Clayton Foundation for Research
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The primary mission is to conduct medical research in conjunction with hospitals for the purpose of discovering the cause, prevention and cure of diseases for the benefit of mankind. The secondary mission is to transfer the resulting medical research discoveries from the laboratory to the use of the general public by patenting and licensing such technology for development into drugs or other products for the use and benefit of mankind through the Foundation's supporting entities.
- Income
- $14.9 million
- Spending
- $10.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 104.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 86%
- Employees
- 53
- Highest pay
- $785,428, trustee, president, treasurer
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 92% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 104.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 26% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 35% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% 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 13% of charities in its peer group (medical research, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
5 of 250 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
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 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 (15)
- $1.0 million spent. A long standing research project at the University of Texas at Austin under the direction of Dr. Brent Iverson is in the field of engineering proteases. One aim of the project is to discover engineered proteases that will serve as more efficient, next generation antibody replacements. The engineered proteases will cleave the protein disease target in a catalytic fashion, thus requiring much less drug and enabling far lower doses and potentially fewer side effects. This project has resulted in the generation of a technology platform to support the development of protease therapeutics called Yeast Endoplasmic Reticulum Sequestration Screening (YESS). In addition to protease engineering, this platform is generating valuable information on enzyme substrate profiling. This allows to profile resistance in kinase inhibitor drugs and to generate kinase inhibitors and protease inhibitors with very low resistance and much higher specificity. This platform has been validated, and lead small drug candidates are currently being developed. Several publications have created interest in the scientific community in the YESS platform. Patent applications have been filed by RDF, one of the Foundation?s supporting entities, on several discoveries arising out of this research.
- $964,510 spent. A research project at Baylor College of Medicine in gene and protein therapy focuses on inappropriate cell division and cell death within the human body. Much of the work is devoted to intraocular angiogenesis, with particular attention to: (1) the signals that control this process, (2) the development of animal models of human ocular disease, and (3) development of potential therapies. New targets have been identified and potential therapeutic agents are being developed and tested for the treatment of wet AMD, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Retinopathy of Prematurity.
- $910,134 spent. The conduct of a longstanding research program at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center(which program moved to Texas A&M Institute of Biosciences and and Technology during the year) , the purpose of which is to design and develop novel targeted therapeutic agents that target a powerful human toxin to specifically destroy cancer cells for the treatment of numerous cancer targets and other disease indications. A number of collaborations have been undertaken with researchers at various institutions (e.g., University of California San Diego). Patent applications have been filed by Research Development Foundation (RDF), a tax exempt supporting organization of the Foundation (see schedule R, Part III), on more than twenty discoveries, and a number of patents have been issued. Licensing efforts have been ongoing and have resulted in several licenses.
- $825,546 spent. Vaccines, Diagnostics and Therapeutics for the Ehrlichioses at The Univerity of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
- $807,116 spent. Development of Biorepository and Novel Therapeutic Strategies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- $674,935 spent. Early Detection and Treatment of Glaucoma Baylor College of Medicine Houston
- $637,144 spent. Identification of Host-based Antiviral Targets at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas
- $622,259 spent. The Use of Light for Cardiological, Surgical, and Related Purposes at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- $589,586 spent. Antibody Discovery and Optimization Using the Eclonal Technology at The University of Texas at Austin
- $495,150 spent. Electroceutical Sciences and Medicine at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas
- $491,527 spent. Developing Drug Delivery Systems for Testing Solid Tumors at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas
- $425,701 spent. Discovering New Mechanisms and Therapeutics for Brain Injury at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas
- $361,410 spent. Development of Artificial Neurotransmitter Systems at the University of Texas at Austin
- $236,704 spent. Optimization and Charactorization of AAV for Gene Therapy at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas
- Grants
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
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 October 13, 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 2024.
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 July 1966.
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 October 21, 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.