
NFX drives bold, high-impact research to discover and develop targeted treatments for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). We envision a future where every person with NF1 has access to treatments tailored to their unique experience of the disease.
Nf Forward concentrates its giving on neurofibromatosis type 1 research, backing work that aims to move from discovery toward targeted treatments and, ultimately, a cure. Through partnership with the Gilbert Family Foundation, the funder directs large project-based awards to biomedical researchers and medical research institutions rather than to individuals. Its recent grants show a strong preference for established research centers and clinical environments, including $3,023,731 to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for neurofibromatosis research and $2,492,685 to Stanford University for the same purpose. The pattern is consistent across years, with repeated support to the same institutions as projects continue to develop. The recent grant list also includes Children's Tumor Foundation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Washington University, indicating that Nf Forward supports both disease-specific organizations and academic medical centers. The grants are framed around advancing treatment options for people with NF1, with clinical and translational work sitting alongside earlier-stage scientific research. That mix suggests a funder focused on moving research ideas into therapies with direct relevance to a rare genetic disorder.
Nf Forward’s work centers on neurofibromatosis type 1 research, but the grants point to several distinct scientific emphases. In disease-specific research, it gave $1,500,000 to Children's Tumor Foundation for support for neurofibromatosis research. Clinical and translational work is also prominent: Stanford University received $1,971,529 in 2024 for support for neurofibromatosis research, reflecting continued investment in a major research program. The portfolio includes laboratory and medical center partners such as University of Alabama at Birmingham, which received $1,184,294 in 2025 for the same purpose. Research tied to broader biomedical infrastructure also appears in the list, including Washington University at $887,596 in 2025. Across these grants, the funding stays tightly aligned to NF1 and the development of treatments.
Typical grant size is substantial: the 25th percentile is $477,568, the median is $747,081, and the 75th percentile is $1,500,000. The recent grants show repeat support to the same recipients across multiple years, including Stanford University, Children's Tumor Foundation, Duke University, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and The Research Institute at Nationwide. That pattern points to ongoing, project-based funding rather than one-off awards. Nf Forward is a public charity and does not fund individuals. Its active programs also indicate that unsolicited applications are not accepted for the research funding programs, with grantmaking coordinated through partnership with the Gilbert Family Foundation.
$24.8M
$10.3M
$6.9M
$15.1M
Most grants fall between $478K and $1.5M, with a median of $747K.
25th Percentile
$478K
Median
$747K
75th Percentile
$1.5M
About 0% of grants go to recipients in OH.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Grantmaking is national and all recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients. The biggest concentration by city is in Boston, Columbus, and Redwood City, with additional awards in Philadelphia, Durham, and Birmingham. Ohio is the top state by grant count, reflecting multiple awards to Columbus-based institutions and a Cincinnati recipient. Although Nf Forward is headquartered in Detroit, none of the recent grants in the list went to Michigan recipients.
It funds biomedical research institutions, universities, hospitals, and disease-focused organizations working on neurofibromatosis type 1. Recent grants include Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Stanford University, Children's Tumor Foundation, and University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The grant-size distribution is large: the 25th percentile is $477,568, the median is $747,081, and the 75th percentile is $1,500,000. Recent awards include both mid-six-figure and seven-figure grants.
It does not fund individuals. For its research funding programs, unsolicited applications are not accepted, and the active programs are described as coordinated or invitation-only research funding.
The focus is tightly centered on neurofibromatosis type 1 research, especially clinical research, translational research, therapeutic development, preclinical discovery, and treatment development. The stated goal is to advance treatment options for NF1.
The grantmaking is national, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Ohio is the top state by grant count, and recent recipient cities include Philadelphia, Redwood City, New York, Birmingham, Columbus, Boston, and Durham.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $3,023,731 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $2,492,685 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,500,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $1,184,294 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $887,596 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CORPORATION | BOSTON, MA | $859,027 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE | COLUMBUS, OH | $619,262 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS | WORCESTER, MA | $537,597 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION | BOSTON, MA | $427,713 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $395,815 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $360,045 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER | BATON ROUGE, LA | $360,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $360,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $360,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $359,550 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER | CINCINNATI, OH | $349,540 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY | RICHMOND, VA | $338,746 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT NATIONWIDE | COLUMBUS, OH | $326,633 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,971,529 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,492,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER | BATON ROUGE, LA | $518,771 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION | BOSTON, MA | $477,568 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT NATIONWIDE | COLUMBUS, OH | $470,969 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $400,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $2,434,903 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,500,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $747,081 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH |
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA
$3,023,731SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$2,492,685SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION
$1,500,000SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
$1,184,294SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
$887,596SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CORPORATION
$859,027SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
$619,262SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
$537,597SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION
$427,713SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO
$395,815SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$360,045SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER
$360,000SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
DUKE UNIVERSITY
$360,000SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$360,000SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$359,550SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER
$349,540SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
$338,746SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT NATIONWIDE
$326,633SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$1,971,529SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION
$1,492,500SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER
$518,771SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION
$477,568SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT NATIONWIDE
$470,969SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
DUKE UNIVERSITY
$400,000SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$2,434,903SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION
$1,500,000SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
$747,081SUPPORT FOR NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH