Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc. is a public charity based in Lake Alfred, Florida. Formed in 2009, it coordinates and funds research focused on developing and delivering solutions to citrus diseases, with particular attention to huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, which the foundation describes as an existential threat to Florida’s citrus industry.
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc gave $104.9M across 7 grants in 2026 (avg $15.0M), mostly in Florida. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $104,862,671
- +416.3% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 7
- +0.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $14,980,382
- +416.3% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $166,969
- Total assets
- $2,005,706
- -46.0% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- Florida (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 700 Experiment Station Road, Lake Alfred, FL 33850-2299
Phone: (863) 956-1151
Website: https://citrusrdf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Citrus Research & Feild Trial ($100.8M). Together the top 7 received $104.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
37 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 13 grants of 37 (35%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated mission emphasizes Florida’s citrus growers, and its filing describes research on citrus trees in Florida as well as research conducted across the United States. Its 2026 grant list includes Florida recipients and recipients in Missouri, New York, Texas, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 7 itemized grants.
Cities
How Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc gives
- Giving grew 1138% from 2023 to 2026. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $6.4M (2020) to $104.9M (2026). In 2026 it made 7 grants totaling $104.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Citrus Research & Feild Trial Tallahassee, FL | Citrus Research | $100,800,000 |
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Citrus Research | $3,367,328 |
| University of Central Florida Orlando, FL | Citrus Research | $198,973 |
| Usda ARS St. Louis, MO | Citrus Research | $166,969 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Citrus Research | $162,647 |
| Texas A&M Agrilife Research College Station, TX | Citrus Research | $119,134 |
| University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Citrus Research | $47,620 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2,005,706 | $105,546,288 | $105,616,502 | $104,862,671 | 7 | $118,915 |
| 2025 | $3,716,777 | $19,971,890 | $21,004,518 | $20,309,100 | 7 | $109,334 |
| 2024 | $2,582,151 | $39,410,905 | $40,027,704 | $39,282,543 | 7 | $124,230 |
| 2023 | $3,702,804 | $14,021,442 | $13,973,788 | $8,468,953 | 7 | $62,135 |
| 2022 | $4,641,516 | $14,397,457 | $15,882,282 | $8,663,909 | 9 | $24,163 |
| 2021 | $4,062,546 | $14,297,672 | $14,722,635 | $9,562,347 | 5 | $59,797 |
| 2020 | $6,191,513 | $10,569,849 | $10,296,217 | $6,436,531 | 7 | $91,339 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to advance disease and production research and product development to support the survival and competitiveness of Florida’s citrus growers through innovation and research. Its filing describes peer-reviewed contracted discovery research on citrus health, including the interactions among the bacterial pathogen Liberibacter asiaticus, the Asian citrus psyllid insect vector, and commercial and residential citrus trees in Florida. It also describes translational work and field trials intended to move research toward solutions for growers.
The foundation funds research projects at universities, federal laboratories, and other entities. Its website describes proposal topics that include citrus tree health, fruit yield and quality, disease management, and field trials. The specific 2024 RFP sought hypothesis-driven research aimed at near-term solutions for HLB-affected trees.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the foundation reported seven grants totaling $104,862,671. Grant amounts ranged from $47,620 to $100,800,000, with a median of $166,969. The largest listed grants were $100,800,000 to Citrus Research & Field Trial for citrus research and $3,367,328 to the University of Florida for citrus research. Other listed recipients included the University of Central Florida ($198,973), USDA ARS ($166,969), Cornell University ($162,647), Texas A&M AgriLife Research ($119,134), and the University of California-Davis ($47,620), each for citrus research.
The foundation’s website describes a process in which preproposals may be followed by invited full proposals. Full proposals are first checked for administrative compliance, then reviewed for scientific and technical merit. The stated review criteria include relevance, research quality and feasibility, personnel and facilities, and budget. The Scientific Advisory Board reviews proposals; the Research Management Committee considers those reviews and recommends proposals to the Board of Directors for funding approval. Full proposals may be ineligible for review if the applicant was not invited to submit one, a deadline was missed, formatting requirements were not met, or required documents were missing.
The website also describes directed research proposals for specific topics and off-cycle proposals for projects with the potential to substantially improve tree health or fruit yield and quality in HLB-affected trees. Its 2025 preproposal call concerned approaches to speed the transition from juvenility to maturity; the stated deadline, August 25, 2025, has passed. The website also announces a 2026 RFP for large-scale field trials and demonstration projects, but the available information here does not provide its deadline or detailed application requirements.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Morgan McKenna as president, Ron Mahan as treasurer, George Hamner as secretary, and Rick Dantzler as retired chief operating officer. The listed directors are Bill Bohde, Deely Hunt, Matt Machata, Trevor Murphy, Ajia Orth, and Chris Gunter, PhD.
The foundation’s website describes a 13-member Board of Directors, comprising ten growers, two University of Florida representatives, and one representative from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc is led by Morgan McKenna, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 15 officers listed in 2026 is compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Morgan McKenna
President
Director → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Gunter PhD
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$197K (2023) → $0 (2026)
Matthew Story
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deely Hunt
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Machata
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Spinosa
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trevor Murphy
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Davis PhD
Director
On filings since 2025
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ajia Orth
Director
New on the 2026 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Bohde
Director
New on the 2026 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rick Dantzler
Ret Chief Op
Chief Op Officer → Ret Chief Op, 2026
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$166K (2023) → $178K (2026)
Ron Mahan
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George Hamner
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joby Sherrod
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Page
Interim COO
New on the 2026 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: John Updike Jr. (2020–2025) — Emeritus
- Former: Aaron Himrod (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Jeanna Mastrodicasa PhD (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Taylor Smith PhD (2024) — Director
- Former: David Howard (2020–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Rob Atchley (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Eric Rohrig (2023) — Director
- Former: Greg Hodges PhD (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Robert Gilbert (2022) — Director
- Former: Josh Snively (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Ned Hancock (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Patricia Ouimet PhD (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Rob Gilbert PhD (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Bob Newsome (2020) — Director
- Former: N. Larry Black Jr. (2020) — Director
- Former: Thomas A. Obreza (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $178K, to Rick Dantzler (Ret Chief Op).
Frequently asked questions about Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc
How much does Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc give each year?
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc gave $104.9M across 7 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. In 2025 it gave $20.3M across 7 grants.
What is Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc's median grant in 2026 was $166,969, and its average grant was $14,980,382, across 7 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990.
Where does Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc give grants?
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc gives mostly in Florida: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there.
Does Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 7 grants with a stated purpose on Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc's 2026 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Citrus Research" (7 grants).
Who are Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc's largest 2026 grantees include Citrus Research & Feild Trial ($100,800,000), University of Florida ($3,367,328) and University of Central Florida ($198,973), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990.
How large is Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc?
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $105.5M.
What does Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to advance disease and production research and product development to support the survival and competitiveness of Florida’s citrus growers through innovation and research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc?
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check citrusrdf.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc's EIN?
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-4825142. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 3, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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