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Usona Institute Inc

EIN 47-1349730 · Fitchburg, WI

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak20 out of 100GovernanceGood80 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

USONA INSTITUTE HAS BEEN ORGANIZED TO OPERATE EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CONDUCTING AND SUPPORTING MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ON MEDICINES AND PRACTICES TO RELIEVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL SUFFERING AND TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF TREATMENTS USING SAFE AND EFFECTIVE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THOSE DERIVED FROM PLANTS AND RELATED MATERIALS. IN ADDITION, THE INSTITUTE QUALIFIES AS A "MEDICAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION" UNDER SECTION 170(B)(1)(A)(III), AS IT HAS A PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND WILL BE PRIMARILY ENGAGED IN MEDICAL RESEARCH IN CONJUNCTION WITH UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOSPITALS AND CLINICS.

Income
$7.9 million
Spending
$33.7 million
Spent on programs
93%
Reserves
-12 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 63%
Employees
3
Volunteers
50
Highest pay
$496,806, chief medical officer

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: 20 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 69% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 324% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 86% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    93% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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

Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    3 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or 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 (3)
  1. $27.7 million spent. PSIL301 STUDYUSONA INSTITUTE IS CONDUCTING A PHASE 3 CLINICAL TRIAL, "A PHASE 3, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, MULTICENTER STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY, SAFETY, AND TOLERABILITY OF PSILOCYBIN IN ADULTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD)," ALSO KNOWN AS THE UASPIRE TRIAL. THIS RESEARCH SEEKS TO INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND SAFETY OF PSILOCYBIN AS A TREATMENT OPTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER AS QUICKLY AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.2024 ACCOMPLISHMENTSTHE UASPIRE PSIL301 PHASE 3 TRIAL ADDED NEW SITES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, INCLUDING VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA) SITES, TO ENHANCE PATIENT DIVERSITY AND STRENGTHEN DATA RELIABILITY TO SUPPORT REGULATORY APPROVAL AND ENSURE BROAD APPLICABILITY OF FINDINGS. ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH THE FDA UNDER OUR BREAKTHROUGH THERAPY DESIGNATION, IN PREPARING FOR NDA SUBMISSION UPON COMPLETION OF PHASE 3. THE CMC TEAM SCALED UP API PRODUCTION, MAINTAINED STRINGENT QUALITY CONTROLS, AND SECURED NEW MANUFACTURING PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY PSILOCYBIN PRODUCTION IN ANTICIPATION OF MARKET ACCESS. FACILITATOR TRAINING EXPANDED ACROSS ALL PHASE 3 SITES TO ENSURE CONSISTENT IN-PATIENT CARE. EARLY MARKET ACCESS EFFORTS INCLUDED PARTNERSHIPS WITH DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS FOCUSING ON UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, ENHANCING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS.GUIDED BY A DIVERSITY STEERING COMMITTEE, THE PLAN INCORPORATED INSIGHTS FROM COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND DIVERSITY EXPERTS TO RECRUIT UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS AND FOSTER INCLUSION IN THE PSIL301 PHASE 3 STUDY.
  2. $3.1 million spent. 5-MEO-DMT PHASE 2 STUDYUSONA INSTITUTE IS CONDUCTING A TWO-PART (PHASE 2A/2B) CLINICAL TRIAL (MEO201) TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF 5-MEO-DMT FOR THE TREATMENT OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IN ADULTS. THE GOALS IN PART A (PHASE 2A) ARE TO OBTAIN SAFETY DATA AND EFFECT SIZE ESTIMATES IN A PTSD PATIENT POPULATION AND GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO OPTIMIZE PART B (PHASE 2B) DESIGN. THE GOAL IN PART B (PHASE 2B) IS TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF THE 5-MEO-DMT REGIMEN SELECTED FROM PART A. 2024 ACCOMPLISHMENTSREFINED PHASE 2 PROTOCOLS USING PHASE 1 DATA, OPTIMIZING SAFETY AND DOSING TO IMPROVE PATIENT OUTCOMES. INITIATED SITE SELECTION AND DEVELOPING FACILITATOR TRAINING PROGRAM TO ENSURE HIGH STANDARDS AND TRIAL QUALITY. PLANNING FOR A 2025 TRIAL LAUNCH TO EVALUATE 5-MEO-DMT'S EFFICACY WITH MULTIPLE SITES IN THE U.S. AND CANADA.
  3. $629,851 spent. EVENTS & PROGRAMSUSONA'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO PROVIDE IMMERSIVE AND INTERACTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES. THESE PROGRAMS FOCUS ON PREPARING CLINICAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND ACADEMIC LEADERS WITH THE CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO ADVANCE PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY IN CLINICAL RESEARCH AND PREPARATION FOR FUTURE DELIVERY OF CARE, UPON APPROVAL. THROUGH A CAREFULLY TAILORED CURRICULUM, DIVERSE FACULTY, EXPERIENTIALS, AND GUEST SPEAKERS, PARTICIPANTS GAIN THE EXPERTISE AND FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR BEST PRACTICES IN FUTURE CARE DELIVERY MODELS. 2024 ACCOMPLISHMENTSHOSTED OVER 300 ATTENDEES AT TEN EVENTS AT THE USONA CAMPUS IN 2024, BROADENING USONA'S IMPACT IN PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY EDUCATION. EXPANDED THE PROGRAM OFFERINGS AND CURRICULUM WITH IMMERSIVE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO PREPARE SCIENTIFIC, CLINICAL, AND ACADEMIC LEADERS. AWARDED FULL AND PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PARTICIPATION IN USONA'S IMMERSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, EXPANDING ACCESS AND DIVERSITY OF PARTICIPANTS. LAUNCHED ENHANCED FACILITATOR TRAINING TO SUPPORT THE PHASE 3 PSILOCYBIN CLINICAL TRIAL. STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS WITH RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS TO PREPARE PRACTITIONERS AND FACULTY FOR FUTURE CARE DELIVERY.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since December 2014.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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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