Disease and disorders charities, by the numbers.
3,440 of them filed a full Form 990 and spent $26.2B between them.
- 3,440
- charities filing a full Form 990, 1,212 spending $1M+
- $26.2B
- spent in their latest year, with $10.5B coming in as gifts and grants
- 32%
- of all that spending by the 10 biggest
What “disease and disorders” covers.
The biggest slice is birth defects and genetic diseases, at 24% of all spending in the cause. Spending outside these groups is in charities the IRS coded more generally.
Spending in each charity's latest e-filed Form 990 (Part I, line 18), grouped by the NTEE code in the IRS master file.
The biggest 400 disease and disorders charities.
| # | Charity | Spending | Program share | Cost to raise $1 | Savings | CEO pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tempus Unlimited Stoughton, MA · Birth defects and genetic diseases · FY 2025 | $2.2B | 100% | 115¢ | 0 mo | $405K |
| 2 | World Federation of Hemophilia USAOur file Albany, NY · Birth defects and genetic diseases · FY 2024 | $1.2B | 100% | 0¢ | 4 mo | – |
| 3 | American Heart AssociationOur file Dallas, TX · Diseases of specific organs · FY 2025 | $1.0B | 79% 60% CPA view | 16¢ 44¢ CPA view | 17 mo | $4.47M |
| 4 | University Medical Center Management New Orleans, LA · Other · FY 2024 | $864.5M | 84% | 0¢ | -5 mo | $2.07M |
| 5 | Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Little Rock, AR · Cancer · FY 2025 | $616.1M | 90% | 0¢ | 3 mo | – |
| 6 | Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Hospital Detroit, MI · Cancer · FY 2025 | $551.1M | 91% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $1.04M |
| 7 | The Devereux Foundation Villanova, PA · Other · FY 2025 | $548.5M | 91% | 16¢ | -1 mo | $773K |
| 8 | Can Community Health Tampa, FL · Specific named diseases · FY 2025 | $484.6M | 89% | 16¢ | 3 mo | $961K |
| 9 | Alzheimer's AssociationOur file Chicago, IL · Specific named diseases · FY 2025 | $478.7M | 79% 76% CPA view | 18¢ 21¢ CPA view | 8 mo | $1.04M |
| 10 | Cystic Fibrosis FoundationOur file Bethesda, MD · Birth defects and genetic diseases · FY 2024 | $439.1M | 79% | 37¢ | 128 mo | $1.05M |
| 11 | Lifespan Physician Group Providence, RI · Diseases of specific organs · FY 2025 | $434.6M | 73% | – | 0 mo | $1.00M |
| 12 | Blood Cancer UnitedOur file Washington, DC · Cancer · FY 2025 | $398.1M | 74% 71% CPA view | 16¢ 20¢ CPA view | 11 mo | $880K |
| 13 | H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Tampa, FL · Cancer · FY 2025 | $385.2M | 90% | 0¢ | 0 mo | – |
| 14 | MaxaidOur file Seattle, WA · Other · FY 2024 | $371.0M | 100% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $322K |
| 15 | H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Tampa, FL · Other · FY 2025 | $369.1M | 63% | 0¢ | 52 mo | $1.90M |
| 16 | Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Baton Rouge, LA · Cancer · FY 2025 | $326.8M | 88% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $712K |
| 17 | Breakthrough T1DOur file New York, NY · Specific named diseases · FY 2025 | $281.0M | 75% 74% CPA view | 18¢ 19¢ CPA view | 15 mo | $978K |
| 18 | United Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York, NY · Birth defects and genetic diseases · FY 2025 | $268.1M | 92% | 5¢ | 3 mo | $687K |
| 19 | Dap Health Palm Springs, CA · Specific named diseases · FY 2025 | $257.3M | 89% | 29¢ | 4 mo | $851K |
| 20 | United Cerebral Palsy of New York City New York, NY · Birth defects and genetic diseases · FY 2025 | $247.2M | 87% | 6¢ | 0 mo | $890K |
| 21 | Sightsavers InternationalOur file Boston, MA · Diseases of specific organs · FY 2025 | $216.2M | 100% | 0¢ | 0 mo | – |
| 22 | Valley Children's Medical Group Madera, CA · Medical specialties · FY 2025 | $211.0M | 96% | 0¢ | 4 mo | $1.07M |
| 23 | The Center for Discovery Harris, NY · Birth defects and genetic diseases · FY 2025 | $167.5M | 92% | 16¢ | 3 mo | $707K |
| 24 | American Cancer SocietyOur file Atlanta, GA · Cancer · FY 2025 | $166.6M | 77% 67% CPA view | 24¢ 38¢ CPA view | 89 mo | – |
| 25 | Chase Brexton Health Services Baltimore, MD · Specific named diseases · FY 2025 | $165.2M | 84% | 6¢ | 9 mo | $447K |
