Chordoma Foundation
The Chordoma Foundation is a public charity based in Durham, North Carolina, formed in 2007. It works to improve the lives of people affected by chordoma and lead the search for a cure through research, patient services, and efforts to improve healthcare.
Chordoma Foundation at a glance
In short: Chordoma Foundation gave $2.4M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $185K), top state New York. 54% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,402,569
- +67.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +62.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $184,813
- +3.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $138,060
- Total assets
- $11,385,145
- +3.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (42% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Chordoma Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests for research funding through a one-page letter of intent with specific aims, timeline, and estimated budget. Its Drug Screening Program is open to academic researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and collaborations between institutions and industry; applicants submit drugs for testing in chordoma cell and mouse models.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 2127, Durham, NC 27702
Phone: (919) 809-6779
Website: https://chordomafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Chordoma Foundation
Chordoma Foundation Clinical Trial Assistance Program (CTAP)
Chordoma Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling
Chordoma Foundation Research Grants Program
Chordoma Foundation
Amount
Varies - typically $50,000 to $300,000+ per project
Deadline
Deadline not published
Drug Screening Program
Chordoma Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling (quarterly review)
Who Chordoma Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($408K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
44 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 14 grants of 44 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in New York (42%), Texas (28%), Massachusetts (15%), Pennsylvania (11%), and California (2%). These figures describe the locations of 2024 grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Chordoma Foundation open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $184K; repeat grants $186K. How we count
Medians: $138K first-time, $167K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $715K (2020) to $2.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | Research Grant | $407,935 |
| University of Texas MD Anderson Can Houston, TX | Research Grant | $400,000 |
| NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York, NY | Research Grant | $325,000 |
| The Broad Institute Inc Cambridge, MA | Research Grant | $299,789 |
| Start San Antonio, TX | Research Grant | $275,562 |
| Cancer Research Institute New York, NY | Research Grant | $250,000 |
| American Assn for Cancer Research Philadelphia, PA | Research Grant | $138,060 |
| Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Chop Philadelphia, PA | Research Grant | $84,723 |
| Massachusetts Gen Hospital Boston, MA | Research Grant | $56,500 |
| UPMC Department of Neurosurgery Pittsburg, PA | Research Grant | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Chordoma Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,385,145 | $5,362,824 | $6,834,629 | $2,402,569 | 13 | $445,749 |
| 2023 | $11,037,912 | $7,442,618 | $4,597,074 | $1,436,008 | 8 | $218,994 |
| 2022 | $7,599,511 | $4,886,250 | $3,088,769 | $822,634 | 6 | $15,406 |
| 2021 | $6,529,695 | $3,085,754 | $3,372,184 | $1,155,069 | 12 | $1,432 |
| 2020 | $6,345,825 | $2,495,845 | $2,520,685 | $714,721 | 5 | $5,729 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation states that its mission is “to improve the lives of those affected by chordoma and lead the search for a cure.” Its website describes priorities that include better treatments, improved care and support, and increasing the scale of its impact.
Research priorities include target discovery, predictive biomarkers, mechanisms of immune evasion, and drug discovery targeting brachyury, also known as TBXT. The Foundation also supports preclinical testing and research resources such as chordoma cell lines, xenograft models, biospecimens, sequencing and chordoma-omics data, and experimental protocols. Its 2024 filing describes work spanning basic, translational, and clinical science.
The 2024 grants include research support to academic and medical institutions and research organizations. Among the recipients, the Broad Institute describes its mission as advancing biomedicine through research into disease and the translation of biological insights into patient impact. The Cancer Research Institute describes its work as advancing cancer immunotherapy through scientific discovery and global collaboration. The American Association for Cancer Research Foundation says it supports scientific research, education, and communication. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the Foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 13 grants totaling $2,402,569. Grant sizes ranged from $15,000 to $407,935, with a median grant of $138,060. The largest awards included $407,935 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, $400,000 to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, $325,000 to NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and $299,789 to the Broad Institute. Each was identified as a research grant.
The Foundation’s researcher page says funding requests may be considered at any time. A request can be initiated by submitting a one-page letter of intent to the research team that includes specific aims, a timeline, and an estimated budget. Funding opportunities are listed when open.
The Foundation also operates the Clinical Trial Assistance Program, which reimburses eligible chordoma patients for travel-related costs associated with clinical-trial participation. It is available first-come, first-served while funding remains and requires current or in-process enrollment in an eligible trial. This is assistance to participants, not a grant program for outside applicants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kenny Brighton, Daniel Freed, Josh Sommer, Sara Nick, Shannon Lozinsky, Lee Dolat, Sai Perveen Chemudupati, Jesse Bongartz, Leslie Adler, and Paul Feldman as officers or directors.
Chordoma Foundation is led by Josh Sommer, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 8 of 20 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Josh Sommer
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$124K (2020) → $174K (2024)
David Sandak
Chair
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Lozinsky
Director of
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$100K (2022) → $122K (2024)
Sai Perveen Chemudupati
Director of
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$105K (2024)
Christopher Heery
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Therien
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Feldman
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shreyaskumar Patel
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Golick
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Mandel
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Mahony
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alicia Jeffreys
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Adler
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Megan Stewart
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Mulholland
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kenny Brighton
Head of Phil
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$130K (2020) → $216K (2024)
Daniel Freed
Chief Scient
Head of Targ → Chief Scient, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$139K (2021) → $204K (2024)
Sara Nick
Head of Enga
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$101K (2022) → $143K (2024)
Jesse Bongartz
Head of Fina
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$101K (2024)
Lee Dolat
Scientist
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$112K (2024)
Former officers (7)
- Former: Tammy Silverthorne (2022–2023) — Director of
- Former: Christy Shaffer (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ingemar Lanevi (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Julie Song (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Jacob Les (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Andrew Schoelkopf (2020) — Director
- Former: Joan Levy (2020) — Director of
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 $216K, to Kenny Brighton (Head of Phil). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Chordoma Foundation
How much does Chordoma Foundation give each year?
Chordoma Foundation gave $2.4M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 8 grants.
What is Chordoma Foundation's typical grant size?
Chordoma Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $138,060, and its average grant was $184,813, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chordoma Foundation that year got $184K on average.
Where does Chordoma Foundation give grants?
Chordoma Foundation's top state is New York, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Texas (28%) and Massachusetts (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (2 grants).
Does Chordoma Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Chordoma Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research Grant" (13 grants).
Who are Chordoma Foundation's largest grantees?
Chordoma Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($407,935), University of Texas MD Anderson Can ($400,000) and NYU Grossman School of Medicine ($325,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Chordoma Foundation?
Chordoma Foundation reported $11.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.4M.
What does Chordoma Foundation fund?
The Foundation states that its mission is “to improve the lives of those affected by chordoma and lead the search for a cure.” Its website describes priorities that include better treatments, improved care and support, and increasing the scale of its impact. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chordoma Foundation?
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests for research funding through a one-page letter of intent with specific aims, timeline, and estimated budget. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Chordoma Foundation's EIN?
Chordoma Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8423943. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Chordoma Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Chordoma Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Chordoma Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/chordoma-foundation-morg_4005274ea13d4b3fa756f0cc1a22b0e5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208423943_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Chordoma Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/chordoma-foundation-morg_4005274ea13d4b3fa756f0cc1a22b0e5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Chordoma Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Chordoma Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?