National Pku Alliance Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH PKU, PURSUE A CURE BY EXPANDING RESEARCH AND PROVIDE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH PKU AND THEIR CAREGIVERS.
- Income
- $2.7 million
- Spending
- $2.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 33.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 150
- Highest pay
- $210,314, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 81% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 33.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 24% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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 December 31, 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 (6)
- $659,425 spent. THE NPKUA APPROVED 5 RESEARCH GRANTS FROM THE 2025 RESEARCH GRANT CYCLE FOR A TOTAL OF $425K. THE RESEARCH PROJECTS FOCUS ON PKU ASSESSMENT TOOLS AS WELL AS PKU TREATMENTS AND THERAPIES THAT DRIVE PROGRESS TOWARD A CURE. AS OF 2025, THE NPKUA HAS AWARDED $6,419,699 IN SUPPORT OF 88 RESEARCH PROJECTS.
- $497,406 spent. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONTINUES TO BE A CORE PILLAR OF THE NATIONAL PKU ALLIANCE. THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING AND MANAGING PROGRAMS FOR THE PKU COMMUNITY, INCLUDING A MENTORING PROGRAM, COMMUNITY CALLS, SUPPORT KITS, MATERNAL PKU PATIENT SUPPORT, ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM.THE DIRECTOR SCHEDULES, MANAGES AND ATTENDS VIRTUAL CALLS WITH THE COMMUNITY ACROSS DIFFERENT PKU AGE GROUPS AND PKU CAREGIVER TYPES. 48 CALLS WERE HELD IN 2025 WITH 250 ATTENDEES.IN 2025, THE NPKUA MENTOR PROGRAM GREW TO SUPPORT OVER 45 CAREGIVERS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH PKU THROUGH PERSONALIZED ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING, WITH MENTORS CONNECTING VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON TO SHARE EXPERIENCES AND DEVELOP SKILLS TO BETTER ASSIST THEIR MENTEES.THE NPKUA ADVOCACY COMMITTEE WORKS ALONGSIDE MEMBERS OF THE BROADER RARE DISEASE COMMUNITY TO ADVANCE EFFORTS AROUND NUTRITION, EQUITY AND OTHER PRIORITIES OF THE PKU COMMUNITY. THE COMMITTEE DEVELOPED AN ADVOCACY MEDIA TOOLKIT TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHARE THEIR STORIES. STAFF AND ADVOCACY COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALSO RESPONDED TO THE TERMINATION OF THE ACHDNC (ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON HERITABLE DISORDERS IN NEWBORNS AND CHILDREN) BY CALLING ON CONSTITUENTS, THROUGH DATABASE-WIDE EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH, TO SIGN-ON TO CONTACT THEIR LEGISLATORS AND SHARE THEIR STORY AND SUPPORT OF NBS. STARTED A NEWBORN SCREENING VIDEO SERIES TO BE USED IN SEPTEMBER, RECOGNIZED AS NEWBORN SCREENING AWARENESS MONTH. THE SERIES RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF NEWBORN SCREENING, AND THE CRITICAL ROLE OF NEWBORN SCREENING IN IDENTIFYING SERIOUS CONDITIONS THAT CAN LEAD TO SEVERE DISABILITY OR DEATH IF LEFT UNDIAGNOSED. IN TOTAL, NPKUA SUPPORTED 10 STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY EFFORTS.IN 2025 NPKUA PROVIDED $34,057 TO NPKUA AFFILIATES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY EVENTS AND CAMPS IN THEIR REGIONS. DURING THE YEAR, NPKUA ALSO MET ONE-ON-ONE WITH INDIVIDUAL AFFILIATE LEADERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR GOALS AND NEEDS. IN 2025, 206 NEWBORN AND KINDERGARTEN KITS WERE DELIVERED TO FAMILIES WELCOMING A NEW BABY WITH PKU OR SUPPORTING A NEW KINDERGARTENER WITH PKU.IN 2025, 55 PACKAGES OF DIET-APPROPRIATE FOOD WERE DELIVERED TO MATERNAL PKU PATIENTS TO BEST SUPPORT THEIR LOW-PROTEIN DIET.
