Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation
To bring the vision to reality, the foundation will accelerate bold and innovative ideas in radiation therapy.
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation at a glance
In short: Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation gave $339K across 9 grants in 2025 (avg $38K), top state Missouri. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $339,246
- +4.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 9
- -10.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $37,694
- +15.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $34,993
- Total assets
- $19,942,267
- +10.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Missouri (25% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Washington University ($84K). Together the top 9 received $339K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 51 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 9 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−18%). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $215K (2021) to $411K (2022). In 2025 it made 9 grants totaling $339K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington University St. Louis, MO | Research Award | $83,880 |
| Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma Health Oklahoma City, OK | Research Award | $52,000 |
| Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX | Research Award | $45,917 |
| Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Research Award | $37,312 |
| The Regents of the University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Research Award | $34,993 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX | Research Award | $25,799 |
| Montefiore Medical Center Tarrytown, NY | Research Award | $24,800 |
| The Regents of the University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Research Award | $24,545 |
| American Society for Radiation Oncology Arlington, VA | 2025 Speed of Light Support to Arro Webinar | $10,000 |
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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 | $19,942,267 | $914,017 | $1,419,116 | $339,246 | 9 | $677,138 |
| 2024 | $18,112,982 | $983,846 | $963,967 | $326,153 | 10 | $671,535 |
| 2023 | $16,890,609 | $518,598 | $1,017,164 | $408,090 | 13 | $249,672 |
| 2022 | $15,424,153 | $623,983 | $978,605 | $411,495 | 11 | $291,211 |
| 2021 | $17,490,901 | $1,291,473 | $697,666 | $214,699 | 8 | $869,371 |
| 2020 | $16,106,095 | $1,152,909 | $747,604 | $223,271 | 9 | $533,080 |
About Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation
Based on IRS filings
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation is a public charity focused on Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines, based in Arlington, VA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $19.9M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 9 grants totaling $339K. Net investment income was $677K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation is led by Gita Suneja, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 16 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gita Suneja
President
Reseach Committee Chair → Research Committee Chair & Trustee, 2021
Research Committee Chair & Trustee → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vivek S. Kavadi
Executive Director, Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Join Y. Luh
Development Committee Chair
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald Chen
Research Committee Chair
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deepak Khuntia
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Digiaimo
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerry Jaboin
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fumiko Chino
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura I. Thevenot Former Exec
Director, Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Colleen A. F. Lawton
Immediate Past President
Vice President → President, 2022
President → Immediate Past President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason A. Efstathiou
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Buatti
Astro Representation
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phillip Devlin
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Michalski
Astro Representation
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Howard Sandler
Astro Representation
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Woodward
Astro Representation
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: Geraldine Jacobsen (2023–2024) — Astro Representation
- Former: Gita Suneja Research Cmte (2024) — Vice President
- Former: Laura I. Thevenot Exec Dir (2024) — Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
- Former: Vivek S. Kavadi Exec Dir (2024) — Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
- Former: James P. Hoey (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Laura I. Thevenot (2020–2023) — Executive Director, Secretary & Assistant
- Former: Gita Suneja Research Committee (2022–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Robert C. Miller (2022–2023) — Former Research Committee Chair
- Former: Christopher M. Rose (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Daniel Moore (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Deborah A. Kuban (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: J. Frank Wilson (2020–2022) — Development Committee Chair
- Former: Brian Marples (2021–2022) — Astro Representation
- Former: Thomas J. Eichler (2021–2022) — Astro Representation -
- Former: Laura Dawson (2022) — Astro Representation -
- Former: Catherine Park (2020–2021) — Astro Representation -
- Former: Kolleen T. Kennedy (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Theodore Deweese (2020–2021) — Astro Representation -
- Former: Tim Williams (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Paul Harari (2020) — Astro Representation
- Former: Theodore S. Lawrence (2020) — Immediate Past President & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation
How much does Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation give each year?
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation gave $339K across 9 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $326K across 10 grants.
What is Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation's typical grant size?
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $34,993, and its average grant was $37,694, across 9 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation give grants?
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation's top state is Missouri, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Texas (21%) and California (18%).
Does Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 9 grants with a stated purpose on Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research Award" (8 grants).
Who are Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation's largest grantees?
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Washington University ($83,880), Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma Health ($52,000) and Baylor College of Medicine ($45,917), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation?
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation reported $19.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $914K.
What is Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation?
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation is a public charity focused on Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines, based in Arlington, VA. It holds $19.9M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation's EIN?
Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0178702. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 31, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Speed of Light - the Astro Foundation funds
Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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