$100,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Catherine E. Ivy – President, works 60 hours per week with compensation of $383,403
Megan Edwards – Treasurer, works 1 hour per week without compensation
Stephanie McRae, Esq. – Secretary, works 1 hour per week without compensation

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
CATHERINE E IVY	President	60	$403,495
MEGAN EDWARDS	Treasurer	1	—
STEPHANIE MCRAE ESQ	Secretary	1	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation continues to advance brain tumor research through its partnership with the Ivy Brain Tumor Center. A significant initiative is the Ivy Phase 0 Clinical Trials program, the largest of its kind in the world, which enables personalized care in a fraction of the time and cost associated with traditional drug development. This program resulted from a $50 million investment made in coordination with the Barrow Neurological Foundation.

Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation helps advance glioblastoma research - Impact

2025

The foundation has announced its 2025 grant cycle, with applications accepted no earlier than January 1, 2025. The foundation has indicated it will not be accepting grant proposals in 2026.

Ivy Foundation - Facebook

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation fund?

**Mission:** The mission of the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation is to improve the quality of life and increase the life expectancy of people diagnosed with brain tumors. The foundation funds promising research on brain cancer in order to develop diagnostics and treatments that lead to long-term survival and a high quality of life for patients. **Primary Focus:** The foundation's giving primarily supports patient-focused gliomas research and the development of better diagnostics and treatments …

How do I apply for a grant from Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation?

**Grant Sizes and Activity:** • Total giving in 2023: $15.8 million • Total giving in 2024: $14.4 million • Grant range: $250 to $5,970,000 • Median grant amount: $283,795 • Average grant amount: approximately $150,000 to $5,970,000 • Number of grants awarded (2023): 79 grants • Giving rate: 5.4% of assets **Grant Programs:** The foundation offers multiple grant programs: • **Emerging Leader Grant Award:** Provides grant support to early-to-mid-career investigators conducting high-impact, high-…

Where does Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation make grants?

What size grants does Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation award?

In 2024, Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation awarded 46 grants totaling $14.5M — an average of about $314K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $17.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation's EIN?

Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-3322123. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.