Paralyzed Veterans of America, a congressionally chartered veterans service organization founded in 1946, uses its expertise to be the leading advocate for quality health care for members, research and education addressing spinal cord injury and dysfunction, benefits available as a result of military service, and civil rights and opportunities that maximize the independence of members.
Paralyzed Veterans of America Spinal Cord Injury Education & Training directs both research and education dollars toward spinal cord injury and disease, with grants reaching hospitals, universities, and community organizations across the United States. In 2025, education grants of $75,000 went to the University of Pittsburgh and Cleveland Clinic Foundation, signaling sustained support for institutional learning and professional training. The foundation also funds research on spinal cord injury and disease, including work that can move from basic science to clinical studies and development. Its grantmaking includes scholarships for members and families, plus project support for education, translation, and fellowships that improve the lives of people with SCI/D, caregivers, and health professionals. Recent awards show that the foundation backs both large academic systems and mission-specific groups such as PVA Cal-diego Chapter, which received education grants in consecutive years. The mix of education, research, and member-focused support reflects a funder built around spinal cord injury expertise rather than a single program area.
In education and professional development, the foundation funded the University of Pittsburgh with $75,000 in 2025 for an education grant, and Cleveland Clinic Foundation with $75,000 in 2025 for an education grant. It also awarded Trustees of Indiana University $74,978 in 2025 for an education grant, showing continued support for academic institutions that can teach, train, or disseminate SCI/D-related knowledge. On the research side, it gave $50,000 to Icahn School of Medicine in 2023 for research, while Kessler Foundation received $49,944 that year for research. The foundation also supported community and association-based work: Pva Cal-diego Chapter received $30,000 in 2024 and $20,000 in 2025 for education grants, and Oregon Health & Science University received $15,000 in 2024 for an education grant.
Typical grants cluster tightly around the middle: p25 is $20,000, median is $49,972, and p75 is $50,000. The recent awards show repeated support to some recipients across years, including Pva Cal-diego Chapter in 2024 and 2025, and University of Pittsburgh in both 2023 and 2025. The foundation’s active programs are all explicitly open to unsolicited applications, including scholarship, education, and research fellowship opportunities. It does not fund individuals directly and does not make program-related investments.
$90K
$1.1M
$480K
$94K
Most grants fall between $20K and $50K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
ROBERT THOMAS
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Grantmaking is national, and every recent grant listed goes to a U.S. recipient. California is the top state by grant count, helped by awards to Pva Cal-diego Chapter in San Diego. Other frequently appearing recipient locations include Pittsburgh, Cleveland, New York, and Bloomington. The recipient-country mix is entirely U.S.-based, with 17 grants and 100.0% of the recent sample going to U.S. organizations.
It runs scholarship and education programs for members, families, and organizations working on spinal cord injury and disease. Active programs include the PVA Scholarship Program, the PVA Educational Scholarship Program, and education grants for consumer, community, and professional education, conferences, workshops, and research translation.
The research program supports spinal cord injury and disease projects, including basic science, clinical studies, design and development, assistive technology, rehabilitative technology, and fellowships. The active research program is available in the United States and Canada.
Typical awards sit near the $50,000 level. The grant-size distribution is p25 at $20,000, median at $49,972, and p75 at $50,000, showing a tight spread around that midpoint.
Yes. The active scholarship, education, and research programs all accept unsolicited applications, including the PVA Scholarship Program, the PVA Educational Scholarship Program, the PVA Education Foundation grants, and the PVA Research Foundation grants and fellowships.
No. Recent grants went to universities, medical centers, a research foundation, and a chapter organization. The broader program structure also includes scholarships for members and families, along with project grants for education and research.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNITE 2 FIGHT PARALYSIS | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $20,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| PVA CAL-DIEGO CHAPTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE | GREENWICH, RI | $20,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $19,948 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| ALS UNITED GREATER NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $75,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $75,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $74,978 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| PVA CAL-DIEGO CHAPTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO | AURORA, CO | $19,911 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| PVA CAL-DIEGO CHAPTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY | PORTLAND, OR | $15,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| AMERICAN SPINAL RESEARCH | NIAGARA FALLS, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| HH MEDSTAR HEALTH INC | BOSTON, MA | $49,999 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| CHICAGO ASSOC FOR RESEACH AND EDUCATION | HINES, IL | $49,991 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| CLEVELAND VA MEDICAL RESEARCH & FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $49,972 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| KESSLER FOUNDATION | EAST HANOVER, NJ | $49,944 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $39,935 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| ALS ASSOCIATION GREATER NY CHAPTER | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
| SOUTH CAROLINA SPINAL CORD INJURY ASSOCIATION | COLUMBIA, SC | $10,989 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
UNITE 2 FIGHT PARALYSIS
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
PVA CAL-DIEGO CHAPTER
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
EDUCATION GRANT
TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$74,978EDUCATION GRANT
PVA CAL-DIEGO CHAPTER
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
$19,911EDUCATION GRANT
PVA CAL-DIEGO CHAPTER
$30,000EDUCATION GRANT
AMERICAN SPINAL RESEARCH
$50,000RESEARCH
HH MEDSTAR HEALTH INC
$49,999RESEARCH
CHICAGO ASSOC FOR RESEACH AND EDUCATION
$49,991RESEARCH
SOUTH CAROLINA SPINAL CORD INJURY ASSOCIATION
$10,989RESEARCH