National Brain Tumor Society Inc
National Brain Tumor Society Inc (NBTS) is a public charity based in Newton, Massachusetts, formed in 1989. It invests in brain tumor research, supports patients and care partners, and advocates on issues affecting the brain tumor community.
National Brain Tumor Society Inc at a glance
In short: National Brain Tumor Society Inc gave $2.3M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $228K), mostly in Connecticut. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,275,000
- +41.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $227,500
- +27.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $93,750
- Total assets
- $19,726,326
- +16.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (66% 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 National Brain Tumor Society Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 55 Chapel Street 006, Newton, MA 02458
Phone: (617) 924-9997
Website: https://braintumor.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who National Brain Tumor Society Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Yale University ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 16 grants of 45 (36%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants listed recipients in multiple states. Connecticut accounted for 66% of reported grant dollars, followed by North Carolina and Georgia at 7% each, and Florida and Virginia at 4% each. These reported state shares do not describe a broader geographic eligibility policy.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is National Brain Tumor Society Inc open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $83K; repeat grants $289K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+3%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $940K (2020) to $2.6M (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Research | $1,500,000 |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA | Research | $150,000 |
| Baptist Health South Florida Foundation Inc Coral Gables, FL | Research | $100,000 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA | Research | $100,000 |
| University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC | Research | $100,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Research | $87,500 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | Research | $87,500 |
| Health Research Alliance Raleigh, NC | Research | $50,000 |
| The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research Ltd New York, NY | Research | $50,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Seattle, WA | Research | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $19,726,326 | $15,062,192 | $13,397,744 | $2,275,000 | 10 | $508,507 |
| 2024 | $17,010,470 | $13,202,037 | $12,600,569 | $1,605,000 | 9 | $606,892 |
| 2023 | $15,961,971 | $13,349,365 | $12,250,340 | $2,367,750 | 6 | $369,617 |
| 2022 | $15,423,168 | $13,224,585 | $10,400,422 | $2,216,500 | 10 | $-18,394 |
| 2021 | $13,088,308 | $11,776,482 | $8,948,424 | $2,637,437 | 10 | $33,433 |
| 2020 | $10,033,142 | $8,931,225 | $7,153,205 | $940,000 | 14 | $75,517 |
| 2019 | $7,787,968 | $14,164,709 | $9,637,844 | $2,110,000 | 12 | $36,564 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
NBTS’s stated mission is to “unrelentingly invest in, mobilize, and unite” the brain tumor community to discover a cure, deliver effective treatments, and advocate for patients and care partners. Its filing describes research intended to translate promising science into treatments that improve survival and quality of life, along with community support and policy advocacy.
The organization’s website describes a Quality of Life Research Grant Program for patient-centered research. Its 2026 guidelines invite proposals, including clinical research and trials, focused on quality-of-life needs of people affected by primary brain and central nervous system tumors and their support networks.
The grantees listed for 2025 include universities, hospitals, and research organizations. Emory University describes its mission as creating, preserving, teaching, and applying knowledge in the service of humanity. Mayo Clinic describes its mission as contributing to health and well-being through patient care, education, and research. The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research describes its work as partnering with scientists to accelerate cancer research, while Health Research Alliance describes itself as a collaborative organization of nonprofit research funders focused on maximizing biomedical research’s impact on human health.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, NBTS reported 10 grants totaling $2,275,000. Grants ranged from $50,000 to $1,500,000, with a median of $93,750. The largest reported award was $1,500,000 to Yale University for research. Other notable awards included $150,000 to Emory University and $100,000 each to Baptist Health South Florida Foundation, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, all for research.
The 2026 Quality of Life Research Grant guidelines set an April 13, 2026 deadline for letters of intent and an August 3, 2026 deadline for finalists’ full applications. The guidelines gave December 31, 2026 as the anticipated award date. These dates are past application deadlines as of October 2, 2026. The guidelines describe a letter-of-intent stage followed by full applications from finalists.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Leah Recht, JD, as chair; Erica Birke as vice chair; Mil Parekh as treasurer; and Frank Macchiarola as clerk. It also lists Allison Bishof, Dr. Joohee Sul, Corie Yutkin, Adam Hayden, Kabir Sethi, and Chris Brown as board members.
National Brain Tumor Society Inc is led by David Arons, CEO on every filing since 2019; 9 of 24 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Arons
CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$225K (2019) → $338K (2025)
Leah Recht JD
Chair
Board Member → Clerk, 2023
Clerk → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Higgins
Managing Director & Btif
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$153K (2023) → $226K (2025)
Elizabeth Ryu
Senior Director of Research
Director of Research → Senior Director of Research, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$148K (2024) → $163K (2025)
Ashley Brennan
Chief Development Officer
Executive Director & Peer-To-Peer Fundraising → Vice President & Development, 2023
Vice President & Development → Chief Development Officer, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$115K (2019) → $246K (2025)
Katie Germain
Chief of Marketing & Communications
Chief Marketing & Committee Officer → Chief of Marketing & Communications Officer, 2024
Chief of Marketing & Communications Officer → Chief of Marketing & Communications, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$137K (2021) → $188K (2025)
Marisa Petrillo
Chief Operating Officer
Chief People Officer → Chief Operating Officer, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$129K (2023) → $175K (2025)
Richard Lescarbeau
Chief Financial Officer
Controller → Vice President of Finance, 2024
Vice President of Finance → Chief Financial Officer, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$122K (2023) → $158K (2025)
Gary Heimberg
Vice President, Counsel & Government Relations
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$130K (2024) → $175K (2025)
Lauren Gainor
Assistant Vice President of Philanthropic Giving
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$149K (2025)
Sarah Durham
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Corie Yutkin
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erica Birke
Vice Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joohee Sul
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adam Hayden
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allison Bishof
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kabir Sethi
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mil Parekh
Treasurer
Board Member → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank Macchiarola
Clerk
Board Member → Clerk, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Brown
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Weinberg
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Turner
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jigar Raythatha
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jay Nadler
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (29)
- Former: Edjah Nduom (2019–2024) — Chair
- Former: Kirk Tanner (2019–2024) — Chief Scientific Officer
- Former: Noel Twigg (2019–2024) — Senior Director of Development
- Former: Ryan Lang (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Dorothy Whalen (2022–2024) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Anne Stameshkin (2024) — Senior Director of Communications
- Former: Eric Olson PhD (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Evanthia Galanis (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Kevin Jeans (2019–2023) — Vice President & Development
- Former: Liz Salmi (2019–2023) — Clerk
- Former: Salo Zelermyer JD (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Tom Roloff (2019–2023) — Chair
- Former: Dave Brown (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Robert Burger (2020–2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Robert Corrao (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: David Donabedian (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Lauren Hall (2019–2022) — Cso & CDO
- Former: Michael Smith (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Kenneth Troshinsky (2021–2022) — CFO
- Former: Steven Gallucci (2019–2021) — CFO
- Former: Amy Fenton (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Danielle Leach (2020) — Chief of Committee & Gov. Relations
- Former: Bonnie Feldman (2019) — Board Member
- Former: David Brown (2019) — Clerk
- Former: Jeff Kolodin (2019) — Emeritus Board Member
- Former: John Frishkopf (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: Rob Burger (2019) — Vice Chair
- Former: Rob Corrao (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Stephen Sadler JD (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $338K, to David Arons (CEO). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about National Brain Tumor Society Inc
How much does National Brain Tumor Society Inc give each year?
National Brain Tumor Society Inc gave $2.3M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 9 grants.
What is National Brain Tumor Society Inc's typical grant size?
National Brain Tumor Society Inc's median grant in 2025 was $93,750, and its average grant was $227,500, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from National Brain Tumor Society Inc that year got $83K on average.
Where does National Brain Tumor Society Inc give grants?
National Brain Tumor Society Inc gives mostly in Connecticut: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (7%) and Georgia (7%).
Does National Brain Tumor Society Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on National Brain Tumor Society Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research" (10 grants).
Who are National Brain Tumor Society Inc's largest grantees?
National Brain Tumor Society Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Yale University ($1,500,000), Emory University ($150,000) and Baptist Health South Florida Foundation Inc ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is National Brain Tumor Society Inc?
National Brain Tumor Society Inc reported $19.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $15.1M.
What does National Brain Tumor Society Inc fund?
NBTS’s stated mission is to “unrelentingly invest in, mobilize, and unite” the brain tumor community to discover a cure, deliver effective treatments, and advocate for patients and care partners. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from National Brain Tumor Society Inc?
National Brain Tumor Society Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check braintumor.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is National Brain Tumor Society Inc's EIN?
National Brain Tumor Society Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3068130. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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 May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 27, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). National Brain Tumor Society Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/national-brain-tumor-society-inc-morg_c1151064ddb8499dbb2d1be61c305ef7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043068130_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{National Brain Tumor Society Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/national-brain-tumor-society-inc-morg_c1151064ddb8499dbb2d1be61c305ef7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 National Brain Tumor Society 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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