To advance the care of hand and upper extremity disorders by supporting research, education, and outreach through the efficient collection of donations and administration of grants.
American Society for Surgery of the Hand pairs large core support with a grantmaking program built around hand surgery research, education, and outreach. In the latest grants on file, the society awarded $2,000,000 in 2025 to the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand, following $1,100,000 in 2024 and $750,000 in 2023 for the same purpose: to support education, research and outreach in the field of hand surgery. That recurring line of support sits alongside a smaller but active portfolio of targeted awards for clinical, basic science, and career-development work. The foundation also funds training and professional exchange. It supports travel scholarships for annual-meeting attendance, a traveling fellowship, scholar awards, and awards tied to research or professional development. Recent grants also show support for mission reimbursement and war-injury programming, indicating that its funding reaches beyond academic work into outreach and service delivery. Recipients include major academic medical centers, research universities, and mission-oriented organizations, all connected to hand and upper extremity care.
Clinical research is a clear theme. In 2024, American Society for Surgery of the Hand gave $100,000 to a clinical grant and another $100,000 to a three-year multicenter clinical grant program, both focused on hand surgery research. Basic science is another repeated area: grants of $20,000 went to Duke University for basic science and to Johns Hopkins University for basic science, while The Ohio State University received $26,250 for basic science and the Goldner Award. Career development and education are also part of the portfolio. Washington University School of Medicine received $126,250 for the ACS Career Development Award, and Johns Hopkins University received $15,000 for the Gelberman Scholar award. Outreach appears in the mission reimbursement line item: Ruth Paz Foundation received $16,365 for Touching Hands mission reimbursement, and World Pediatric Project received $11,800 for the same purpose.
Typical grant size is moderate, with a p25 of $20,000, a median of $30,000, and a p75 of $45,625. The structure mixes large operating support for the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand with many smaller targeted awards for research, scholarships, and mission activity. The recent record shows repeated support across 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests a recurring funding pattern rather than one-off giving. The active program list also shows that some opportunities accept unsolicited applications, including travel scholarships and several research awards.
$2.1M
$42.5M
$12.7M
$12.5M
Most grants fall between $20K and $46K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$46K
About 17% of grants go to recipients in IL.
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Grantmaking is national, and every listed recent grant goes to a U.S. recipient. Illinois is the top state by grant count, with 17% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients are spread across major research and clinical centers, including Chicago, Ann Arbor, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Los Angeles. The largest awards in the file go to the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand in Chicago, while other grants land at universities and hospitals in cities such as Nashville, Durham, and Providence.
Its grants support education, research, and outreach in hand surgery, with specific activity around clinical research, basic science, career development, travel scholarships, scholar awards, and mission reimbursement. The topical taxonomy also includes translational and multicenter research, plus war injury and trauma care related to the hand and upper extremity.
Typical awards cluster around $20,000 to $45,625, with a median grant size of $30,000. The lower quartile is $20,000, which matches several of the named research and education grants in the recent record.
The recipient country distribution in the recent grants list is entirely U.S.-based: 28 grants, or 100.0%, went to U.S. recipients. The active program list includes international eligibility for travel-oriented opportunities, but the recent grants shown are all domestic.
Yes. The American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand appears in three consecutive years in the recent grants list: $750,000 in 2023, $1,100,000 in 2024, and $2,000,000 in 2025, all for education, research, and outreach in hand surgery. That is a clear multi-year funding pattern.
