Hugo W Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE HUGO W. MOSER RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT KENNEDY KRIEGER, INC. (THE "RESEARCH INSTITUTE") IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED RESEARCH FACILITY FINDING ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS AND INJURIES THAT AFFECT A CHILD'S DEVELOPING BRAIN. RESEARCHERS HAVE MADE MEDICAL DISCOVERIES ABOUT THE HUMAN BRAIN AND HAVE INFLUENCED TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. THE MANY STUDIES CURRENTLY BEING CONDUCTED IN AREAS SUCH AS LEARNING DISABILITIES, DOWN SYNDROME, ADRENOLEUKODYSTROPHY, CEREBRAL PALSY AND AUTISM WILL AFFECT AN ENTIRELY NEW GENERATION.
- Income
- $56.8 million
- Spending
- $63.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- -7.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 51%
- Employees
- 463
- Volunteers
- 71
- Highest pay
- $1.1 million, 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
Weak: 34 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 386% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 12% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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 47% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 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 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 (1)
- $57.8 million spent. SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS AT THE HUGO W. MOSER RESEARCH INSTITUTE ARE LEADERS IN THE WORLDWIDE EFFORT TO PREVENT AND TREAT DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORD, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. OUR INVESTIGATORS CONTINUE TO BREAK NEW GROUND WITH INNOVATIVE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TECHNOLOGY, INVESTIGATE CRITICAL AREAS, SUCH AS THE ROLE OF GENETICS IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, AND DEVELOP NEW TREATMENT MODELS AND THERAPIES. KENNEDY KRIEGER IS COMMITTED TO SHARING OUR KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN BE ADAPTED AND USED BY OTHER HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS TO BENEFIT PATIENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.AREAS OF RESEARCH ADDRESSED BY THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:ADVANCED BRAIN IMAGING RESEARCH - THE F.M. KIRBY RESEARCH CENTER FOR FUNCTIONAL BRAIN IMAGING WITHIN THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE IS AN NIH-RECOGNIZED NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF NEUROIMAGING TECHNOLOGY. RESEARCHERS AT THE KIRBY CENTER USE MRI TECHNOLOGY TO MAP THE ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, CONNECTIVITY AND FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN. INVESTIGATORS AT THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE USE THESE TECHNIQUES TO STUDY AUTISM, ADHD, ADRENOLEUKODYSTROPHY, BRAIN INJURY, CEREBRAL PALSY, LEARNING DISORDERS, RETT'S SYNDROME, AND NUMEROUS OTHER DISORDERS. AUTISM AND NEURO-PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS RESEARCH - THE PSYCHIATRY DEPARTMENT AND CARD ARE INVOLVED IN RESEARCH PROJECTS WHERE STRIDES TAKEN IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS HAVE IMPROVED THERAPIES FOR THE EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES OFTEN SEEN IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.BEHAVIOR AND FEEDING DISORDERS RESEARCH - THE NEUROBEHAVIORAL UNIT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF PRODUCING DATA-BASED RESEARCH IN A NUMBER OF AREAS CRITICAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND TREATMENT OF BEHAVIOR DISORDERS. TODAY, THE UNIT SYSTEMATICALLY EXPLORES REFINEMENTS OF THE METHODS OF ASSESSING THE FUNCTIONS OF CHILDREN'S PROBLEM BEHAVIOR.BIOINFORMATICS RESEARCH - BIOINFORMATICS IS THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY USING THE TOOLS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE. BIOINFORMATICS ENABLES THE STUDY OF PROTEINS, GENES, AND GENOMES USING COMPUTER ALGORITHMS AND COMPUTER DATABASES.BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH - THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE SUPPORTS DIVERSE EFFORTS DEVOTED TO COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN WITH BRAIN TUMORS, TO UNDERSTANDING HOW TUMORS ALTER FUNCTION OF THE CHILD'S BRAIN AND TO UNDERSTANDING THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PATHWAYS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRAIN TUMOR GROWTH. MORE BASIC RESEARCH