Serving the orthopaedic profession to provide the highest quality musculoskeletal health care.
The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons channels most of its giving back into orthopaedic organizations and AAOS itself, with three very large general-support grants to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Those awards alone account for the clearest signal in the recent record: this funder uses grantmaking to support the profession’s infrastructure as much as outside projects. Alongside that large institutional support, the foundation funds state and regional orthopaedic societies across the United States. Recent recipients include the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society, Minnesota Orthopaedic Society, New Jersey Orthopaedic Society, and Montana Orthopaedic Society, all listed for general support. The pattern points to a funder that supports professional associations, education, and organizational capacity rather than individuals. Its stated summary is serving the orthopaedic profession to provide the highest quality musculoskeletal health care, and the active grant programs align with that mission. The IDEA Grant Program supports education, community, and outreach initiatives, while Orthopaedic Research Excellence Awards support surgeon-led research and innovation in orthopaedic care. The recent grants list also shows repeated awards to several recipient organizations over multiple years, indicating sustained relationships rather than isolated transactions.
One clear theme is professional association support. The foundation gave general support to the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society in both 2023 and 2024, and it also funded the New Jersey Orthopaedic Society and the Minnesota Orthopaedic Society with repeat awards. That suggests a steady relationship with member organizations that represent orthopaedic surgeons at the state level. Education and outreach appear in the active IDEA Grant Program, which is described as supporting education, community, and outreach initiatives, including orthopaedic diversity. That program is open to unsolicited applications in the United States. Research and innovation is another focus. The Orthopaedic Research Excellence Awards fund surgeon-led research and clinical innovation in orthopaedic care, with support available in the United States and internationally. The grant descriptions frame the foundation’s work as field-building: training, research, and professional capacity all sit alongside patient-facing priorities in the stated focus areas.
$20.6M
$21.4M
$25.9M
$27.5M
Most grants fall between $8K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 12% of grants go to recipients in MD.
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Typical grants are modest relative to the organization’s large general-support awards: p25 is $7,500, median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. The recent record also includes three very large general-support grants to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in consecutive years, showing a two-tier pattern of major institutional support and smaller association-level awards. The funder is a public charity, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Repeat recipients appear across multiple years, especially among state orthopaedic societies and associations, which points to recurring grant relationships rather than one-off awards.
Grantmaking is national, and every recent grant in the dataset went to a U.S. recipient. The top state by grant count is Maryland, even though the headquarters are in Rosemont, Illinois; 12% of grants went to recipients in Illinois. Recipient cities include Towson, St. Paul, Trenton, Lake Oswego, and Newark, showing a spread across regional orthopaedic organizations rather than a single metro area. Several awards also went to recipients in states outside the HQ state, including Montana, North Carolina, Georgia, and California.
It supports orthopaedic professional organizations, research and innovation, and education or outreach work. Recent grants include general support to state orthopaedic societies, while active programs include the IDEA Grant Program for education, community, and outreach initiatives and Orthopaedic Research Excellence Awards for surgeon-led research.
No. The foundation’s profile lists funds individuals as false, so its recent grantmaking is directed to organizations rather than people.
Recent grants cluster around $7,500 to $15,000, with a median of $10,000. The first quartile is $7,500 and the third quartile is $15,000, even though the recent record also includes much larger general-support grants.
The scope is national, and the recent grants all went to U.S. recipients. Maryland is the top state by grant count, while 12% of grants went to recipients in Illinois.
Yes, for some programs. The IDEA Grant Program accepts unsolicited applications in the United States. The Orthopaedic Research Excellence Awards are listed as not accepting unsolicited applications.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | ROSEMONT, IL | $20,563,131 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTANA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | HELENA, MT | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW JERSEY ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | TRENTON, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CALIFORNIA ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION | SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ORTHOPAEDIC SOCETY OF OKLAHOMA | MIDWEST CITY, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GEORGIA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY INC | PEACHTREE CITY, GA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MINNESOTA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MISSOURI STATE ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION | JEFFERSON CITY, MO | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OREGON ASSOCIATIONS OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | LAKE OSWEGO, OR | $7,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOUTH CAROLINA ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION | APOPKA, FL | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | ROSEMONT, IL | $14,256,062 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PENNSYLVANIA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | TOWSON, MD | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MINNESOTA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | ST PAUL, MN | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MISSISSIPPI ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | JACKSON, MS | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DELAWARE SOCIETY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | NEWARK, DE | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OREGON ASSOCIATIONS OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | LAKE OSWEGO, OR | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTH CAROLINA ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION | RALEIGH, NC | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTH DAKOTA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION | BISMARCK, ND | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW JERSEY ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | TRENTON, NJ | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | ROSEMONT, IL | $14,652,721 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PENNSYLVANIA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | TOWSON, MD | $17,750 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOUTH CAROLINA ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION | APOPKA, FL | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW JERSEY ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | TRENTON, NJ | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTH DAKOTA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION | BISMARCK, ND | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MINNESOTA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY | ST PAUL, MN | $9,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DELAWARE SOCIETY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | NEWARK, DE | $7,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NYS SOCIETY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS | ALBANY, NY | $6,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$20,563,131GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTANA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW JERSEY ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CALIFORNIA ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ORTHOPAEDIC SOCETY OF OKLAHOMA
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GEORGIA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY INC
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
MINNESOTA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
MISSOURI STATE ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
OREGON ASSOCIATIONS OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$7,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SOUTH CAROLINA ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION
$6,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$14,256,062GENERAL SUPPORT
PENNSYLVANIA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MINNESOTA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MISSISSIPPI ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DELAWARE SOCIETY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OREGON ASSOCIATIONS OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTH CAROLINA ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTH DAKOTA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW JERSEY ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$14,652,721GENERAL SUPPORT
PENNSYLVANIA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$17,750GENERAL SUPPORT
SOUTH CAROLINA ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW JERSEY ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTH DAKOTA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MINNESOTA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
$9,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DELAWARE SOCIETY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
NYS SOCIETY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
$6,000GENERAL SUPPORT