About Muscular Dystrophy Association
MDA's mission is to empower the people we serve to live longer, more independent lives by accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases.
Focus Areas
muscular dystrophyamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)neuromuscular diseasesclinical trialsgene therapybiomedical researchcare and support services
Who They Fund
patients undergoing medical diagnosisclinical researchers and physician investigatorshealth data registries / registry administrators
Funding Style
clinical research funding
About Muscular Dystrophy Association
Muscular Dystrophy Association Inc directs its grantmaking toward muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases, with research and medical-diagnosis grants appearing side by side in the recent record. The largest recent award listed is $650,000 to Myosana Therapeutics Inc in Seattle for research, signaling support for therapy development alongside academic science. Other large grants point to a broad research network: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine received $508,290 in 2024, and the University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute Inc received $505,832 the same year. The foundation also funds clinical and diagnostic work, including grants to Massachusetts General Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center under medical-diagnosis or research categories. Its mission statement centers on helping people live longer and more independently by accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for people living with neuromuscular disease. The recent grant list shows this is not limited to one type of institution; universities, hospitals, and biotechnology firms all appear in the portfolio.
What Muscular Dystrophy Association Funds
In research funding, the foundation backs both academic and commercial recipients. Myosana Therapeutics Inc received $650,000 for research, while the University of Washington received $485,202 for research in 2024. That mix suggests support for projects that move from laboratory work toward application. Clinical and diagnostic work is another clear lane: Massachusetts General Hospital received $227,716 in 2023 for medical diagnosis, and Baylor College of Medicine received $202,170 for medical diagnosis. The foundation also supports university medical centers engaged in disease-specific work, including Columbia University Medical Center with a $189,996 research grant and the University of Florida with $255,000 for research. Across these grants, the named purposes stay close to neuromuscular disease science, diagnosis, and care-related infrastructure.
How Muscular Dystrophy Association Gives
The typical grant size sits around $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $34,710 at the median, and $69,410 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes much larger awards in the hundreds of thousands, showing a wide spread between programmatic support and major research grants. Recipients appear across multiple years, including Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the University of Rochester, University of Washington, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. MDA is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and the data points to a grantmaking model built around restricted, project-specific support. Some programs accept unsolicited applications, including the central Funding Opportunities hub and Venture Philanthropy, while targeted RFAs do not.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$13.1M
Total Assets
$66.6M
Total Revenue
$59.4M
Total Expenses
$62.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $20K and $69K, with a median of $35K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$35K
75th Percentile
$69K
Geographic Reach
National48 states funded
About 6% of grants go to recipients in IL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
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