Diabetes Research Institute Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE THE DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE WITH THE FUNDING TO CURE DIABETES NOW.
- Income
- $11.4 million
- Spending
- $13.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 2.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 17
- Volunteers
- 200
- Highest pay
- $404,514, chief executive officer
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
Fair: 53 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 15% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 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 44% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2522 of 22 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 (2)
- $7.1 million spent. THE DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOUNDATION FUNDS BASIC, PRE-CLINICAL AND PATIENT-BASED RESEARCH STUDIES, INCLUDING CLINICAL STUDIES, SEVERAL OF WHICH ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY UNDERWAY AT THE DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE (DRI) AND OTHER COLLABORATING RESEARCH FACILITIES. SUPPORT FROM THE DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOUNDATION HAS ENABLED THE INTRODUCTION OF AFFINITY GROUPS AT THE DRI, A NEW STRATEGIC TOOL TO ACCELERATE THE FUTURE OF TYPE 1 DIABETES RESEARCH. THESE GROUPS ARE DESIGNED TO FOSTER COLLABORATION, ENCOURAGE INNOVATIVE THINKING AND STREAMLINE PROBLEM-SOLVING. THROUGH THESE NEW AFFINITY GROUPS, EXPERTS AND SPECIALISTS ACROSS DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING SURGEONS, ENGINEERS, IMMUNOLOGISTS, CHEMISTS AND ENDOCRINOLOGISTS, COME TOGETHER TO FOCUS ON THREE CRITICAL AREAS: IMMUNOLOGY/IMMUNE MODULATION, DEVICES TO SUPPORT ISLET TRANSPLANTATION AND INSULIN-PRODUCING BETA CELL ROBUSTNESS AND AUGMENTATION. IN THE AREA OF IMMUNOLOGY, DRIF HAS FUNDED DRI RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT FOCUS ON ESTABLISHING IMMUNE TOLERANCE AND REVERSING AUTOIMMUNITY, THE BODY'S DESTRUCTION OF THE INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS WHICH CAUSES THE ONSET OF THE DISEASE. ONE SUCH STUDY INVOLVES THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY AT-1501 WHICH WAS TESTED IN PRECLINICAL MODELS, LEADING TO LONG-TERM GRAFT SURVIVAL IN BOTH ISLET AND KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS, CONFIRMING ITS IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE POTENTIAL. ANOTHER EXCITING STUDY INVOLVES THE USE OF "LIPONANO CLUSTERS" WHICH PROVIDE CONTINUOUS DELIVERY OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY COMPOUNDS TO TRANSPLANTED INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS, REDUCING INFLAMMATION AND PROTECTING THESE CELLS FROM BEING ATTACKED BY THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. IN THE AREA OF DEVICES, DRIF-FUNDED RESEARCHERS ARE FOCUSED ON REFINING STRATEGIES FOR HIDING AND PROTECTING INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS FROM THE ATTACK BY THE IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH THE USE OF ENCAPSULATION AND HOUSING DEVICES FOR CELLS. DRI RESEARCHERS ARE ADVANCING CONFORMAL COATING TECHNOLOGY COMBINED WITH THE CELL POUCH SYSTEM TO PROTECT ISLET CELLS. DRI RESEARCHERS ARE ALSO WORKING TO DEVELOP THE IMMUNOSUPPRESSION-FREE VASCULARIZED DEVICE FOR ISLET TRANSPLANTATION (VADIT), AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH THAT INTEGRATES A VASCULARIZED DEVICE WITH A TISSUE-BASED DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM TO ENABLE ISLET TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT THE NEED FOR LIFELONG IMMUNOSUPPRESSION. ADDITIONALLY, DRI SCIENTISTS ARE STUDYING PATENTED FASL TECHNOLOGY, COMBINING A SYNTHETIC FORM OF THE PROTEIN FASL WITH A SPECIAL MICROGEL TO SAFELY PROTECT TRANSPLANTED ISLETS AND INDUCE LOCAL IMMUNE TOLERANCE. ANOTHER MAJOR RESEARCH AREA THAT DRIF SUPPORTS IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS. DRIF-FUNDED STUDIES HAVE LED TO SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN STIMULATING THE REGENERATION OF PANCREATIC STEM CELLS INTO INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS USING A SINGLE FDA-APPROVED MOLECULE, BMP-7. THIS SIGNIFICANT FINDING OPENS THE DOOR TO A NATURAL CELL SUPPLY BANK WITHIN THE PATIENT'S BODY, ADDRESSING SEVERAL ONGOING CHALLENGES FOR CURING THE DISEASE. THE DRIF HAS FUNDED INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHER TRAINING AND KEY COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS THAT HELP ACCELERATE RESEARCH PROGRESS THROUGH THE SHARING OF IDEAS AND ADVANCEMENTS. DRIF ALSO HOSTS AND PARTICIPATES IN A VARIETY OF INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES AND THEIR FAMILIES FOCUSING ON THE LATEST ADVANCES TOWARD A CURE AND THE NEWEST DIABETES MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES. THROUGH ITS WEBSITE DIABETESRESEARCH.ORG, THE DRIF PROVIDES 'NEWS YOU CAN USE RESEARCH UPDATES FOR THOSE LIVING WITH DIABETES AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE FORM OF E-NEWSLETTERS, VIDEOS, EMAIL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INFORMATION VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
- $1.3 million spent. COMMUNITY DIABETES EDUCATION. THE DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOUNDATION PROVIDES INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC VIA ITS WEBSITE, LITERATURE, SPEAKERS, CONFERENCES, PRINT INTERVIEWS AND TOLL FREE NUMBER 800-321-3437. THE PUBLIC GAINS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DIABETES, DIABETES CARE, NUTRITION AND RESEARCH TOWARD FINDING A CURE FOR DIABETES.
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 March 1973.
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.