The Mayday Fund
The MAYDAY Fund is a private foundation based in New York, NY, focused on the alleviation of human physical pain. Established in 1992, it supports projects intended to improve pain treatment and close the gap between knowledge and practice.
The Mayday Fund at a glance
In short: The Mayday Fund gave $820K across 9 grants in 2024 (avg $91K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $820,355
- +14.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 9
- -43.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $91,151
- +102.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $93,500
- Total assets
- $36,170,300
- +8.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (39% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Mayday Fund
- How to Apply
-
The Fund asks applicants to describe the project and its rationale for affecting the pain field, and to provide timeline and budget estimates. The Board meets three times per year to review letters; for projects of interest, it requests a proposal, which is sent for peer review. Proposers may be invited to meet with the Board. Grants are restricted to eligible public charities and educational institutions, and individuals are ineligible. When appropriate, the Fund may contribute an indirect costs allowance of 10 percent.
- Review Cycle
- There are no deadlines; applications are offered for consideration at the next Board meeting.
- Deadline
- There are no deadlines; applications are offered for consideration at the next Board meeting.
- Contact
Application contact: Christina M Spellman
Mailing address: 420 Lexington Avenue Suite 331, New York, NY 10170-0399
Phone: (212) 366-6970
Email: inquiry@maydayfund.org
Website: https://maydayfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Mayday Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jackson Laboratories ($220K). Together the top 9 received $820K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 34 grants of 71 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Fund concentrates its activities in the United States and has occasionally made grants to Canadian organizations when projects have effects beyond Canada. In 2024, its grant dollars were distributed among recipients in New York (39%), Connecticut (27%), Maryland (13%), Massachusetts (11%), and California (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 9 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Mayday Fund gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−12%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 90% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $719K (2023) to $1.1M (2022). In 2024 it made 9 grants totaling $820K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson Laboratories Farmington, CT | Decoding Endometriosis: Spatial Dynamics and Symptoms | $220,000 |
| Chapel and York US Foundation - University of South Australia New York, NY | Identifying social factors that stratify health opportuities and outcomes project | $199,668 |
| Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor, NY | Research Using Click Chemistry for Pain | $118,983 |
| United States Association for the Study of Pain (Usasp) Annapolis, MD | Clinical Translational Research Awards for Young Investigators | $110,000 |
| Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA | Inovate VR Pain Program | $93,500 |
| UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals Foundation Oakland, CA | General Operating Support | $48,054 |
| University of Sherbrooke | North American Pain School Correspondents Science Communications Program | $26,000 |
| Council on Foundations Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $3,000 |
| Philanthropy New York New York, NY | General Operating Support | $1,150 |
Ready to take the next step with The Mayday Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $36,170,300 | $1,358,486 | $1,628,404 | $820,355 | 9 | $1,576,211 | $1,306,073 | $1,744,607 |
| 2023 | $33,373,771 | $3,245,525 | $1,323,157 | $718,902 | 16 | $1,305,231 | $3,219,730 | $1,527,430 |
| 2022 | $29,554,921 | $9,340,596 | $1,736,197 | $1,147,214 | 15 | $1,519,770 | $7,379,642 | $1,535,563 |
| 2021 | $37,196,509 | $1,368,718 | $1,466,204 | $927,644 | 14 | $1,401,970 | $1,400,362 | $1,817,610 |
| 2020 | $33,374,151 | $654,825 | $1,375,842 | $922,392 | 17 | — | $1,798,173 | $1,433,282 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mayday Fund reported a distributable amount of $1.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Fund’s mission is to alleviate human physical pain. Its current grant-making targets are Research Bench to Bedside, Pain Thermometer, Knowledge & Networks, and Alternative Strategies & Therapies. It describes its approach as focused grantmaking aimed at creating meaningful change and using research knowledge more effectively in practice. The Fund also supports projects that build evidence that pain is diagnosable and treatable and expects grantees to provide credible evidence of measurable impact.
Grants are made to public charities and educational institutions recognized as such by the IRS; grants cannot be made to individuals. The Fund concentrates its activities in the United States and has occasionally supported Canadian organizations when a project has effects beyond Canada. Among its 2024 grantees, the Council on Foundations received $3,000 in general operating support. The Council describes its own mission as fostering an environment where philanthropy can thrive and cultivating a community of diverse and skilled philanthropic professionals and organizations.
Grantmaking
The Fund’s grantmaking targets and the specific projects it supports can evolve. It reports that it tends to provide significant support to a handful of projects annually rather than making large numbers of smaller grants. Its 2024 filing lists nine grants totaling $820,355; amounts ranged from $1,150 to $220,000, with a median grant of $93,500. For comparison, the Fund reported 16 grants totaling $718,902 in 2023 and 15 grants totaling $1,147,214 in 2022.
Notable 2024 grants included $220,000 to Jackson Laboratories for “Decoding Endometriosis: Spatial Dynamics and Symptoms”; $199,668 to Chapel and York US Foundation – University of South Australia for a project on social factors affecting health opportunities and outcomes; and $118,983 to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for research using click chemistry for pain. Other grants included $110,000 to the United States Association for the Study of Pain for clinical translational research awards for young investigators and $93,500 to Boston Children’s Hospital for an “INOVATE VR Pain” program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Maureen Cozine, Emma X. P. Davidson, and Caroline N. Sidnam as directors; Pamela M. Thye as director and treasurer; Rebecca Theis as secretary; and Christina M. Spellman as executive director. The Fund’s website also lists Chaya Cassell as grants manager.
The Mayday Fund is led by Christina M. Spellman, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christina M. Spellman
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$139K (2020) → $151K (2024)
Caroline N. Sidnam
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emma X. P. Davidson
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pamela M. Thye
Director & Treasurer
Director → Director & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maureen Cozine
Director
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Theis
Secretary
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Daniel L. Dolgin (2020–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 $151K, to Christina M Spellman (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Mayday Fund
How much does The Mayday Fund give each year?
The Mayday Fund gave $820K across 9 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $719K across 16 grants.
What is The Mayday Fund's typical grant size?
The Mayday Fund's median grant in 2024 was $93,500, and its average grant was $91,151, across 9 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Mayday Fund give grants?
The Mayday Fund's top state is New York, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (27%) and Maryland (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Mayday Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of The Mayday Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 9) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Mayday Fund's largest grantees?
The Mayday Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Jackson Laboratories ($220,000), Chapel and York US Foundation - University of South Australia ($199,668) and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ($118,983), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Mayday Fund?
The Mayday Fund reported $36.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Mayday Fund fund?
The Fund’s mission is to alleviate human physical pain. Its current grant-making targets are Research Bench to Bedside, Pain Thermometer, Knowledge & Networks, and Alternative Strategies & Therapies. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Mayday Fund?
The Fund asks applicants to describe the project and its rationale for affecting the pain field, and to provide timeline and budget estimates. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Mayday Fund's EIN?
The Mayday Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-4117113. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 19, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 31, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 4, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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