Leukemia Research Foundation
The Leukemia Research Foundation is a public charity based in Northfield, Illinois. It funds leukemia research and supports patients and families through education and need-based financial assistance.
Leukemia Research Foundation at a glance
In short: Leukemia Research Foundation gave $1.9M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $150K), top state Illinois. 75% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,950,000
- +44.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +44.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $150,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $150,000
- Total assets
- $10,265,211
- +49.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 75% first-time grantees (9 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (23% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Leukemia Research Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The New Investigator Research Grant Program begins with a letter of intent submitted through the application process described on the foundation’s website. Applicants must be independent investigators at nonprofit academic institutions when funding begins and throughout the award. They must hold an independent faculty-level position when applying. New investigators are defined as being within seven years of the start of their first independent faculty-level appointment; training years as a resident, fellow, or postdoctoral fellow are excluded. Applicants need not be US citizens, and the website says projects from outside the US are eligible. Full applications are submitted only if the applicant is invited to apply.
- Review Cycle
- For the cycle beginning July 1, 2027, letters of intent are due February 5, 2027, by noon Central Time. Invited full applications are due April 12, 2027, by noon Central Time. These are future dates as of October 2, 2026.
- Deadline
- For the cycle beginning July 1, 2027, letters of intent are due February 5, 2027, by noon Central Time.
- Contact
Mailing address: 191 Waukegan Road 105, Northfield, IL 60093
Phone: (847) 424-0600
Website: https://leukemiarf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Leukemia Research Foundation
Who Leukemia Research Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis ($300K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($150,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 56 grants of 58 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 research grants went to US-based medical institutions. The reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Illinois, 23%; Missouri, 15%; California, 15%; Florida, 8%; and Pennsylvania, 8%. The website says research projects from outside the US are eligible for the New Investigator Research Grant Program.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Leukemia Research Foundation open to new grantees?
75%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 12 grantees (75%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $167K; repeat grants $150K. How we count
Medians: $150K first-time, $150K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2022) to $2.0M (2023). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago Chicago, IL | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Pittsburgh, PA | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis St. Louis, MO | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| The University of Texas MD Anderson Houston, TX | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope Duarte, CA | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| Weill Medical College of Cornell University New York, NY | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Charleston, MA | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
| Northwestern University - Chicago Campus Rubloff Building 7TH Floor Chicago, IL | New Investigator Research Grant | $150,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Leukemia Research Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,265,211 | $6,035,635 | $3,212,486 | $1,950,000 | 13 | $179,266 |
| 2024 | $6,882,073 | $2,495,610 | $2,610,071 | $1,350,000 | 9 | $141,261 |
| 2023 | $6,864,748 | $4,193,244 | $3,582,485 | $2,034,744 | 14 | $81,224 |
| 2022 | $5,035,074 | $2,910,174 | $2,501,059 | $1,068,340 | 11 | $-13,819 |
| 2021 | $4,522,929 | $2,562,072 | $2,472,196 | $1,300,000 | 11 | $-16,225 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to cure leukemia by funding innovative research and supporting patients and families. Its research spans cancer cell biology, causes and risk factors, treatment, and relapse prevention. The foundation says it focuses on leukemia, including its subtypes, and accepts MDS proposals through its New Investigator Research Grant Program.
Research grants go to investigators affiliated with nonprofit academic institutions. In its fiscal year 2025 filing, the foundation reported awarding grants to new investigators studying leukemia or MDS at US-based medical institutions. Its patient and family support work includes education programs and need-based financial assistance for patients and families.
Among 2025 research grantees, the University of Chicago describes its mission as advancing knowledge, creating knowledge, and fostering a community of scholars and students. The University of Pittsburgh describes itself as a public research university serving its region, Pennsylvania, and the nation. City of Hope describes its mission as making hope a reality for people touched by cancer and diabetes.
Grantmaking
In fiscal year 2025, the foundation awarded 13 research grants totaling $1,950,000. Each award was $150,000 over two years. Grants were selected following recommendations from the foundation’s independent Medical Advisory Board after a grant review process.
The 2025 grantees included the University of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MD Anderson, City of Hope, Weill Cornell Medical College, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of an individual recipient Each received a listed grant of $150,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Blake Brandwein as president, Gerald Brin as treasurer, Patty Mix as secretary, and Robert Grabemann as general counsel. It also lists Tamar Uziel, Jaime Moran, Joe Garbarski, Todd Holmes, Russ Warner, and Larry Mix as at-large members.
Leukemia Research Foundation is led by Kevin Radelet, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 14 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kevin Radelet
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
37.5 hrs/week
$130K (2021) → $156K (2025)
Blake Brandwein
President
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gerald Brin
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Larry Mix
At Large Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patty Mix
Secretary
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randi Schullo
At Large Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Grabemann
General Counsel
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Wilensky
At Large Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd Holmes
At Large Member
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Savyon Amit
Vice President
At Large Member → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joe Garbarski
At Large Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jaime Moran
At Large Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tamar Uziel
At Large Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Russ Warner
At Large Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Frank Martinez (2021–2024) — At Large Member
- Former: Rong Chen (2021–2024) — At Large Member
- Former: Harvey Brin (2021–2023) — At Large Member
- Former: Marcia Brin (2021–2023) — At Large Member
- Former: Cynthia L. Kane (2023) — Senior Director of Development
- Former: John Burke (2021–2022) — At Large Member
- Former: Gregg Rossier (2021) — At Large Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $156K, to Kevin Radelet (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Leukemia Research Foundation
How much does Leukemia Research Foundation give each year?
Leukemia Research Foundation gave $1.9M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 9 grants.
What is Leukemia Research Foundation's typical grant size?
Leukemia Research Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $150,000, and its average grant was $150,000, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Leukemia Research Foundation that year got $167K on average.
Where does Leukemia Research Foundation give grants?
Leukemia Research Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Missouri (15%) and California (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants), St. Louis, MO (2 grants) and Duarte, CA (2 grants).
Does Leukemia Research Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Leukemia Research Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "New Investigator Research Grant" (13 grants).
Who are Leukemia Research Foundation's largest grantees?
Leukemia Research Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis ($300,000 across 2 grants), The University of Chicago ($150,000) and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine ($150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($150,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Leukemia Research Foundation?
Leukemia Research Foundation reported $10.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.0M.
What does Leukemia Research Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to cure leukemia by funding innovative research and supporting patients and families. Its research spans cancer cell biology, causes and risk factors, treatment, and relapse prevention. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Leukemia Research Foundation?
The New Investigator Research Grant Program begins with a letter of intent submitted through the application process described on the foundation’s website. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Leukemia Research Foundation's EIN?
Leukemia Research Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6102182. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021 (received by the IRS February 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 5, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Leukemia Research Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Leukemia Research Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/leukemia-research-foundation-morg_b42de3663fe948b19f04ee95121723a0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366102182_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Leukemia Research Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/leukemia-research-foundation-morg_b42de3663fe948b19f04ee95121723a0},
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 Leukemia Research 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.
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