Multiple Sclerosis Association of America Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC. (THE ASSOCIATION) IS A LEADING RESOURCE FOR THE ENTIRE MS COMMUNITY, IMPROVING LIVES TODAY THROUGH VITAL SERVICES AND SUPPORT.
- Income
- $10.9 million
- Spending
- $11.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 5.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 95%
- Employees
- 31
- Volunteers
- 31
- Highest pay
- $352,432, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 39% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 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
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 (7)
- $486,947 spent. PATIENT SERVICES: MSAA'S MRI ACCESS PROGRAM PROVIDES ASSISTANCE FOR MS PATIENTS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A SUSPECTED MS DIAGNOSIS OR WHO HAVE AN MS DIAGNOSIS AND NEED MRI SCANS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING A DIAGNOSIS OR TRACKING PROGRESSION. MSAA'S MRI, COOLING AND EQUIPMENT PROGRAM SERVES INDIVIDUALS WHOSE INCOME IS BELOW 300% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES AND ARE OTHERWISE UNABLE TO AFFORD MRI'S, COOLING VESTS AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT ITEMS. DURING FY24-25, MSAA APPROVED MORE THAN 144 ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS FOR MRI SCANS WITH A VALUE IN EXCESS OF $155,549.MSAA'S EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM HELPS INDIVIDUALS WITH MS OBTAIN EQUIPMENT ITEMS THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BEST MANAGE THEIR MS. MSAA'S COOLING PROGRAM PROVIDES COOLING APPAREL THAT HELPS TO ALLEVIATE HEAT SENSITIVITY ISSUES FOR MS PATIENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. DURING FY24-25 MSAA DELIVERED NEARLY 2,200 PIECES OF SAFETY, MOBILITY, AND COOLING PRODUCTS TO INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY MS WITH A VALUE IN EXCESS OF $269,000. MSAA'S NATIONAL TOLL-FREE HELPLINE IS AVAIBLE MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:30AM-8PM EST. PROGRAM APPLICATIONS FOR OUR COOLING AND EQUIPMENT PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE AS PDF DOWNLOADS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH FROM THE WEBSITE AND YOU CAN ALSO APPLY DIRECTLY ON OUR WEBSITE. THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR, MSAA HOSTED WELL-ATTENDED VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO ADDRESS VITAL TOPICS TO THE MS COMMUNITY. SOME TOPICS INCLUDE: HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG THE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC AMERICAN POPULATIONS, MS RESEARCH, NUTRITION, AND WELLNESS, AS WELL AS OTHER IMPORTANT TOPICS.
- $6.7 million spent. PUBLIC EDUCATION, INFORMATION & REFERRAL: MSAA'S NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY, INFORMATIVE PROGRAMMING TO INDIVIDUALS WITH MS, CARE PARTNERS, AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS NATIONWIDE. THESE PROGRAMS COVER A VARIETY OF TOPICS ALL AIMED AT IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH MS. MSAA PARTNERS WITH A NATIONAL NETWORK OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO PRESENT PROGRAMS OF SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL VALUE. THESE IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS COVER A WIDE BREADTH OF TOPICS, RANGING FROM ADVANCES IN DISEASE RESEARCH AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT, TO NUTRITION AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS PROGRAMS FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. (CONTINUE IN SCHEDULE O)MSAA ALSO REGULARLY OFFERS VIRTUAL AND DIGITAL PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON SCIENTIFIC UPDATES IN DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND BEST PRACTICES IN TREATMENT PROTOCOL FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WHO TREAT THOSE LIVING WITH MS. IN 2019, MSAA DEVELOPED AN AFRICAN AMERICAN ADVISORY BOARD AND A HISPANIC/LATINX ADVISORY BOARD COMPRISED OF MS HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH MS, AND CARE PARTNERS, TO DEVELOP INITIATIVES TO