FRAXA Research Foundation Inc
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Newburyport, Massachusetts. It funds research grants and fellowships aimed at finding effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Fragile X syndrome, and partners with biomedical and pharmaceutical companies to help move research toward treatments.
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: FRAXA Research Foundation Inc gave $748K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $58K), top state Massachusetts. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $748,200
- -6.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $57,554
- -6.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $4,964,245
- +25.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (27% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to FRAXA Research Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Submit a Letter of Intent before applying. Clinical trial and curative therapies proposals may be submitted at any time; fellowship applications are due February 1 each year.
- Review Cycle
- Fellowship applications are due February 1 each year. The February 1, 2026 cycle has passed; clinical trial and curative therapies proposals are accepted on a rolling basis.
- Deadline
- Fellowship applications are due February 1 each year.
- Contact
Mailing address: 10 Prince Place, Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone: (978) 462-1866
Website: https://fraxa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from FRAXA Research Foundation Inc
Who FRAXA Research Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Umass medical ($100K). Together the top 10 received $600K.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 33 grants of 49 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
FRAXA says it funds research worldwide. Its 2024 grants went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Massachusetts (27%), Connecticut (13%), and New York (13%); Pennsylvania and Ohio each accounted for 7%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is FRAXA Research Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) 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 $50K; repeat grants $61K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $360K (2020) to $980K (2021). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $748K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Umass medical Worcester, MA | Research | $100,000 |
| Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT | Research | $100,000 |
| Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Research | $50,000 |
| Cincinnati Children's Hospital Cincinnati, OH | Research | $50,000 |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chicago, IL | Research | $50,000 |
| Seattle Children's Research Institute Seattle, WA | Research | $50,000 |
| Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor, NY | Research | $50,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | Research | $50,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Research | $50,000 |
| University of Rochester Rochester, NY | Research | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Amounts are in U.S. dollars, by filing year.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,964,245 | $2,293,199 | $1,433,380 | $748,200 | 13 | $122,583 |
| 2023 | $3,961,307 | $2,044,969 | $1,804,308 | $800,000 | 13 | $94,754 |
| 2022 | $3,531,781 | $2,018,041 | $1,898,116 | $914,725 | 16 | $271,800 |
| 2021 | $3,915,887 | $2,070,308 | $1,387,708 | $980,025 | Total only | $52,142 |
| 2020 | $3,218,818 | $1,385,133 | $885,883 | $360,000 | 7 | $-25,349 |
| 2019 | $2,468,935 | $1,351,927 | $1,289,521 | $673,800 | 14 | $44,542 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
FRAXA’s mission is to find effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Fragile X syndrome. Its website describes support for research grants, fellowships, clinical trials, and curative therapy projects, with an emphasis on practical applications and timely sharing of results. It identifies clinical trials and curative therapies as high priorities. Curative approaches it describes include gene therapy, gene editing, mRNA delivery, protein replacement, and antisense oligonucleotides.
FRAXA supports research at universities and other institutions. For example, the University of Rochester, which received a 2024 grant, describes its mission as providing higher education in several fields, conducting research, and providing charitable patient care. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also a 2024 grantee, describes its mission as advancing knowledge and educating students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, FRAXA reported 13 grants totaling $748,200. The grants ranged from $48,200 to $100,000, with a median of $50,000. Examples include $100,000 each to UMass Medical in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut; and $50,000 each to the University of Rochester, MIT, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and several other research institutions. The listed grant purposes were research.
FRAXA’s website describes three funding pathways: clinical trial grants, curative therapies grants, and fellowships. Clinical trial applications and curative therapies proposals may be submitted at any time. Clinical trial awards are flexible in amount, structure, and duration and must support clinical research with human subjects who have Fragile X. The website gives priority to clinical trials of potentially disease-modifying treatments previously validated in Fragile X animal models. Curative therapies grants are described as flexible awards of up to $100,000 per year. Fellowships provide $50,000 per year for up to two years.
A Letter of Intent is required before submitting an application. Fellowship applications are due February 1 each year. Clinical trial and curative therapies proposals are accepted on a rolling basis.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Katherine Clapp as president; Deborah Stevenson as board chair; and Michael Tranfaglia as medical director, treasurer, and secretary. Directors listed were Dean Clark, Theodore Coutilish, Leslie Eddy, Andres Centellas, Jessica Haugen, James Vershbow, and Ronald M Watkins Jr.
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc is led by Katherine Clapp, President on every filing since 2019; 2 of 11 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Katherine Clapp
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$95K (2019) → $150K (2024)
Deborah Stevenson
Board Chair
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Tranfaglia
Medical Director, Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$108K (2019) → $139K (2024)
Andres Centellas
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dean Clark
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Vershbow
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Haugen
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Eddy
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ronald M Watkins Jr.
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sasa Zorovic
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Theodore Coutilish
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Franziska Klebe (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Gregory Miller (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: David Bjork (2019) — Development Director
- Former: Michael Pierce (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $150K, to Katherine Clapp (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about FRAXA Research Foundation Inc
How much does FRAXA Research Foundation Inc give each year?
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc gave $748K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $800K across 13 grants.
What is FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $57,554, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from FRAXA Research Foundation Inc that year got $50K on average.
Where does FRAXA Research Foundation Inc give grants?
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's top state is Massachusetts, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Connecticut (13%) and New York (13%).
Does FRAXA Research Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research" (13 grants).
Who are FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Umass medical ($100,000), Yale School of Medicine ($100,000) and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is FRAXA Research Foundation Inc?
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.3M.
What does FRAXA Research Foundation Inc fund?
FRAXA’s mission is to find effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Fragile X syndrome. Its website describes support for research grants, fellowships, clinical trials, and curative therapy projects, with an emphasis on practical applications and timely sharing of results. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from FRAXA Research Foundation Inc?
Submit a Letter of Intent before applying. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's EIN?
FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3222167. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 20, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in FRAXA Research Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). FRAXA Research Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fraxa-research-foundation-inc-morg_fd4e9b9b7ec9431588537abca0086887
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043222167_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{FRAXA Research Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fraxa-research-foundation-inc-morg_fd4e9b9b7ec9431588537abca0086887},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 FRAXA Research Foundation Inc'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.
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