The Daftuar Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY, established in August 2015 by Felicitie Daftuar. Operating as the Lipedema Foundation, the organization addresses a critical gap in medical research funding for lipedema, a chronic condition affecting predominantly women. The foundation functions as a strategic philanthropic entity dedicated to advancing scientific understanding and treatment development for this underresearched medical condition.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$104.8M
+34.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.4M
-36.7% YoY
Grant Count
13
-27.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$183K
-12.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Daftuar Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to "Define, Diagnose and Develop Treatments for Lipedema" through strategic, high-risk, high-reward research investments. The foundation prioritizes:
- Clinical, translational, and basic science research on lipedema
- Research to determine the genetic basis of human lipedema
- Research on microenvironmental cues in lipedema
- Transparency, collaboration, and community-focused research approaches
Grantmaking
Grant Range
& Activity:**
Review Cycle
**Active Grant Programs:**
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports research globally with international applications welcome. Funded projects span multiple countries and U.S. locations including California, Illinois, Texas, and others. The foundation held its largest biennial Scientific Retreat in 2024 in Herndon, Virginia, with 80 attendees from 13 countries.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $104.8 million (2024)
- Total assets: $77.9 million (2023)
- Annual giving: $3.75 million (2023)
- Total revenues: $20.4 million (2024)
- Total expenses: $5.9 million (2024)
Staffing:
- 6-9 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $104,806,379 | $77,887,984 | $52,479,417 |
| Revenue | $20,414,788 | $15,175,891 | $1,195,486 |
| Expenses | $5,936,360 | $6,261,959 | $3,857,362 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,074,588 | $5,775,105 | $3,253,056 |
| Net Investment Income | $27,970,982 | $7,841,633 | $3,158,951 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,928,131 | $2,860,529 | $2,902,997 |
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
60 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Daftuar Family Foundation
Lipedema Foundation: Collaborative Research Award Grant
DAFTUAR FAMILY FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $250,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Lipedema Foundation: Mentored Award Grant
DAFTUAR FAMILY FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $100,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Lipedema Foundation: Proof of Concept Award Grant
DAFTUAR FAMILY FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $125,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include President and Fellows of Harvard College ($833,333), Greenwich Academy Inc ($600,000), Mayo Clinic ($250,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC WEB DEPOSITORY STOCKTON, CA | RESEARCH PROPOSAL - "TURNING UP THE HEAT ON LIPEDEMA" | $1,000 |
| LIPEDEMA CANADA | SUPPORT THE START-UP ACTIVITIES OF LIPEDEMA CANADA | $7,500 |
| LUDWIG BOLTZMANN INSTITUTE FOR TRAUMATOLOGY | RESEARCH PROPOSAL - "EV-MIRNAS AS DIAGNOSTIC BIOMARKERS FOR LIPEDEMA" | $9,000 |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON HOUSTON, TX | RESEARCH PROPOSAL: CHARACTERIZATION OF LYMPHATIC FUNCTION AND ADIPOSE DEPOSITION IN EARLY LIPEDEMA | $48,094 |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER FORT WORTH, TX | RESEARCH PROPOSAL - "ESTROGEN SIGNALING IN ADIPOSE TISSUE METABOLISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF LIPEDEMA" | $56,356 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHARITE BERLIN | RESEARCH PROPOSAL: 3D-HISTOPATHOLOGY OF LIPEDEMA | $96,580 |
| EXPII INC PITTSBURGH, PA | SUPPORT LIVE MATH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WHICH FINDS HIGH-MOTIVATION-LOW-ACCESS MIDDLE SCHOOLERS FROM UNDERPRIVILEGED AREAS AND GIVES THEM EXTRAORDINARY MATH COACHING | $100,000 |
| PALO ALTO VETERANS INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH PALO ALTO, CA | RESEARCH PROPOSAL: EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX REMODELING IN LIPDEMA | $125,000 |
| LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY STOCKTON, CA | RESEARCH PROPOSAL - "A NOVEL APPROACH TO EXAMINE THE ADIPOSE CELLULAR KINETICS OF LIPEDEMA" | $125,000 |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ST LOUIS, MO | RESEARCH PROPOSAL - "ADIPOSE TISSUE BIOLOGY AND EFFECT OF WEIGHT LOSS IN WOMEN WITH LIPEDEMA" | $125,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Suhas Daftuar - Trustee (unpaid)
- Felicitie Daftuar - Trustee (unpaid), Founder
- Jonathan Kartt - Chief Executive Officer ($333,000-$386,100 compensation)
- Guy Eakin - Chief Science Officer ($94,000 compensation)
- Stephanie Peterson - Grants Manager ($123,000 compensation)
- Stephanie Galia - Associate Director ($104,000 compensation)
- Laura Harmacek - Program Officer ($83,000 compensation)
- Jaime Lynn Soderberg - Office Manager ($103,000 compensation)
- Baldo Fodera - Manager (unpaid)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUHAS DAFTUAR | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| FELICITIE DAFTUAR | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JONATHAN KARTT | CEO | 40 | $386,100 |
| BALDO FODERA | MANAGER | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In 2024, the foundation held its largest biennial Scientific Retreat in Herndon, Virginia, demonstrating growing international engagement with 80 attendees from 13 countries. The foundation works in partnership with the Milken Institute's Center for Strategic Philanthropy to advance its research mission and maintain transparency in its grantmaking processes.
Daftuar Family Foundation (Lipedema Foundation)Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Daftuar Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to "Define, Diagnose and Develop Treatments for Lipedema" through strategic, high-risk, high-reward research investments. The foundation prioritizes: • Clinical, translational, and basic science research on lipedema • Research to determine the genetic basis of human lipedema • Research on microenvironmental cues in lipedema • Transparency, collaboration, and community-focused research approaches
How do I apply for a grant from Daftuar Family Foundation?
**Grant Range & Activity:** • Grant range: $80,000 - $250,000 • Median grant size: $127,000 • Total awarded: $12.9 million+ across 62+ research awards since 2015 • Annual giving: $3.75 million (2023) • Recent annual grants: 18-19 grants per year **Application Process:** • Decision timeline: Approximately 8 months from Letter of Intent (LOI) to project start • Contact: awards@lipedema.org • Applicants seeking assistance with patient recruitment or biospecimen provision should contact the foundat…
Where does Daftuar Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation supports research globally with international applications welcome. Funded projects span multiple countries and U.S. locations including California, Illinois, Texas, and others. The foundation held its largest biennial Scientific Retreat in 2024 in Herndon, Virginia, with 80 attendees from 13 countries.
What size grants does Daftuar Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Daftuar Family Foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $2.4M — an average of about $183K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Daftuar Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Daftuar Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Daftuar Family Foundation's EIN?
Daftuar Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4685449. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Daftuar Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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