Recent recipients include universities, hospitals, research foundations, and mission-oriented nonprofits. Examples in the grant list include the Regents of the University of Michigan, Washington University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Brigham & Women's Hospital - Research, and the World Pediatric Project.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SURGERY OF THE HAND | CHICAGO, IL | $2,000,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND OUTREACH IN THE FIELD OF HAND SURGERY |
| RUTH PAZ FOUNDATION | DESTREHAN, LA | $16,365 | 2025 | TOUCHING HANDS MISSION REIMBURSEMENT |
| THE GUATEMALA HEALING HANDS FOUNDATION | FOUND RIDGE, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | TOUCHING HANDS MISSION REIMBURSEMENT |
| SOCIETY OF MILITARY ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | TOWSON, MD | $15,000 | 2025 | WAR INJURY SYMPOSIUM SPONSORSHIP |
| WORLD PEDIATRIC PROJECT | RICHMOND, VA | $11,800 | 2025 | TOUCHING HANDS MISSION REIMBURSEMENT |
| AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SURGERY OF THE HAND | CHICAGO, IL | $1,100,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND OUTREACH IN THE FIELD OF HAND SURGERY |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | ST LOUIS, MO | $126,250 | 2024 | ACS CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD/CLINICAL GRANT/GOLDNER AWARD |
| THE RECTOR AND VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | CHARLESVILLE, VA | $45,000 | 2024 | CLINICAL GRANT/FAST TRACK |
| RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY | BINGHAMTON, NY | $40,000 | 2024 | CLINICAL GRANT |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $30,000 | 2024 | FAST TRACK/BASIC SCIENCE GRANTS |
| THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $26,250 | 2024 | BASIC SCIENCE/GOLDNER AWARD |
| MAYO CLINIC RESEARCH | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $25,000 | 2024 | BUNNELL AWARD/FAST TRACK |
| RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL | PROVIDENCE, RI | $20,000 | 2024 | BASIC SCIENCE |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $20,000 | 2024 | BASIC SCIENCE |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $20,000 | 2024 | BASIC SCIENCE |
| AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SURGERY OF THE HAND | CHICAGO, IL | $750,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND OUTREACH IN THE FIELD OF HAND SURGERY |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $171,250 | 2023 | FAST TRACK/CLINICAL/RESEARCH/BASIC SCIENCE GRANTS/GOLDNER AWARD |
| UC REGENTS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $105,000 | 2023 | MULTICENTER RESEARCH GRANT AND FAST TRACK GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $46,250 | 2023 | CLINICAL GRANT AND GOLDNER AWARD |
| EMORY UNIVERSITY | ATLANTA, GA | $45,000 | 2023 | CLINICAL AND FAST TRACK GRANTS |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $40,000 | 2023 | CLINCAL GRANT |
| BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL - RESEARCH | BOSTON, MA | $40,000 | 2023 | CLINICAL GRANT |
| CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2023 | JOINT AFSH/AHTF GRANT |
| FIRSIM LLC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2023 | BUNNELL AWARD |
| REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | IRVINE, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | BASIC SCIENCE |
| VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | NASHVILLE, TN | $20,000 | 2023 | BASIC SCIENCE |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $15,000 | 2023 | GELBERMAN SCHOLAR |
| RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | FAST TRACK |
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SURGERY OF THE HAND
$2,000,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND OUTREACH IN THE FIELD OF HAND SURGERY
RUTH PAZ FOUNDATION
$16,365TOUCHING HANDS MISSION REIMBURSEMENT
THE GUATEMALA HEALING HANDS FOUNDATION
$15,000TOUCHING HANDS MISSION REIMBURSEMENT
SOCIETY OF MILITARY ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$15,000WAR INJURY SYMPOSIUM SPONSORSHIP
WORLD PEDIATRIC PROJECT
$11,800TOUCHING HANDS MISSION REIMBURSEMENT
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SURGERY OF THE HAND
$1,100,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND OUTREACH IN THE FIELD OF HAND SURGERY
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$126,250ACS CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD/CLINICAL GRANT/GOLDNER AWARD
THE RECTOR AND VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$45,000CLINICAL GRANT/FAST TRACK
RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY
$40,000CLINICAL GRANT
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$30,000FAST TRACK/BASIC SCIENCE GRANTS
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$26,250BASIC SCIENCE/GOLDNER AWARD
MAYO CLINIC RESEARCH
$25,000BUNNELL AWARD/FAST TRACK
RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL
$20,000BASIC SCIENCE
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$20,000BASIC SCIENCE
DUKE UNIVERSITY
$20,000BASIC SCIENCE
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SURGERY OF THE HAND
$750,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND OUTREACH IN THE FIELD OF HAND SURGERY
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$171,250FAST TRACK/CLINICAL/RESEARCH/BASIC SCIENCE GRANTS/GOLDNER AWARD
UC REGENTS
$105,000MULTICENTER RESEARCH GRANT AND FAST TRACK GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
$46,250CLINICAL GRANT AND GOLDNER AWARD
EMORY UNIVERSITY
$45,000CLINICAL AND FAST TRACK GRANTS
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$40,000CLINCAL GRANT
BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL - RESEARCH
$40,000CLINICAL GRANT
CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER
$20,000JOINT AFSH/AHTF GRANT
FIRSIM LLC
$20,000BUNNELL AWARD
REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
$20,000BASIC SCIENCE
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
$20,000BASIC SCIENCE
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$15,000GELBERMAN SCHOLAR
RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
$10,000FAST TRACK