SERVE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC/LATINX MS PATIENT COMMUNITIES. THROUGH PUBLICATIONS, WEBINARS, VIDEOS, PODCASTS, THE ORGANIZATION'S WEBSITE, A HELPLINE, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, THE ASSOCIATION PROVIDES THE MS COMMUNITY AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH VITAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DISEASE, THE MANAGEMENT OF SYMPTOMS, RESEARCH UPDATES, AND WELLNESS STRATEGIES. THE ASSOCIATION PUBLISHES A NATIONAL MAGAZINE, THE MOTIVATOR, WHICH IS DISTRIBUTED BIANNUALLY WITH A CIRCULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 90,000. THE MAGAZINE IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS A DIGITAL EDITION. INDIVIDUAL CLIENT NEEDS ARE MET THROUGH THE ASSOCIATION'S NATIONAL TOLL-FREE HELPLINE. OUR TRAINED CLIENT SERVICES SPECIALISTS RESPONDED TO MORE THAN 15,000 CLIENT INQUIRIES IN FY25 AND PROVIDED CLIENTS WITH CONTACTS TO APPROPRIATE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE NATION. MSAA'S WEBSITE HAD MORE THAN 560,000 SESSIONS DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025. THE ASSOCIATION OFFERS A MOBILE PHONE APPLICATION TO ASSIST ITS CLIENTS IN MONITORING, TRACKING, AND MANAGING THEIR MS AS WELL AS SHARING DATA WITH THEIR PHYSICIANS. THE ASSOCIATION EMPLOYS VARIOUS DIGITAL TACTICS TO COMMUNICATE WITH ITS CONSTITUENTS. THE ASSOCIATION IS ACTIVE ON 7 DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. THE ASSOCIATION ALSO HOSTS A BLOG, OFFERS AN ONLINE PEER-TO-PEER COMMUNITY, AND ANSWERS QUESTIONS THROUGH ITS MS QUESTIONS EMAIL OPTION AND WEBSITE CHAT FEATURE. THE ASSOCIATION RECEIVED A GOOGLE GRANT VALUED AT $89,235 IN FY25. THIS ALLOWED THE ASSOCIATION TO PROMOTE THE ORGANIZATION'S PROGRAMS AND SERVICES VIA KEYWORDS THROUGH GOOGLE'S SEARCH ENGINE IN AN EFFORT TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ONLINE RELATED TO MS.
- MSAA RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING AWARDS DURING FY25: SILVER DIGITAL HEALTH AWARD IN THE WEB-BASED DIGITAL HEALTH CATEGORY FOR MSAA'S 2024 ART SHOWCASE; SILVER DIGITAL HEALTH AWARD IN THE DIGITAL HEALTH MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS CATEGORY FOR MSAA'S EDUCATIONAL VIDEO, YOUR MS AND THE FAMILY JOURNEY; MERIT DIGITAL HEALTH AWARD IN THE DIGITAL HEALTH MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS CATEGORY FOR MSAA'S SUMMER/FALL 2024 EDITION OF THE MOTIVATOR MAGAZINE; APEX AWARD IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND CONTENT CREATION CATEGORY FOR BEST SERIES OF BLOG POSTS FOR MSAA'S ASK THE EXPERT SERIES; APEX AWARD FOR MSAA'S ABOUT MS PUBLICATION IN THE ONE-OF-A-KIND PUBLICATIONS CATEGORY; BRONZE NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION AWARD FOR THE COVER STORY, "SEEKING BALANCE IN MS," IN THE SUMMER/FALL 2024 EDITION THE MOTIVATOR MAGAZINE. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE MORE THAN 465,000 CUMULATIVE VIEWS OF MSAA'S 199 ON-DEMAND VIDEO PROGRAMS; 72,000+ TOTAL CUMULATIVE DOWNLOADS OF MSAA'S MOBILE APP, MY MS MANAGER; MORE THAN 3,600 TOTAL DOWNLOADS OF EPISODES OF MSAA'S PODCAST; AND MORE THAN 9,800 CUMULATIVE MEMBERS ON MY MSAA COMMUNITY, MSAA'S ONLINE PEER-TO-PEER FORUM.
- IN 2022, MSAA DEVELOPED THE ULTIMATE MS TREATMENT GUIDE, A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND COMPREHENSIVE TOOL THAT AIDES THOSE LIVING WITH MS AND THEIR LOVED ONES IN BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE WIDE ARRAY OF DISEASE-MODIFYING THERAPIES AVAILABLE TO THE MS COMMUNITY. THE ULTIMATE MS TREATMENT GUIDE PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT EACH DISEASE-MODIFYING THERAPY AND IS INTERACTIVE, ALLOWING USERS TO FILTER AVAILABLE THERAPY OPTIONS BY TYPE OF MS, MODE OF ADMINISTRATION, AND ALPHABETICALLY OR BY MOST RECENTLY APPROVED BY THE FDA. THE TOOL ALSO INCLUDES A COMPARISON OPTION, ALLOWING USERS TO COMPARE TWO OR MORE TREATMENT OPTIONS. IN ADDITION, THE ULTIMATE MS TREATMENT GUIDE FEATURES EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS FROM HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AS WELL AS PATIENT ADVOCATES.
