Arthritis National Research Foundation

What Arthritis National Research Foundation does

Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research foundation founded in 1952 and headquartered in Irvine, California. Its core function is providing research grant funding to early-career scientists working on arthritis and related autoimmune diseases, addressing a documented funding gap for promising research and the career-establishment challenges faced by investigators entering the field. ANRF's stated impact metrics indicate that 98% of its grantees remain in science and over 87% of awardees secure follow-on funding for their ANRF-originated projects.

ANRF's product surface is organized around a small number of distinct offerings. The central product is the Research Grants Program, awarded through a website-based application process with review by a Scientific Advisory Board and approval by the Board of Directors. The foundation also operates Immune Boost Capital, a wholly-owned evergreen venture fund that provides proof-of-concept capital to early-stage therapies, diagnostics, and technologies for immune-mediated diseases, with 100% of returns reinvested into research. Supporting products include the "In the Rheum" podcast, a clinical trials information hub, the "60 Minutes to Save Millions" virtual fundraising event, and the annual Arthritis and Lupus Awareness Month campaign. ANRF's Scientific Advisory Board is composed of former ANRF grant recipients, creating a self-reinforcing review ecosystem.

The foundation operates on a donation-driven revenue model. Income is generated through individual donations, tribute gifts, matched giving campaigns (including a 1:1 match on its May 15, 2026 Day of Giving), and event ticket sales ($30 per ticket for the 2026 virtual fundraiser). ANRF markets through a multi-channel approach spanning social media (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube), its curearthritis.org website, email, webinars, and celebrity/athlete partnerships. Geographic focus is the United States, and the foundation states that 2026 represents the largest investment and most grantees in its history, with record research funding applications received.

Name

Arthritis National Research Foundation

Legal name

Arthritis National Research Foundation

Website

https://curearthritis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arthritis National Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides grant funding to early-career scientists researching arthritis and autoimmune diseases, while operating Immune Boost Capital, an evergreen venture fund reinvesting all returns into immune-related research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Medical Research Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Arthritis research funding
• Biomedical research grants
• Nonprofit research foundation
• Autoimmune disease research
• Medical research grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ANRF raises funds through individual donations, tribute gifts in honor of others, and special giving campaigns such as matched giving days. The foundation operates with 100% of returns from its Immune Boost Capital venture fund reinvested into arthritis and autoimmune disease research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ANRF provides research grant funding to early-career scientists conducting research on arthritis and autoimmune diseases, with the goal of advancing treatments and finding cures. The foundation also operates Immune Boost Capital, an evergreen venture fund that invests in early-stage autoimmune disease therapeutics and diagnostics, reinvesting 100% of returns to sustain ongoing research funding.

Product overview

The Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF) operates as a research funding organization rather than a traditional product company. ANRF's primary offerings include research grants for early-career scientists focused on arthritis and autoimmune diseases, an evergreen venture fund called Immune Boost Capital that supports early-stage therapeutics and diagnostics, virtual fundraising events like '60 Minutes to Save Millions', annual awareness campaigns including Arthritis and Lupus Awareness Month, and educational resources such as the 'In the Rheum' podcast and clinical trials information hub. The foundation's model reinvests all returns from its venture fund to sustain continuous innovation in immune-related disease research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Grants Program ANRF's core research grant program that funds early-career scientists conducting research to improve treatments and find a cure for arthritis and related autoimmune diseases, supporting researchers in establishing sustainable research careers. Applications are submitted through the website and reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board.
• Immune Boost Capital ANRF's evergreen venture fund that supports early-stage autoimmune disease therapeutics and diagnostics by providing proof-of-concept capital and reinvesting 100% of returns to sustain innovation in immune-related disease research.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of ANRF grantees stay in science
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arthritis Foundation: The largest U.S. nonprofit focused on arthritis, funding research, advocacy, and patient programs. Directly comparable to ANRF in mission area and donor base, but at substantially larger scale.
• National Psoriasis Foundation: Funds psoriatic disease and psoriatic arthritis research while running patient advocacy programs. Comparable nonprofit grantmaking model for a specific autoimmune condition overlapping ANRF's research scope.
• Lupus Research Alliance: Largest nonprofit funder of lupus research worldwide, with a similar grantmaking model focused on autoimmune disease. Comparable in disease-specific focus and early-career funding strategy.
• Sjögren's Foundation: Disease-specific nonprofit funding Sjögren's research, explicitly listed among ANRF's focus areas. Comparable mission, donor base, and grantmaking structure.
• Scleroderma Foundation: Nonprofit supporting scleroderma research and patients. Operates a similar grantmaking-plus-patient-services model to ANRF in an adjacent autoimmune disease area.
• Rheumatology Research Foundation: The research arm of the American College of Rheumatology, funding rheumatology research and training. Closely comparable to ANRF in funding early-career researchers studying rheumatic and autoimmune diseases.

Others

• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Disease-focused nonprofit famous for pioneering the venture philanthropy model that ANRF's Immune Boost Capital emulates. Strategically comparable as the archetype for nonprofit-led biotech investment.
• Cure SMA: Nonprofit funding spinal muscular atrophy research with a similar model combining research grants, patient education, and donor-driven fundraising. Comparable as a small, disease-specific research funding charity.

Broad incumbents

• American College of Rheumatology: Professional society for rheumatologists that runs research, training, and policy programs. Comparable as a rheumatology ecosystem incumbent, though more clinician-focused than ANRF's donor-driven model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/curearthritis
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4xxujgKx6CVExmmBrqp7JQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CureArthritis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arthritis-national-research-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/curearthritis
• Pinterestpinterest.com/curearthritis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arthritis National Research Foundation