Van Andel Research Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
MEDICAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION VAN ANDEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE IS AN INDEPENDENT BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE HEALTH AND ENHANCING THE LIVES OF CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
- Income
- $112.7 million
- Spending
- $118.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 65%
- Reserves
- 0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 59%
- Employees
- 596
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $1.7 million, chief investment officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending November 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 43 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (medical research, over $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 67% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1565% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending November 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (medical research, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 6 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 November 30, 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 (4)
- $16.3 million spent. DEPARTMENT OF EPIGENETICSSCHEDULE O PROVIDES FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROGRAM'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS. LINE 4A - PROGRAM SERVICE ACTIVITY #1 DEPARTMENT OF EPIGENETICS AS OF NOVEMBER 2024, THE DEPARTMENT OF EPIGENETICS, LED BY CHAIR DR. J. ANDREW POSPISILIK, COMPRISED 12 LABORATORIES AND ONE DIRECTOR'S SCHOLAR THAT SEEK TO UNDERSTAND HOW EPIGENETIC CHANGES EITHER PROTECT US FROM OR PREDISPOSE US TO DISEASES SUCH AS CANCER, PARKINSON'S, AND METABOLIC DISORDERS. BY INVESTIGATING THE EPIGENETIC PROCESSES THAT FINE-TUNE DNA, THE DEPARTMENT'S SCIENTISTS AIM TO PINPOINT THE ORIGINS OF THESE DISEASES AND DETERMINE HOW THEY ARE IMPACTED BY OUR PAST AND PRESENT, AND HOW THEY INFLUENCE FUTURE GENERATIONS. IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, RESEARCHERS AND TRAINEES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT EARNED NEW AWARDS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
- $9.7 million spent. DEPARTMENT OF NEURODEGENERATIVE SCIENCESCHEDULE O PROVIDES FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROGRAM'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS. LINE 4B - PROGRAM SERVICE ACTIVITY #2 DEPARTMENT OF NEURODEGENERATIVE SCIENCE AS OF NOVEMBER 2024, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEURODEGENERATIVE SCIENCE, CHAIRED BY DR. DARREN MOORE, COMPRISED SEVEN LABORATORIES THAT INVESTIGATE THE COMPLEX FACTORS THAT GIVE RISE TO NEURODEGENERATIVE AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, INCLUDING GENETICS, EPIGENETICS, AGING, INFLAMMATION, THE STRUCTURE OF THE BRAIN, AND THE ROLES OF THE GUT AND IMMUNE SYSTEM. BY LEVERAGING DISCOVERIES MADE IN THE INSTITUTE'S LABS AND COLLABORATING WITH RESEARCHERS AROUND THE WORLD, SCIENTISTS IN THE DEPARTMENT ARE WORKING TO TRANSLATE BREAKTHROUGHS INTO LIFE-CHANGING NEW TREATMENTS FOR PARKINSON'S, ALZHEIMER'S AND RELATED DEMENTIAS, AND DEPRESSION. IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, A TRAINEE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT EARNED A NEW AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. A SUBAWARD WITH A PRIME SPONSOR OF THE MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON'S RESEARCH WAS RECEIVED FROM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.
- $7.1 million spent. DEPARTMENT OF METABOLISM AND NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMMINGSEE SCHEDULE O FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS. LINE 4C - PROGRAM SERVICE ACTIVITY #3 DEPARTMENT OF METABOLISM AND NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMMING AS OF NOVEMBER 2024, THE DEPARTMENT OF METABOLISM AND NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMMING, CHAIRED BY DR. RUSSELL JONES, COMPRISED SIX LABORATORIES THAT EXPLORE THE INTRICATE MECHANICS OF CELLULAR METABOLISM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH AND DISEASE. USING CUTTING-EDGE TECHNIQUES, THEY INVESTIGATE METABOLISM'S INTERACTION WITH OTHER CRITICAL SYSTEMS, SUCH AS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, AND ARE REVEALING HOW ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES AND METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION CONTRIBUTE TO COMPLEX DISEASES SUCH AS DIABETES, AUTOIMMUNITY, CANCER, AND NEURODEGENERATION. THEY ALSO PARSE THE RIPPLE EFFECT THAT NUTRITION MAY HAVE THROUGH THE GENERATIONS BY EXPLORING HOW DIET COULD LAY THE EPIGENETIC FOUNDATIONS FOR HEALTH. IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, RESEARCHERS AND TRAINEES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT EARNED NEW AWARDS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.
