The Mayday Fund is a private 501(c)(3) foundation established in 1992 and headquartered in New York, NY. The organization is dedicated to furthering Shirley Steinman Katzenbach's commitment to social and medical causes, with a specific focus on the alleviation of human physical pain. The Fund operates as a family foundation with a lay board and concentrates its philanthropic activities in the United States, with occasional grants to Canadian organizations when projects have effects reaching beyond Canada.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$820K
+14.1% YoY
Grant Count
9
-43.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$91K
+102.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Mayday Fund was established to further the alleviation of human physical pain. The organization's name commemorates the birth date of its founder and reflects the international distress signal, taken from the French "m'aidez" (help me).
The Fund operates according to two core principles:
- It is better to be a rifle than a shotgun: The organization believes that creating meaningful change with modest funding requires substantive and focused grant-making rather than scattershot support.
- It is necessary to close the gap between knowledge and practice: While excellent research has generated substantial knowledge about pain treatment, existing knowledge is not effectively used in practice.
Current grant-making targets include:
- Research Bench to Bedside
- Pain Thermometer
- Knowledge & Networks
- Alternative Strategies & Therapies
The Fund also remains open to undertaking unusual opportunities that present themselves.
Grantmaking
Since 1993, with an initial gift of $13 million, the Mayday Fund has made 327 discrete grants representing a total value of $22.4 million. The organization tends to provide significant support to a handful of projects annually rather than making large numbers of smaller grants.
Grant Range
& Range**
Average Grant
s vary by program, including general operating support averaging $7,184 and research grants averaging up to $118,983.
Review Cycle
. The application process is straightforward and requires applicants to:
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Mayday Fund concentrates its activities in the United States. On occasion, grants have been made to Canadian organizations when the project has an effect that reaches beyond Canada. Recent funding has supported initiatives across various U.S. cities including Annapolis, Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue
- Total Assets: $33.4 million to $36.2 million (most recent filings)
- Total Revenue: $1.36 million to $3.25 million (most recent year)
- Total Expenses: $1.32 million to $1.63 million (most recent year)
- Total Giving: $1.58 million (most recent filing)
Giving Rate
The organization maintains a giving rate of approximately 4.5 percent of assets.
Recent Annual Grants
- 2024: $719,000 in grants awarded (16 grants)
- 2023: Multiple grants totaling significant amounts across various programs
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Staff
- Christina M. Spellman, Executive Director
Board
- Pamela M. Thye, Director and Treasurer
- Caroline N. Sidnam, Director
- Emma X P. Davidson, Director
- Maureen Cozine, Director
- Rebecca Theis, Secretary
Board Emeritus
- Robert D.C. Meeker (Deceased)
- Daniel L. Dolgin (Deceased)
Advisors
- Robert A. Cook
- William F. McCalpin
Board members and directors work on a voluntary basis, while the Executive Director receives compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAUREEN COZINE | DIRECTOR (STARTED ON 06/05/2024) | 4 | — |
| EMMA X P DAVIDSON | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| CAROLINE N SIDNAM | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| PAMELA M THYE | DIRECTOR, TREASURER | 4 | — |
| REBECCA THEIS | SECRETARY | 4 | — |
| CHRISTINA M SPELLMAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $150,675 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Mayday Fund continues to administer its flagship training program, the Mayday Pain and Society Fellowship, which equips medical professionals with skills to advocate for better pain care. Fellows include physicians, nurses, pharmacists, pain scientists, social workers, and legal scholars who learn communications skills to inform the public about pain and evidence-based treatment approaches.
The Mayday Fund Grants - Migraine Science CollaborativeThe organization has announced fellowship cohorts for 2025-2026 and maintains active partnerships with organizations including the United States Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), supporting clinical and translational research awards in the pain field.
The Mayday Fund - Announcing the USASP-MAYDAY Clinical/Translational ResearchSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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