Program share = program expenses ÷ total expenses (Part IX, line 25). Cost to raise $1 = fundraising expenses ÷ contributions (Part IX, Part VIII line 1h). Savings = net assets ÷ annual spending × 12, which includes buildings, endowments and restricted gifts, so zoos and aquariums run high. CEO pay is reportable compensation from the charity (Part VII). “CPA view” moves joint fundraising costs reported on line 26 out of programs. Names link to our file where we have one, otherwise to the filing on ProPublica.
Benchmarks for disease and disorders.
Medians across 1,212 charities spending $1M or more. Use them to judge any charity in this cause.
- 84%
- median program share, as reported
- 4¢
- median cost to raise $1, among charities taking in $100K+ in gifts
- 10 mo
- median net assets, in months of spending
| Annual spending | Charities | Median CEO pay | Median program share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1–5M | 745 | $149K | 82% |
| $5–25M | 321 | $234K | 86% |
| $25–100M | 96 | $386K | 85% |
| $100M+ | 50 | $804K | 87% |
The yes-or-no answers.
Counts of disease and disorders charities answering “yes” (or failing a basic check) in their latest Form 990. The charities answer these themselves.
charities told the IRS they discovered a significant diversion of assets (theft, embezzlement or misuse).
charities reported a paid fundraiser that kept half or more of what it raised.
charities reported an excess benefit transaction with an insider.
charities had $2M+ in revenue and no audited financial statements.
charities had $1M+ in revenue and no conflict-of-interest policy.
charities reported loans to or from officers or directors.
A “yes” is a reason to read the filing, not a verdict. Learn what each answer means in how to check a charity, and see how we read a 990.
Every disease and disorders charity we cover.
- Alzheimer's Association
- Amegoinc
- American Cancer Society
- American Diabetes Association
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- Blood Cancer United
- Breakthrough T1D
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
- Fund for Public Health in New York
- March of Dimes
- Maxaid
- Michigan Health Endowment Fund
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Sightsavers International
- The Against Malaria Foundation
- The Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
- World Federation of Hemophilia USA
Questions about disease and disorders charities.
What is the largest disease and disorders charity?
By spending, Tempus Unlimited (MA), at $2.2B in its fiscal year ending 2025, per its Form 990.
How much do disease and disorders charity CEOs make?
The median CEO of a disease and disorders charity spending $1–5M a year was paid $149K. At charities spending $100M or more, the median was $804K. Figures are reportable compensation from the charity, Form 990 Part VII.
What percentage of donations to disease and disorders charities goes to programs?
The median disease and disorders charity spending $1M or more reported 84% of its spending on programs, on Form 990 Part IX. That is the charity's own split. Some charities count part of their fundraising mail as program work; our pages show the number both ways.
How many disease and disorders charities are there?
3,440 disease and disorders organizations filed a full Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, 1,212 of them spending $1 million or more. Thousands more file the short 990-EZ or the 990-N postcard.
Where this comes from.
Each charity's latest Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, joined to the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File for its NTEE cause code. Organizations that file as charities but aren't funded like one (research contractors, sports bodies and similar) are left out of the comparison table. Charities that file a 990-EZ or 990-N aren't included. Figures are as filed; we haven't reviewed each one, except where a charity has our full file.
Charity Math, “Disease and disorders charities, by the numbers,” data as of 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/causes/disease-and-disorders/