- $138,267 spent. THE NPKUA HELD A MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE CONFERENCE IN 2025. THIS UNIQUE CONFERENCE INCLUDED OVER 100 ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS, CLINICIANS, INDUSTRY PARTNERS IN A COLLABORATIVE FORUM TO FURTHER THE DEVELOPMENT OF TREATMENTS FOR PKU.THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER, DR. PETER MARKS FROM THE FDA, ADDRESSED NOVEL CLINICAL TRIAL DESIGNS USED IN THE APPROVAL PROCESS OF DRUGS FOR RARE DISEASES. SESSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS INCLUDED NOVEL APPROACHES TO CLINICAL TRIAL DESIGN FOR RARE DISEASES, DEVELOPING NEUROCOGNITIVE OUTCOME ASSESSMENT TOOLS TO BEST DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF NEW TREATMENTS, STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES RELATED TO DIETARY DATA COLLECTION FOR CLINICAL TRIALS, AND MANAGING SUSTAINABILITY IN CLINICAL TRIALS. FOCUS ALSO INCLUDED BRINGING ADULTS BACK TO CARE AND CHALLENGES FACED WITH THE DRUG APPROVAL PROCESS.
- $117,292 spent. NPKUA HOSTED THE TRUEPKU INITIATIVE TO SHARE THE PKU EXPERIENCE WITH U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) STAFF, PEOPLE WORKING IN LIFE SCIENCE COMPANIES, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS TO HELP SHAPE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MEDICAL THERAPIES AND APPROACHES TO TREATING AND MONITORING PKU. AS PART OF THE EXTERNALLY-LED PATIENT-FOCUSED DRUG DEVELOPMENT (EL-PFDD) PROGRAM, THIS MEETING TOOK PLACE VIRTUALLY ON MAY 8, 2025 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER PKU-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS AND SPONSORS. 31 MEMBERS FROM THE PKU COMMUNITY SHARED THEIR TESTIMONY. THE VOICE OF THE PATIENT REPORT SUMMARIZES THE MEETING INSIGHTS, PERSONAL STORIES AND KEY THEMES SHARED THROUGHOUT THE FIVE-HOUR MEETING, INCLUDING POWERFUL QUOTES FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PERSPECTIVES GATHERED BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE EVENT. BOTH THE LIVE MEETING AND REPORT CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.NPKUA.ORG/TRUEPKU/. THE MEETING HAS ATTRACTED 1,300 VIEWS ON YOUTUBE.
- $83,918 spent. IN 2025, THE NPKUA HOSTED A REGIONAL COMMUNITY CONFERENCE ON SEPTEMBER 6 IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. ATTENDEES INCLUDED 47 INDIVIDUALS WITH PKU, THEIR FAMILIES/CAREGIVERS, INDUSTRY PARTNERS, AND LEADING EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF PKU RESEARCH, CLINICAL CARE, NUTRITION, AND ADVOCACY. IN TOTAL, WE WELCOMED 180 ATTENDEES. WE HELD MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS AND ACTIVITIES DISCUSSING WHAT'S NEW IN PKU, STAYING ACTIVE WITH PKU, CLINICAL TRIALS, FOOD AND FORMULA OFFERINGS, GENE EDITING AND GENE THERAPY, TRAVELING WITH PKU AND HOME PHE MONITOR DEVELOPMENT.
- $67,571 spent. IN THE PKU PATIENT REGISTRY, NPKUA UPGRADED THE PLATFORM, STRENGTHENING THE REGISTRY'S ABILITY TO SUPPORT PKU RESEARCH. REGISTRY PARTICIPANTS GREW TO 1,130, WITH 864 NEW SURVEY SUBMISSIONS IN 2025. THE REGISTRY SUPPORTED RECRUITMENT FOR 4 EXTERNAL RESEARCH STUDIES AND SHARED DATA IN ITS FIRST SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 November 6, 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 December 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 February 2009.
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 November 4, 2026.
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