Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation
The Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation, based in Washington, DC, is a Form 990 public charity that funds melanoma research and patient engagement. Founded in 2007, it supports research intended to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat melanoma, as well as education and other patient-engagement activities.
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation at a glance
In short: Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation gave $11.9M across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $411K), top state New York. 54% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $11,922,010
- +93.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- +11.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $411,104
- +73.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $255,000
- Total assets
- $25,192,749
- +2.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (15 of 28, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (26% 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 Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 730 15Th St Nw 4Th Floor, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 336-7230
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation
Melanoma Research Alliance: Exchange Patient Forum Scholarship Grant
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Melanoma Research Alliance: Pilot Awards Grant
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation
Amount
Up to US $100,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Melanoma Research Alliance: Special Opportunity Team Science Awards Grant
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation
Amount
Up to US $900,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Columbia University Irving Medical Center ($1.2M). Together the top 10 received $8.2M.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($1,280,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
124 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 40 grants of 124 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it awards grants to domestic and foreign research organizations. In 2024, the largest reported shares of grant dollars went to recipients in an individual recipient (26%), California (22%), Massachusetts (19%), Florida (10%), and Pennsylvania (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 28 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $335K; repeat grants $531K. How we count
Medians: $150K first-time, $265K repeat.
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 $6.2M (2023) to $11.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $11.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia University Irving Medical Center New York, NY | 1 Team Science Award, 1 Young Investigator Award | $1,155,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $1,280,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) New York, NY | 2 Pilot Award, 1 Team Science Award | $1,088,210 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) Boston, MA | 1 next steps: advancing drug discovery to identify new therapies award, 1 team science award | $1,025,000 |
| The Regents of the University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA | 1 Team Science Award, 1 Pilot Award | $1,000,000 |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston, MA | 1 team science award, 1 next steps: melanoma biomarker development award | $975,000 |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY | Team Science Award | $900,000 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University Redwood City, CA | Team Science Award | $900,000 |
| The Regents of the University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 1 pilot award, 1 team science award, 1 young investigator award | $627,500 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | 1 partnership award, 1 pilot award, 1 next steps: melanoma biomarker development award | $264,999 |
Ready to take the next step with Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $25,192,749 | $16,482,705 | $17,446,662 | $11,922,010 | 29 | $875,240 |
| 2023 | $24,538,655 | $9,291,698 | $10,316,517 | $6,175,342 | 26 | $905,624 |
| 2022 | $27,333,346 | $11,614,639 | $15,668,313 | $9,324,708 | 20 | $320,977 |
| 2021 | $32,267,462 | $7,467,315 | $11,287,116 | $6,629,937 | 27 | $149,745 |
| 2020 | $37,054,829 | $8,116,130 | $15,513,267 | $9,459,017 | 22 | $295,271 |
| 2019 | $43,192,719 | $22,512,773 | $13,031,027 | $7,529,862 | 22 | $343,373 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is to end suffering and death due to melanoma by collaborating with stakeholders to accelerate research, advance cures for all patients, and prevent more melanomas. Its funding supports individual investigators and collaborative teams pursuing translational research in prevention, detection, diagnosis, staging, and treatment. Its stated priorities include rare melanomas, treatment-resistant disease, brain metastasis and leptomeningeal disease, and prevention, risk prediction, and diagnosis.
The foundation says it makes grants to domestic and foreign research universities, medical schools, and nonprofit medical research organizations, with research made available to the scientific community. It also operates a patient-engagement program that provides education about melanoma and clinical trials and supports a patient registry for rare melanomas.
Among its 2024 grantees, Columbia University received $1,155,000; the university describes itself as a leading research institution with a medical center. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center received $1,088,210 and describes its mission as leadership in cancer prevention, treatment, and cure through patient care, research, outreach, and education. The Moffitt Cancer Center received $1,155,000 and describes its mission as supporting its subsidiaries through research, management, and other means.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 29 grants totaling $11,922,010. Grant amounts ranged from $12,000 to $1,155,000, with a median of $255,000. Other notable awards included $1,025,000 to Massachusetts General Hospital, $1,000,000 to the University of California, San Francisco, and $975,000 to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The foundation’s website describes Young Investigator Awards for early-career researchers, Pilot Awards for high-risk, high-reward ideas, Team Science Awards for collaborative projects, Dermatology Career Development Awards, Established Investigator Awards, and Partnership Awards. It says proposals are evaluated by a Grant Review Committee for scientific merit and translational and clinical impact; the Board of Directors approves final awards. Grantees submit annual scientific-progress and financial reports. Funds are paid in annual installments, with subsequent installments contingent on satisfactory review.