- THE LATEST RESEARCH AND BEST PRACTICES IN TREATING AND MANAGING MS SERIES DURING FY25, MSAA EXPANDED ITS EDUCATIONAL SERIES TO 12 IN-PERSON PROGRAMS, REACHING MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA, PUERTO RICO, TEXAS, ARIZONA, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, KENTUCKY, ILLINOIS, ARKANSAS, OKLAHOMA, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE. THESE PROGRAMS WERE DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES FACED BY INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH MS AND THEIR SUPPORT NETWORKS IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED AREAS. LED BY EXPERT MS NEUROLOGISTS, EACH SESSION PROVIDED COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE ON BEST PRACTICES IN MS MANAGEMENT, WELLNESS STRATEGIES, AND THE LATEST RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTSINCLUDING UPDATES TO THE MCDONALD DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA AND ONGOING MS STUDIES. PROGRAMS ALSO FOCUSED ON STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING CARE SUPPORT IN RURAL SETTINGS AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO CRITICAL SERVICES. EACH SESSION WAS TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF ITS PARTICIPANTS AND CONCLUDED WITH INTERACTIVE Q&A DISCUSSIONS, FOSTERING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, KNOWLEDGE-SHARING, AND PEER SUPPORT.
- MS ECOSYSTEM FRAMEWORKMSAA LAUNCHED THE FIRST INTERVENTION OF PHASE 3 WITH AN MS PUBLIC AWARENESS EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN. OVER A THREE-WEEK PERIOD, THE PILOT CAMPAIGN TESTED A VARIETY OF VIDEO-BASED ADVERTISEMENTS AND CALLS TO ACTION (CTAS) ACROSS FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, AND PAID SEARCH ADS, TARGETING UPSTATE NEW YORK AND ATLANTA. THE PILOT REVEALED NOTABLE REGIONAL DIFFERENCESATLANTA GENERATED THE HIGHEST VISIBILITY, WHILE UPSTATE NEW YORK DROVE DEEPER ENGAGEMENTHIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCALIZED STRATEGIES. VIDEO-DRIVEN, HUMAN-CENTERED STORYTELLING, PARTICULARLY VOICE-ACTED CONTENT ON LINKEDIN, OUTPERFORMED OTHER FORMATS, BOOSTING BOTH EMOTIONAL RESONANCE AND TIME SPENT ON SITE, WHILE RETARGETING EFFORTS INCREASED RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) AND MID-CAMPAIGN ENGAGEMENT. THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR NATIONAL SCALING. THESE FINDINGS NOT ONLY LAID A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR NATIONAL SCALING BUT ALSO GUIDED US IN MAXIMIZING ENGAGEMENT THROUGH HIGH-IMPACT VIDEOS, INCREASING VISIBILITY, REINFORCING KEY MESSAGES, AND TAILORING HEALTH LITERACY INITIATIVES TO REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY-SPECIFIC CONCERNS.
- MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IMPLEMENTATION NETWORK (MSIN)THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IMPLEMENTATION NETWORK (MSIN) IS AN INNOVATIVE, PATIENT-DRIVEN RESEARCH NETWORK THAT CONNECTS PARTICIPATING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) CARE CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN SHARING DATA AND EXPERIENCES, PARTICIPATING CENTERS CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER WITH THE GOAL OF IMPROVING CARE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. THIS PATIENT-CENTRIC INITIATIVE IS FOCUSED ON CREATING A PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH NETWORK (PBRN) FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO BEST SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH MS. MSIN IS GUIDED BY TWO ADVISORY BOARDS ONE OF WHICH IS COMPRISED OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH MS AND THEIR CARE PARTNERS. THE OTHER ADVISORY BOARD IS COMPRISED OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, AND ADVOCACY PARTNERS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 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.