Washington, D.C. · Nonprofit
LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC
LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC (Washington, D.C.) receives grants from 238 organizations whose IRS filings report $11,214,135 to it, the largest being PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA ($1,500,350). 122 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $15M
- Funders on record
- 238
- Grants received
- $11M
- Net assets
- $4.7M
What Lupus Foundation of America Inc does
Mission
Lupus foundation of america, inc. (the foundation) is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all people affected by lupus through programs of research, education, support, and advocacy.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
Public information and education:the foundation strengthened its role as the leading source of lupus information. The lupus.org website reached more than 9.8 million annual views, supported by homepage optimization improvements and the integration of the digital know lupus quiz to enhance engagement during lupus awareness month (lam) and year-round. Social media following grew to more than 450,000 combined followers across platforms, supported by targeted campaigns, including "spotlight series" initiatives highlighting disparities and the unique impact of lupus across populations.lupus awareness month continued under the theme make lupus visible, featuring educational resources, personal stories, videos, advocacy events, and promotional efforts tied to major fundraising initiatives and the national lupus advocacy summit. An omnibus awareness survey showed 53% of u.s. Adults still reported limited or no knowledge of the disease, underscoring the need for continued education.globally, the foundation led world lupus day on may 10 through its world lupus federation (wlf), executing an international make lupus visible campaign. In 2025, the federation marked its 10th anniversary with a…
$4,974,865 spentof which $5,000 as grants$102,775 earned by the program40% of program spendingPatient education and support:the foundation's national resource center on lupus (nrcl) remained central to patient education, reaching nearly 2 million users and generating 3.3 million sessions in 2025 with a 65% engagement rate. The foundation updated or created new 24 medically-reviewed english resources and 20 spanish resources, with 88% of materials now available bilingually. New blog content addressed mental health, lupus nephritis, and lifestyle strategies.the foundation hosted 29 lupus & you empowerment conferences, attracting more than 1,500 in-person attendees, 41% of whom were new to the organization. Conferences provided education, support, and opportunities for research engagement. Additionally, the lupus & you: answers, advocacy, action webinar series reached nearly 7,900 individuals through live and recorded sessions. Self-management education continued to grow through the self (strategies to embrace living with lupus fearlessly) program, now delivered via mobile app. In 2025, more than 5,200 individuals registered for the app, with 1,200 monthly active users. Complementary tools included a peer self-management pilot program, printed guides, and a health care…
$4,474,306 spent36% of program spendingProfessional relations and education:the foundation's advocacy efforts delivered historic funding gains. During the national lupus advocacy summit, more than 350 advocates conducted nearly 200 meetings on capitol hill. These efforts contributed to securing $27 million in lupus-specific federal funding for fy2026 the highest ever approved in a single year. Funding allocations included:- $14 million for the cdc's national lupus patient registry- $10 million for the department of defense lupus research program- $3 million for the office of minority health's lupus training and outreach initiatives- $49.7 billion overall for the national institutes of health, the world's largest public funder of lupus researchthe foundation also advanced patient-centered drug development by contributing to fda patient focused drug development guidance, and it engaged in federal and state advocacy to eliminate restrictive insurance practices such as step therapy and co-pay accumulators. The foundation also mobilized a network of more than 40,000 grassroots advocates nationwide.through leadership of the maprx coalition, representing more than 60 national patient organizations, the foundation worked to…
$2,265,504 spentof which $408,638 as grants$21,285 earned by the program18% of program spendingNetwork support and services:the foundation's national network of chapters, ambassadors, and support groups continued to expand. More than 200 trained national ambassadors provided peer education and outreach. The organization supported more than 45 national support groups with expanded offerings for men, youth under 25, hispanic/latino communities, asian communities, caregivers, and black/african american women. Both in-person and virtual formats increased accessibility. Six new national and eight new regional support groups launched, and 142 facilitators completed training, with 94% reporting readiness to lead. More than 90% of participants reported increased support, improved knowledge, and reduced isolation. The lupusconnect online community grew to 27,416 members.community fundraising and engagement remained strong. The foundation held 29 walk to end lupus now events nationwide and a virtual celebration for broader participation. The virtual 6 challenge provided flexible engagement opportunities. Game on! To end lupus, a three-day livestream fundraising event, engaged more than 188 content creators and surpassed the $1 million milestone in cumulative fundraising.
$408,272 spentof which $10,000 as grants$92,126 earned by the program3% of program spendingResearch:recent therapeutic advances have significantly improved outcomes for people with lupus, with approximately 97 percent of patients now living at least five years after diagnosis. Despite this progress, continued research is essential to enhance quality of life and deepen understanding of the disease. The lupus foundation of america anchors its research efforts in three interconnected priorities: advancing clinical care, expanding equitable access to care, and accelerating drug development. A cornerstone initiative is the addressing lupus pillars for health advancement (alpha) project, a global, multi-phase effort to identify urgent unmet needs in lupus care. In 2025, alpha expanded its focus to patient-provider communication and barriers to high-quality care. The team conducted a review of more than 2,300 articles, developed a decision-making framework, and held focus groups with individuals living with lupus to better understand treatment challenges. These efforts led to the creation of a prototype shared decision-making toolavailable in paper and mobile formatsto help patients better understand treatment options and collaborate effectively with providers.a roadmap…
$403,757 spent$1,063,494 earned by the program3% of program spending
The 5 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $12,526,704.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2022 to 2023, from $9.8M to $16M (+58%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2017 13% · 2018 7% · 2019 8% · 2020 11% · 2021 16% · 2022 17% · 2023 17% · 2024 14% · 2025 16%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
88% of LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC’s revenue is contributions — more reliant on donations than three-quarters of its peers (7% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 4 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Louise Vetter President
Chief executive officer
Board chair
Joseph A Arnold Esq
Chair
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
The chief executive listed changed between the FY2018 and FY2019, and between the FY2023 and FY2024 filings.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 48 funders to 89 funders, grant income rose $1.2M → $1.5M.
26 of 238 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 34% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
Left out of every figure on this page: $3.9M from 2 payers (the payer shares this organization's board, largest Lupus America Communities). These are real filings, and they are not money LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC raised.
From the IRS filings of LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 238 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 13% of grant income, and it takes 6 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 6 funders to its left
75% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 25% · 2018 31% · 2019 37% · 2020 29% · 2021 36% · 2022 11% · 2023 15% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
37% of LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 51% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC draws 75% of its grant income from funders outside Washington, D.C., across 35 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $3.8M arriving through sponsors registered in 17 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC holds deeper cash reserves than three-quarters of the 2,969 health nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 2,969 health nonprofits $10M–$100M, FY2025
Government funding LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $15.9M on record.
- Department of Health and Human Services$15.9M
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Washington, D.C.
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
75% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
93%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 39 states
Part of a family of 1 related entity
- Lupus America Communities · exempt
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC?
- LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC (Washington, D.C.) receives grants from 238 organizations whose IRS filings report $11,214,135 to it, the largest being PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA ($1,500,350). 122 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC have?
- IRS filings report 238 organizations giving $11,214,135 in grants to LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC, 122 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC?
- PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA is the largest funder on record, with $1,500,350 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INC find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Washington, D.C.. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 238 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 22, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing