The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded on October 31, 2000, by Canadian-American actor Michael J. Fox. Headquartered in New York City, the Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$439.0M
+25.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$240.2M
+90.9% YoY
Grant Count
142
-3.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.7M
+97.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation's mission is to direct funds to promising research opportunities worldwide while seeking a cure for Parkinson's disease. The organization's focus is increasingly on clinical and translational research crucial to making strides toward a cure and improved therapies.
The Foundation addresses the significant public health challenge posed by Parkinson's disease, which affects nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 6 million people worldwide. This figure is estimated to double by 2040 as the population ages and becomes at increasing risk for neurologic disorders.
Primary program area: Funding research focused on developing a cure for Parkinson's disease.
Grantmaking
The Foundation maintains a direct grantmaking model, funding grants to scientists assessed as having the best chance of finding a cure. The organization maintains closer control over and supervision of projects than is typical from other medical-research foundations.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 Financial Data:
- Total Revenue: $505,288,760
- Total Expenses: $452,470,597
- Total Assets: $439,010,892
2023 Financial Data:
- Total Revenue: $316.1 million
- Total Expenses: $386.2 million
- Total Assets: $349.5 million
Revenue Breakdown (2023):
- Contributions & Grants: $303.5 million (96.5%)
- Investment Income: $11.1 million (3.5%)
- Other Revenue: -$65,000 (0%)
Compensation (2023):
- Officers & Directors Compensation: $4,091,134
- Other Salaries & Wages: $32,287,744
Staffing: The Foundation employs 325 staff members as of 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $439,010,892 | $349,458,390 | $397,763,015 |
| Revenue | $505,288,760 | $316,078,272 | $362,405,973 |
| Expenses | $452,470,597 | $386,159,309 | $338,898,662 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $13,020,883 | $11,093,281 | $2,780,188 |
| 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 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from The Michael J Fox Foundation
Collaborative Research Network Technical Track RFA
THE MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders
THE MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
GP2 Underrepresented Populations PhD Program Grant
THE MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Greenphire ($18,613,259), Alkahest ($18,138,879), Indiana University ($11,933,381).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ABBVIE INC NORTH CHICAGO, IL | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $1,778,698 |
| ABCAM CAMBRIDGE, MA | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $43,297 |
| ALAMAR BIOSCIENCES FREMONT, CA | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $511,500 |
| ALECTOR SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $1,137,488 |
| ALKAHEST SAN CARLOS, CA | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $18,138,879 |
| AMPRION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $2,800,000 |
| ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION TEMPE, AZ | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $365,578 |
| ASIAN WOMEN FOR HEALTH SOMERVILLE, MA | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $40,000 |
| BANNER HEALTH INSTITUTE PHOENIX, AZ | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $850,037 |
| BARROW NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE - DIGNITY HEALTH PHOENIX, AZ | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $147,508 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder: Deborah W. Brooks
- Chairman: Skip Irving
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL J FOX | FOUNDER | 2 | — |
| ANDREW J O'BRIEN | CHAIRMAN | 2 | — |
| FRED G WEISS | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| SKIP IRVING | VICE CHAIRMAN | 2 | — |
| HOLLY S ANDERSEN MD | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| BONNIE M BANDEEN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| GLENN BATCHELDER | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| SUSAN BILOTTA | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| MARK BOOTH | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| JON BROOKS | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| BARRY J COHEN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| ANDREW CREIGHTON | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| FRANK D'AMELIO | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| JOHN S DALY | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DONNY DEUTSCH | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DAVID EINHORN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| KAREN FINERMAN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| NELLE FORTENBERRY | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| AKBAR GBAJABIAMILA | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| WILLIE GEIST | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| GABE GELMAN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DAVID GLICKMAN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| ANNE M HOLLOWAY | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| MELANIE BOLCH ISBILL | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| EDWARD KALIKOW | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| JEFFREY KEEFER | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| ALEX KRYS | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| AMAR KUCHINAD | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| MARC S LIPSCHULTZ | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| BARRY MALKIN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| COLIN R MASSON | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| OFER NEMIROVSKY | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DOUGLAS I OSTROVER | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| LISA A PIAZZA | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| TRACY POLLAN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| JACK QUINN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| RYAN REYNOLDS | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| HARTLEY T RICHARDSON | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| ARI RICHTER | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| FREDERICK E ROWE JR TO 1024 | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| CAROLYN SCHENKER | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| CURTIS SCHENKER | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| RICHARD J SCHNALL | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| ROBERT W SHACKLETON | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| ANNE-CECILIE ENGELL SPEYER | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| BONNIE STRAUSS | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| RICK TIGNER | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| GEORGE WHELEN | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| PETER ZAFFINO | MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DEBORAH W BROOKS | CO-FOUNDER & CEO | 40 | $1,467,004 |
| WILLIAM FOWLER | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (TO 3/24) | 40 | $233,333 |
| JENNIFER MOUGHALIAN | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (AS OF 7/24) | 40 | $186,750 |
| JAMES MCNASBY | GENERAL COUNSEL/SECRETARY | 40 | $391,939 |
| TODD SHERER | CHIEF MISSION OFFICER | 40 | $1,209,202 |
| SOHINI CHOWDHURY | CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER | 40 | $983,510 |
| LISA BOUDREAU | CHIEF DEVLEP. OFFICER (AS OF 7/24) | 40 | $528,171 |
| BRIAN K FISKE | CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER | 40 | $429,937 |
| MARK A FRASIER | CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER | 40 | $431,222 |
| HOLLY TEICHHOLTZ | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER | 40 | $504,518 |
| VANESSA ARNEDO | CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER | 40 | $383,455 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation continues active research funding and community engagement initiatives. Recent activities include:
The Michael J. Fox Foundation recently announced 142 new ...A longitudinal study funded by the Foundation, the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative, released results in 2023 in Lancet Neurology demonstrating that Parkinson's can be detected through specific markers.
The Foundation announced 142 new research grants in recent announcements, supporting various research initiatives including work on calcium channel platforms, biomarkers for targeted therapies, and novel treatments for Parkinson's disease with specific genetic mutations.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation recently announced 142 new ...The Foundation operates "Fox Trial Finder," a tool to help connect people with Parkinson's disease to clinical studies.
Current research initiatives include studies examining the link between sense of smell and brain disease, with public participation opportunities through at-home smell tests.
The Foundation released a film chronicling 25 years of impact on Parkinson's research and treatment.
The Foundation has established 2026 public policy priorities focused on Parkinson's disease advocacy and research support.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Michael J Fox Foundation fund?
The Foundation's mission is to direct funds to promising research opportunities worldwide while seeking a cure for Parkinson's disease. The organization's focus is increasingly on clinical and translational research crucial to making strides toward a cure and improved therapies. The Foundation addresses the significant public health challenge posed by Parkinson's disease, which affects nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 6 million people worldwide. This figure is estimate…
How do I apply for a grant from The Michael J Fox Foundation?
The Foundation maintains a direct grantmaking model, funding grants to scientists assessed as having the best chance of finding a cure. The organization maintains closer control over and supervision of projects than is typical from other medical-research foundations. **Recent Grant Activity (2024):** • Parkinson's Disease Foundation Incorporated: $21,012,000 • Yale University: $18,387,153 • Indiana University: $11,933,381 • Additional 67 grants totaling $118,184,630 **Funding Scale:** As of 202…
What size grants does The Michael J Fox Foundation award?
In 2024, The Michael J Fox Foundation awarded 142 grants totaling $240.2M — an average of about $1.7M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Michael J Fox Foundation's EIN?
The Michael J Fox Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4141945. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Michael J Fox Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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