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Aveni Foundation

EIN 83-0731767 · Santa Monica, CA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood70 out of 100GovernanceGood86 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE AVENI FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO EXPEDITING DEVELOPMENT OF GENE-TARGETED THERAPIES FOR METASTATIC CANCERS AND OTHER UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS.

Income
$192,406
Spending
$505,722
Spent on programs
80%
Reserves
12.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
4
Highest pay
$108,000, quality control

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

Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (medical research, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 12.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 163% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 83% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    80% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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

Good: 86 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (medical research, under $250k).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    4 of 4 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (1)
  1. $405,040 spent. THE AVENI FOUNDATION REPORTED THE PERFORMANCE OF TWO CLINICAL STUDIES:1. Compassionate Use of Intravenous DNG64-CAR-V Tumor-Targeted Retrovector Bearing a Cytocidal Dominant Negative Cyclin G1 Inhibitor for Advanced Sarcoma, Pancreatic Cancer, Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Ovarian Carcinoma (Single Use INDs)2. Blessed: Expanded Access for DNG64-CAR-V for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer, Sarcoma and Carcinoma of Breast for an Intermediate Size Population (NCT04091295)Thirty-two patients were enrolled, 18 sarcoma, 5 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, 1 non-small cell lung cancer, 3 breast carcinoma, 1 prostate cancer, 1 cholangiocarcinoma, 1 basal cell carcinoma, 1 ovarian cancer, and 1 glioblastoma. Sixteen patients were enrolled in Study 1 single patient IND, 16 patients were enrolled in Study 2. Three patients were initially enrolled in Study 2 and later enrolled in Study 1. Twenty-seven of 32 enrolled patients were treated with DNG64-CAR-V either as monotherapy or in combination with FDA approved cancer therapies. Four of the 27 patients treated with DNG64-CAR-V and FDA approved drugs were also treated with either SNK01 autologous enhanced NK cell therapy or SNK02 allogeneic enhanced NK cell therapy.Nine of 15 (60%) patients treated with DNG64-CAR-V + FDA approved drugs are alive 1-71 months from treatment initiation, 2 with breast cancer are alive in complete remission, 1 with pancreatic cancer is alive with progressive disease, 3 with sarcoma are alive with either complete response s/p surgical resection, partial response or stable disease, 1 with basal cell carcinoma is alive with partial response, 1 with ovarian cancer is alive with partial response, and 1 with glioblastoma is alive receiving first cycle of treatment. Two patients with Stage 4 pancreatic adenocarcinoma who initially failed standard chemotherapy and who were treated with DNG64-CAR-V and low dose chemo lived 8.5-9.5 months, which is similar to the median survival duration of pancreatic cancer patients receiving first line therapy. One patient with metastatic liposarcoma and one patient with metastatic leiomyosarcoma who were treated with DNG64-CAR-V and low dose chemo lived 12 months, which is similar to the median survival duration of sarcoma patients receiving first line therapy.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 2019.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.

  7. Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.

    A much larger organization has a similar name: Ab Foundation (Washington, DC), EIN 27-5278038. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.