Aim at Melanoma
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
AIM AT MELANOMA (AIM) IS GLOBALLY ENGAGED AND LOCALLY INVESTED IN ADVANCING THE BATTLE AGAINST MELANOMA THROUGH INNOVATIVE RESEARCH, LEGISLATIVE REFORM, EDUCATION, AND PATIENT AND CAREGIVER SUPPORT. FOUNDED IN 2004, AIM AT MELANOMA IS THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL MELANOMA FOUNDATION SEEKING THE CURE FOR MELANOMA. AIM BELIEVES THAT THE CURE FOR MELANOMA WILL BE FOUND MORE QUICKLY BY BRINGING TOGETHER LEADING GLOBAL RESEARCHERS AND FUNDING THEIR COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH. OUR THREE PARADIGM-SHIFTING GLOBAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE MELANOMA TISSUE BANK CONSORTIUM, ARE POISED TO RESHAPE THE FUTURE OF MELANOMA. AIM IS THE RESPECTED VOICE OF MELANOMA ACROSS THE NATION. WHEN DRUGS ARE APPROVED, LEGISLATION IS DRAFTED, AND RESEARCH IS ASSESSED, AIM IS AT THE TABLE, SPEAKING LOUDLY AND CLEARLY ON BEHALF OF PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. AIM IS THE TRUSTED ADVISOR FOR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, MEDICAL BOARDS, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ON CRITICAL TOPICS THAT AFFECT MELANOMA PATIENTS.
- Income
- $2.7 million
- Spending
- $2.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 42.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 97%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $241,093, president and 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 42.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 23% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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: 95 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 5 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (2)
- $1.8 million spent. WEBSITEAIM AT MELANOMA ("AIM") IS THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION ENGAGED IN A WIDE RANGE OF GLOBAL PATIENT ADVOCACY INITIATIVES FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT MELANOMA AND SUPPORTING THOSE IMPACTED BY THE DISEASE BY PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION, ADVOCATING FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND FUNDING COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH INITIATIVES. AMONG OUR MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MELANOMA COMMUNITY IS THE OWNERSHIP AND MAINTENANCE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE U.S. WEBSITE ON MELANOMA (WWW.AIMATMELANOMA.ORG). IN 2025, AIM CONTINUED TO CREATE WEBSITE CONTENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE MELANOMA COMMUNITY. THIS INCLUDED, BUT WAS NOT LIMITED TO, MAKING IT EASIER FOR USERS TO IDENTIFY PERTINENT INFORMATION TO ASSIST THEM IN BETTER UNDERSTANDING THEIR MELANOMA DIAGNOSIS AND STAGING, TREATMENT OPTIONS, CLINICAL TRIAL OPPORTUNITIES, RECOGNITION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF TREATMENT, RISK OF RECURRENCE, FOLLOW-UP CARE, AND THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE DISEASE. THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED TO USE VARIOUS METHODS, SUCH AS SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND BROCHURES DISTRIBUTED TO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT THE U.S, AND OTHER REGIONS OF THE WORLD AND TO BROADEN OUR REACH AND TO EDUCATE PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ABOUT THE WEBSITE'S RESOURCES. THE WEBSITE WAS UPDATED REGULARLY FOR MEDICAL ACCURACY IN ORDER TO REFLECT THE CURRENT STANDARD OF CARE IN MELANOMA AND WITH CONTENT RELATED TO ISSUES FACING THE MELANOMA COMMUNITY. AS PART OF AIM'S COMMITMENT TO EQUITY IN MELANOMA EDUCATION, AIM INVESTED IN GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY, MAKING SURE LANGUAGE WAS NOT A BARRIER TO LIFESAVING INFORMATION. AMONG OTHER THINGS, AIM'S WEBSITE WAS CONFIGURED FOR MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, PROVIDING FULL-SITE TRANSLATION SO THAT THE INFORMATION COULD REACH A BROADER AUDIENCE. AIM ALSO STARTED THE PROCESS OF TRANSLATING MANY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS INTO SPANISH. AIM'S WEBSITE ALONE HAD AROUND 100,000 UNIQUE VISITORS EACH MONTH. THIS IS AN INCREASE FROM 2024. APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE WEBSITE'S TRAFFIC CAME FROM OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.PATIENT ADVOCACYTHROUGHOUT 2025, AIM CONTINUED TO PROVIDE A FREE ONCOLOGY PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT ON CALL SERVICE THROUGH ITS ASK AN EXPERT INITIATIVE. PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA, CAREGIVERS, AND FAMILIES REACHED OUT TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THEIR/THEIR LOVED ONE'S MELANOMA DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT OPTIONS, CLINICAL TRIALS, SIDE EFFECT MANAGEMENT, AND FOLLOW-UP CARE AS WELL AS QUESTIONS REGARDING PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION OF THE DISEASE. AIM CONTINUED TO COORDINATE NUMEROUS PATIENT ADVOCACY EVENTS, WHICH INCLUDED 10 PATIENT AND CAREGIVER SYMPOSIA LED BY NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ONCOLOGISTS WHO SPECIALIZE IN MELANOMA AT MAJOR CANCER CENTERS SUCH AS SIDNEY COMPREHENSIVE CANCER AT JOHNS HOPKINS, MICHIGAN ROGEL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER, CARBONE CANCER CENTER AT UW-MADISON AND UPMC HILLMAN CANCER CENTER. THE SYMPOSIA ARE OFFERED AS HYBRID EVENTS SO THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN ATTEND IN-PERSON BUT CAN ALSO WATCH VIA LIVE STREAM. AIM ALSO VIDEOTAPED AND EDITED THESE SYMPOSIA, WHICH WERE THEN UPLOADED ONTO YOUTUBE AND AIM'S WEBSITE SO THEY COULD BE VIEWED BY INDIVIDUALS IN THE U.S. AND WORLDWIDE AT ANY TIME. AIM CONTINUED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND SURVIVORS THROUGH A PROGRAM CALLED PEER CONNECT. PEER CONNECT IS A PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM, AIM AT MELANOMA'S ANSWER TO THE ONGOING NEED FOR SUPPORT IN THE MELANOMA COMMUNITY. PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND CAREGIVERS WHO JOIN THE PROGRAM ARE MATCHED WITH A PEER, AND FROM THERE THE PAIR COMMUNICATE IN A WAY THAT IS COMFORTABLE FOR BOTH. MEMBERS OF PEER CONNECT PROVIDE EACH OTHER WITH KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, AND MORE. IN RESPONSE TO A FIRST-EVER FDA-APPROVED TREATMENT OPTION USING TIL THERAPY, AIM DEVELOPED A PEER-TO-PEER PROGRAM SPECIFIC TO THIS PATIENT POPULATION BY MATCHING "MENTORS" TO THOSE UNDERGOING THE THERAPY TO GUIDE OTHERS IN SELF-ADVOCACY, AND PROVIDE MEANINGFUL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO THOSE UNDERGOING THE SAME TREATMENT. IN 2025, AIM CONTINUED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PEER CONNECT PROGRAM. AIM CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN A VERY ACTIVE FACEBOOK PAGE, AN X ACCOUNT (FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER), AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT, AND A YOUTUBE CHANNEL IN ORDER TO PROVIDE OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR THE MELANOMA COMMUNITY.AIM CONTINUED TO REPRESENT PATIENTS ON THE TWO LARGEST U.S. COOPERATIVE ONCOLOGY GROUPS, SWOG AND ECOG-ACRIN, THE NCCN, THE ASCO GUIDELINES COMMITTEE, AND THE AAD GUIDELINES OF CARE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CUTANEOUS MELANOMA COMMITTEE. AIM ALSO PRESENTED ON THE MELANOMA PATIENT PERSPECTIVE AT NUMEROUS MEETINGS BOTH IN THE U.S. AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. AIM SPOKE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT PATIENTS' NEEDS, EXPERIENCES AND PREFERENCES WERE INCORPORATED IN ALL HEALTHCARE DECISION-MAKING, FROM SHAPING RESEARCH PRIORITIES TO CO-CREATING CARE PLANS.TO HELP PATIENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR DISEASE, AIM CONTINUED TO OFFER FROM THE CLINIC TO THE LIVING ROOM, A WEBINAR SERIES THAT IS LIVE STREAMED THROUGH FACEBOOK AND PROVIDES AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC WITH A MELANOMA SPECIALIST, SUCH AS AN ONCOLOGIST, RESEARCHER, OR OTHER MEDICAL EXPERT WHO SPECIALIZES IN MELANOMA. AIM ALSO CONTINUED TO OFFER BEYOND THE CLINIC: LIVING WELL WITH MELANOMA, A PODCAST SERIES TO ADDRESS THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF A MELANOMA DIAGNOSIS DURING AND BEYOND TREATMENT. AIM ALSO CONTINUED TO OFFER MELANOMA360 BLOG, WHICH FEATURES SURVIVOR STORIES, RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS, CURRENT NEWS, HEALTH LIVING INFORMATION ETC.AIM ESTABLISHED ITS ROLE AS THE PATIENT ADVOCACY LEADER IN MELANOMA STANDING UP FOR PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA. WHEN A TREATMENT OPTION WAS DENIED BY THE FDA, HUNDREDS OF PATIENTS AND THEIR LOVED ONES REACHED OUT TO AIM STATING THEY WERE DEVASTATED BY THE DENIAL OF A PROMISING TREATMENT OPTION FOR PATIENTS WHOSE MELANOMA DOES NOT RESPOND TO IMMUNOTHERAPY. IT WAS AIM THAT LED THE EFFORT TO WRITE A LETTER URGING THE FDA TO
- CONTINUED LINE 4A FROM SCHEDULE OCANCER INSTITUTE; THE PETER MACCALLUM CANCER CENTER AND ALFRED HOSPITAL IN MELBOURNE ARE SIGNED ON TO PARTICIPATE BUT HAVE NOT BEGUN COLLECTING TISSUE. THE TISSUE BANK IS THE FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH TOOL THAT DOES NOT EXIST YET FOR PUBLIC OR PRIVATE RESEARCH. MAJOR ADVANCES, PARTICULARLY WITHIN BREAST AND PROSTATE CANCER, RESULTED FROM SIMILAR BANKS. CONSEQUENTLY, MELANOMA RESEARCH LAGS SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN OTHER CANCER RESEARCH. IN 2025, THE BANK COLLECTED A TOTAL OF 24 TISSUES FROM U.S. SITES AND CONTINUED ITS EFFORT TO START COLLECTING TISSUE AT ITS AUSTRALIAN SITES. WIMIN AUGUST 2017, AIM FORMED WOMEN IN MELANOMA (WIM). WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF YOUNG WOMEN ONCOLOGISTS WITH AN INTEREST IN MELANOMA, AND AIM'S PROVEN TRACK RECORD FOR BRINGING TOGETHER MELANOMA EXPERTS, AIM FORMED WIM FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUPPORTING THE IMPROVEMENT OF MELANOMA PATIENT OUTCOMES THROUGH A FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING THE PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP, PROVIDING INSIGHTS INTO BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNICATING WITH PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA TO IMPROVE OUTCOME, SUPPORTING THE ACADEMIC CAREERS OF YOUNG WOMEN WITH A RESEARCH INTEREST IN MELANOMA, AND FOSTERING MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG WOMEN ONCOLOGISTS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF MELANOMA. IN 2025, AIM HELD ITS NINTH ANNUAL MEETING IN LEESBURG, VA WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY UP-AND-COMING WOMEN ONCOLOGISTS, WITH A FOCUS ON MELANOMA. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, WIM MEMBERS HAVE SINCE UNDERTAKEN KEY RESEARCH PROJECTS AS A RESULT OF COLLABORATION AMONG ITS MEMBERS AT WIM MEETINGS. IN 2025 SAGE PUBLISHING AND THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN MEDICAL ONCOLOGY PUBLISHED PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTH ANNUAL WOMEN IN MELANOMA CONFERENCE. THE ARTICLE EXTOLLED THE VIRTUES OF WIM TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE.NURSE/PHYSICIAN EDUCATION INITIATIVEIN OCTOBER 2016, AIM CREATED THE MELANOMA NURSING INITIATIVE (MNI). THE RECENT EXPANSION OF MELANOMA THERAPY HAS INCREASED THE COMPLEXITY OF DISEASE MANAGEMENT. PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA MAY DISCONTINUE THERAPY IF NOT ADEQUATELY ENGAGED IN THEIR OWN CARE OR SUPPORTED WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE SIDE EFFECTS. AS WELL, MORE PATIENTS ARE BEING TREATED IN THE COMMUNITY SETTING, WHERE EXPERTISE IS FREQUENTLY LACKING TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES. THE MNI CONSISTS OF:1. MELANOMA NURSE RESOURCE CENTER PORTAL (THEMELANOMANURSE.ORG)THIS PORTAL PROVIDES A 1-STOP SHOP FOR ALL THE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS DEVELOPEDCONTENT INCLUDES CONSENSUS STATEMENTS, SIDE-EFFECT SEARCH FUNCTIONS, CME ACTIVITIES, A SUPPORTIVE CARE Q/A PORTAL, AND A PATIENT RESOURCE CENTER.2. MELANOMA NURSE MANAGEMENT TOOLKITHELPFUL RESOURCES SUCH AS ALGORITHMS, CHECKLISTS, PRINTABLE SHEETS, AND SEARCHABLE CONTENT ON SUPPORTIVE CARE ASPECTS OF MELANOMA THERAPY (SIDE EFFECT MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS ADHERENCE ISSUES), KEY RESOURCES ON TARGETED THERAPY, IMMUNOTHERAPY, AND INTRALESIONAL IMMUNOTHERAPY ONLINE RESOURCES AS WELL AS PRINT PIECES FOR DISTRIBUTION AT REGIONAL CANCER MEETING.3. DEVELOPMENT OF PATIENT RESOURCE MATERIALS CUSTOMIZED PATIENT RESOURCE/EDUCATION MATERIALS (PRINTABLE PDFS) HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT CAN BE DOWNLOADABLE FROM THE WEBSITE AND DISTRIBUTED BY NURSES/PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND OTHER HCPS. TOPICS INCLUDE THE GOALS OF THERAPY, THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THERAPIES, IMPORTANT POINTS/STRATEGIES AROUND ADHERENCE, AS WELL AS OTHER SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES, SUCH AS CALL-IN NUMBERS FOR FINANCIAL OR OTHER ASSISTANCE, ETC. SPECIFIC CONTENT ON TARGETED THERAPIES, IMMUNOTHERAPIES, COMBINATIONS, INTRALESIONAL IMMUNOTHERAPIES, AND THE ADJUVANT SETTING ARE INCLUDED.4. DEVELOPMENT OF PATIENT AND HCP VIDEOS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION, SURGERY, PATHOLOGY, TREATMENT, SIDE EFFECTS AND MANAGMENET FOR BOTH TARGETED AND IMMUNOTHERAPIES, CLINICAL TRIALS, AND LIVING WITH MELANOMA. THE VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE ON AIM AT MELANOMA SITE'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL.5. AIM PROVIDED WEB BASED EDUCATION ON STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT SHARED DECISION MAKING THE EDUCATION IS AVAILABLE AS WELL ON THE MNI WEBSITE.
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 May 2004.
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.
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.