USING BRAIN TUMOR ANIMAL MODELS AND CULTURED CELLS TO IDENTIFY NEW MOLECULAR THERAPEUTIC TARGETS AND NOVEL GENES LINKED TO MALIGNANCY IS UNDERTAKEN. NEW THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES ARE BEING DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATIONS WITH BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANIES.CDC "RISE" (RESEARCH INITIATIVES FOR STUDENT ENHANCEMENT) - RISE IS A CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION FUNDED RESEARCH EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR GRADUATE AND MEDICAL STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC HEALTH. STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN MENTORED RESEARCH EXPERIENCES WITH FACULTY AT KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE, JHU BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AND JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOCUSING ON PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES RELATED TO CHILDREN. POTENTIAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCES ARE EXPANSIVE AND INCLUDE APPLIED AND LABORATORY STUDIES ENCOMPASSING AREAS SUCH AS ETIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTS, AND CHILD MALTREATMENT.CENTER FOR GENETIC DISORDERS OF COGNITION AND BEHAVIOR (THE "GCB CENTER") - THE GCB CENTER FOCUSES ON ADVANCING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE ON GENETIC DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL IMPAIRMENT, IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. MAJOR DISORDERS INVESTIGATED BY THE CENTER INCLUDE FRAGILE X SYNDROME, RETT SYNDROME, AND DOWN SYNDROME, ETC.CEREBRAL PALSY AND OTHER MOVEMENT DISORDERS RESEARCH - RESEARCH PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY, AND ARE FORMULATED ON THE BASIS OF NEEDS OF AFFECTED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.GENETIC, METABOLIC, AND DEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISORDERS RESEARCH - MORE THAN A THOUSAND GENETIC DISORDERS THAT LEAD TO ABNORMALITIES OF BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. THEY INCLUDE A LARGE NUMBER OF NEUROMETABOLIC DISORDERS IN WHICH THE PRECISE BIOCHEMICAL DISTURBANCE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. OTHER DISORDERS SUCH AS DOWN SYNDROME, IN WHICH ABNORMALITIES IN THE NUMBER OR STRUCTURE OF CHROMOSOMES OCCURS, HAS ALSO BEEN IDENTIFIED. RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNIQUES SUCH AS LIQUID AND HIGH PERFORMANCE CHROMATOGRAPHY, MASS SPECTROMETRY, ENZYMATIC, CYTOGENETICS AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES AND STUDIES IN ANIMAL MODELS OF HUMAN DISEASE STATES HAVE LED TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THESE DISORDERS DAMAGE THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HAVE ALSO LED TO NEW TREATMENTS. THESE TREATMENTS MAY INVOLVE DIET, SPECIAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS, PHARMACOLOGICAL AGENTS, AND TRANSPLANTS.LEARNING AND OTHER COGNITIVE DISORDERS RESEARCH - RESEARCHERS AT THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE ARE DEDICATED TO UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS OF LEARNING AND COMMUNICATION DISABILITIES, THEIR PREVENTION, EARLY IDENTIFICATION, AND TREATMENT, WHEN THEY INTERFERE WITH A CHILD'S PROGRESS AT HOME AND IN SCHOOL. THE NEUROLOGIC AND GENETIC BASES FOR SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDERS, COMMUNICATION DISORDERS AND ATTENTION-DEFICIT DISORDERS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED THROUGH NEUROGENETIC TESTING, NEUROIMAGING AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF NORMAL AND AFFECTED CHILDREN. EARLY IDENTIFICATION EFFORTS INCLUDE NEW TEST DEVELOPMENT AND TRACKING OF HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS. INVESTIGATIONS OF NEW TREATMENT APPROACHES INCLUDE EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, LANGUAGE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS, USE OF MEDICATIONS, AND USE OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN AFFECTED CHILDREN.MENTAL RETARDATION/ DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH CENTER - THIS CENTER FEATURES INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION AND A CENTRAL THEME, BRAIN MECHANISMS WHEREBY
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 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 June 2025.
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 December 1987.
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.