- LINE 4D - OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF CELL BIOLOGY AS OF NOVEMBER 2024, THE DEPARTMENT OF CELL BIOLOGY, LED BY INTERIM CHAIR DR. YVONNE FONDUFE-MITTENDORF, COMPRISED SIX LABS THAT PURSUE FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND HOW CELLS GROW, COMMUNICATE, SURVIVE, ASSEMBLE INTO TISSUES AND ORGANS, RESPOND TO THE ENVIRONMENT, AND CHANGE WITH AGE. THIS TRANSFORMATIVE WORK AIMS TO YIELD NEW DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH CANCER, BONE DISEASES, AND RARE DISORDERS. ONE FACULTY MEMBER HOLDS AN APPOINTMENT AS DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE'S CORE TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES. DR. FONDUFE-MITTENDORF HOLDS A PRIMARY APPOINTMENT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EPIGENETICS. IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, RESEARCHERS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT EARNED NEW AWARDS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY. A SUBAWARD WITH A PRIME SPONSOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH WAS RECEIVED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH. DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY AS OF NOVEMBER 2024, THE DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY, CHAIRED BY DR. HUILIN LI, COMPRISED SIX LABORATORIES THAT HARNESS THE POWER OF CRYO-ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (CRYO-EM) AND OTHER TECHNIQUES TO VISUALIZE MOLECULES, COMPLEXES, AND STRUCTURES THAT SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTH AND DISEASE. THESE MOLECULES MAY SERVE AS DRUG TARGETS FOR CANCER, NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, METABOLIC DISEASES, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND MORE. DEPARTMENT SCIENTISTS HAVE INTERESTS IN DNA REPLICATION, CELLULAR SIGNALING, RNA BIOLOGY, NEURODEGENERATION, IMMUNOLOGY, AND EPIGENETICS. IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, RESEARCHERS AND TRAINEES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT EARNED NEW AWARDS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION. SUBAWARDS WITH A PRIME SPONSOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH WERE RECEIVED FROM CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND CORIELL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. CLINICAL COLLABORATIONS THE VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE-STAND UP TO CANCER EPIGENETICS DREAM TEAM, LED BY DR. PETER A. JONES AND DR. STEPHEN BAYLIN, CONTINUES TO FOSTER COLLABORATION TOWARD DEVELOPMENT OF NEW COMBINATION THERAPIES FOR CANCER BY MOVING THESE PROMISING THERAPIES INTO CLINICAL TRIALS. THE TEAM FOCUSES ON EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS IN CELLS, WHICH HELP CONTROL WHETHER GENES ARE SWITCHED "ON OR "OFF" WITHOUT CHANGING THE DNA SEQUENCE ITSELF. INTERNATIONAL LINKED CLINICAL TRIALS IS A PROGRAM THAT IDENTIFIES POTENTIAL NEW THERAPIES THAT MAY SLOW OR STOP PARKINSON'S PROGRESSION FROM MEDICATIONS DEVELOPED OR APPROVED TO TREAT OTHER CONDITIONS. THE PROGRAM IS SPEARHEADED BY CURE PARKINSON'S IN COLLABORATION WITH THE INSTITUTE. IT AIMS TO REDUCE THE TIME IT TAKES FOR A POTENTIAL TREATMENT TO MOVE FROM THE LAB INTO CLINICAL TRIALS AND, ULTIMATELY, TO IMPLEMENTATION IN THE CLINIC. DR. DARREN MOORE REPRESENTS VAI ON THE ILCT COMMITTEE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending November 30, 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 November 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 1997.
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.