Crohns & Colitis Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, THE CROHN'S & COLITIS FOUNDATION ("THE FOUNDATION") HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO ITS MISSION OF FINDING A CURE FOR CROHN'S DISEASE AND ULCERATIVE COLITIS AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS AFFECTED BY THESE DISEASES. (SEE SCHED O)THE FOUNDATION HAS DEFINED ITSELF BY SPONSORING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST RESEARCHERS RESULTING IN GROUNDBREAKING STUDIES AND RESEARCH INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES ("IBD").
- Income
- $85.2 million
- Spending
- $83.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- -1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 86%
- Employees
- 372
- Volunteers
- 6,005
- Highest pay
- $762,198, president/ceo(non-voting)
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 44 out of 100. Higher than 11% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 94% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2526 of 26 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $35.0 million spent. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE CROHN'S & COLITIS FOUNDATION HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN $500 MILLION FOR RESEARCH ON THE TREATMENT AND CURES OF IBD. THE FOUNDATION FUNDS A SET OF PRIORITY RESEARCH INITIATIVES: MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS TARGETING AREAS OF SCIENCE WITH A HIGH PROBABILITY OF ADVANCING TREATMENT. THE FOUNDATION HAS DEFINED ITSELF BY SPONSORING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST RESEARCHERS RESULTING IN GROUNDBREAKING STUDIES AND RESEARCH INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES ("IBD"). (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)THE FOUNDATION'S RESEARCH PORTFOLIO IS A COMBINATION OF BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, AND CLINICAL RESEARCH. DESIGNED TO CUT YEARS OFF THE RESEARCH PROCESS, IBD PLEXUS, THE FOUNDATION'S INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PLATFORM, IS THE SINGLE LARGEST IBD DATABASE IN THE US AND THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE IBD DATABASE IN THE WORLD. IT CURRENTLY PROVIDES RESEARCHERS WITH DATA FROM OVER 30,000 PATIENTS, INCLUDING 250,000 BIOSAMPLES (BLOOD, STOOL, AND INTESTINAL TISSUE).THE FOUNDATION LEADS THE WAY IN NEW, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS OF IBD RESEARCH, AND ACCELERATING NOVEL THERAPIES AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS THAT ADDRESS UNMET PATIENT NEEDS. IN 2020, THE FOUNDATION LAUNCHED THE MOST EXTENSIVE IBD-FOCUSED PRECISION NUTRITION EFFORT, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DIRECT IMPACT THAT FOOD MAY HAVE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF IBD AND ON PATIENT QUALITY OF LIFE. THE FOUNDATION ALSO LAUNCHED THE SURGICAL RESEARCH NETWORK, OUR FIRST-EVER COORDINATED-FUNDING EFFORT TO STUDY SURGICAL OUTCOMES IN IBD, WITH OVER 50 CENTERS PARTICIPATING.
- $33.0 million spent. THE CROHN'S & COLITIS FOUNDATION PROVIDES INFORMATION AND EDUCATION FOR THE MILLIONS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH IBD AND THEIR LOVED ONES THROUGH A VARIETY OF CHANNELS AT THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL INCLUDING IN-PERSON AND WEB-BASED EDUCATION, SUPPORT PROGRAMS INCLUDING PEDIATRIC AND ADULT FOCUS INITIATIVES, IBD HELP CENTER ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND PROVDING SUPPORT FOR THOSE WITH IBD, AND NUMEROUS PRINTED MATERIALS PROVIDINGACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION. IN A RECENT IMPACT STUDY, OVER 85% OF PATIENTS CONNECTED WITH THE FOUNDATION STATED THAT THE FOUNDATION HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR IBD JOURNEY. THESE PATIENTS ALSO REPORTED BETTER SYMPTOM CONTROL THAN NON-FOUNDATION CONNECTED PATIENTS. (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)THE FOUNDATION ALSO OFFERS PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION THROUGH OUR TWO SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS, INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES AND CROHN'S & COLITIS 360, AS WELL AS THROUGH HEALTH PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS BOTH IN-PERSON AND WEB-BASED. IN ADDITION THE FOUNDATION HOSTS THE ANNUAL CROHN'S & COLITIS CONGRESS CONFERENCE. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE FOUNDATION LAUNCHED A PUBLIC SERVICE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE FAMILIARITY OF IBD WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND REDUCE THE STIGMA FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH IBD.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1966.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.