The listed opportunities include Young Investigator Awards of up to $255,000 over three years and an RTFCCR-MRA Team Science Award opportunity of up to $900,000 for work on early detection, diagnosis, and risk stratification. The team-science opportunity calls for patient involvement throughout the work. No application deadline is provided here.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael Klowden, Debra Black, Evan Bayh, Leon Black, Lee Alpert, Maria Bell, Ben Black, Barry Cohen, Ellen Davis, and Amanda Eilian as directors. Debra Black is listed as chair and co-founder; Evan Bayh as director and secretary; and Leon Black as director and co-founder.
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation is led by Marc Hurlbert, Chief Executive Officer since 2022 (on filings since 2019); 5 of 32 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Marc Hurlbert
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Science Officer → Chief Executive Officer, 2022
On filings since 2019
50 hrs/week
$299K (2019) → $379K (2024)
Stephanie Kauffman
President & COO
On filings since 2022
50 hrs/week
$188K (2022) → $319K (2024)
Debra Black
Chair & Co-Founder
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janine Rauscher
Director of Development Operat
Director of Development Operations → Director of Development Operat, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$104K (2023) → $108K (2024)
Tanisha Jackson
Scientific Program Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$156K (2023) → $104K (2024)
Amanda Eilian
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ben Black
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daisy Helman
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Denise Kellen
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Stanton
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Davis
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jamie Gertz
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Federici
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Rowbottom
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Simons
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Sokoloff
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leon Black
Director & Co-Founder
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maria Bell
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Jo Rogers
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Klowden
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Milken
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Marks
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Ressler
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Hess
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Topalian
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ian Schuman
Director
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lee Alpert
Director
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barry Cohen
Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Evan Bayh
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Wedel
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joan Levy
Chief Science Officer
Senior Director of Special Projects → Chief Science Officer, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$174K (2021) → $243K (2024)
John Hunter
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Cody Barnett (2019–2023) — Senior Director Communications
- Former: Elliott Sigal (2019–2022) — Director · Filing note: Thru 10/2022
- Former: Margaret Anderson (2019–2022) — Director & Secretary · Filing note: Thru 322
- Former: Michael Kaplan (2019–2022) — President & CEO · Filing note: Thru 422
- Former: Kristen Mueller (2019–2021) — Scientific Program Director
- Former: Carolyn Ricci (2020–2021) — Director of Development
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 $379K, to Marc Hurlbert (Chief Executive Officer). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation
How much does Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation give each year?
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation gave $11.9M across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $6.2M across 26 grants.
What is Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's typical grant size?
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $255,000, and its average grant was $411,104, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation that year got $335K on average.
Where does Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation give grants?
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's top state is New York, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (22%) and Massachusetts (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (4 grants), Philadelphia, PA (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 29 grants with a stated purpose on Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Young Investigator Award" (6 grants), "Pilot Award" (3 grants) and "Next Steps: Melanoma Biomarker Development Award" (3 grants).
Who are Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's largest grantees?
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Columbia University Irving Medical Center ($1,155,000), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) ($1,088,210) and Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) ($1,025,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($1,280,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation?
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation reported $25.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $16.5M.
What does Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation fund?
The organization’s mission is to end suffering and death due to melanoma by collaborating with stakeholders to accelerate research, advance cures for all patients, and prevent more melanomas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation?
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's EIN?
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1636099. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 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 August 25, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 30, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/melanoma-research-alliance-foundation-morg_6ff56ad2ab434ca8a7086113236e4173
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261636099_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/melanoma-research-alliance-foundation-morg_6ff56ad2ab434ca8a7086113236e4173},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Melanoma Research Alliance 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.
Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?