What MND Association does

The MND Association (legal name: Motor Neurone Disease Association; charity number 294354) is a UK-wide registered charity founded on 6 October 1979 in Northampton, England, providing care, support, and research funding for people affected by Motor Neurone Disease (MND) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its service portfolio includes the MND Connect Helpline (5,252 calls answered in 2025), Benefits Advice, Voice Banking and Communication Aids, Financial Support Funds (over £4 million in grants in 2025), Wheelchair Support, Bereavement Support, an Online Forum, 22 care networks, home visits by trained Association Visitors, and educational resources for healthcare professionals. The organisation is supported by a wholly-owned trading subsidiary, Motor Neurone Disease (Sales) Ltd, which handles commercial activities including merchandise.

The Association operates a research funding programme with a £21.5 million portfolio across more than 120 grants involving 250+ researchers, and in 2025 awarded 53 new grants totalling £14.9 million, including the £4.25 million MND Collaborative Partnership with six UK universities. It hosts the annual International Symposium on ALS/MND, the largest medical and scientific conference in the field, attracting over 1,600 researchers globally. Its digital platform combines a website (1 million+ annual visits), an online forum, the MND Register, and the TiM-R remote research participation platform, alongside accessible voice-preservation and communications-aid technology and the MND Think Tank collaboration with technology companies.

The Association's revenue model is a diversified charity income stack comprising individual donations and fundraising, recurring membership subscriptions (13,000+ members), legacies and bequests, merchandise sales via the trading subsidiary, corporate partnerships, and grants from charitable trusts and foundations. Operating with 300 paid staff and 1,300+ active volunteers, the organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees under the leadership of Chief Executive Tanya Curry, with a senior team recruited heavily in 2024-2025 to professionalise research, fundraising, and people functions. Services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, and the Association is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and compliant with UK GDPR.

Name

MND Association

Legal name

Motor Neurone Disease Association

Website

https://mndassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The MND Association is the UK-wide charity (founded 1979, Northampton) providing free care, support, and research funding for people affected by Motor Neurone Disease across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, serving patients, families, carers, healthcare professionals and researchers through 22 care networks, a national helpline, a £21.5m research portfolio, and the annual International Symposium on ALS/MND.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Neurological Disease Charity Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Neurogenetics & Rare Neurologic Diseases (HLAKAIAO), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) & Mental Health Programs (BPADAIAK), Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

Keywords

• Motor neurone disease support
• Charity care services
• Neurological research funding
• Volunteer-led healthcare
• Patient advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Northampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, one-off and regular giving, campaign contributions, and fundraising event participation.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions providing access to Thumbprint magazine, local newsletters, and member benefits.
3. Legacies and Bequests: Gifts left in wills by supporters who have committed to the cause.
4. Merchandise and Shop: Online shop selling branded merchandise, with proceeds supporting the charity's work.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate fundraising partnerships and sponsorships with businesses.
6. Trusts and Foundations: Funding applications to charitable trusts and foundations for specific projects and research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The MND Association is a UK registered charity (charity number 294354) providing care, support, research funding, and campaigning for people affected by motor neurone disease (MND) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Core offerings include the MND Connect Helpline, Benefits Advice Service, Voice Banking and Communication Aids, Financial Support Funds, Wheelchair Support, 22 Care Centres and Networks, home visits by trained volunteers, an online forum, and bereavement support. The Association funds a £21.5 million research portfolio across more than 120 grants and hosts the annual International Symposium on ALS/MND.

Product overview

The MND Association offers a unified suite of support services for people affected by Motor Neurone Disease in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The core portfolio includes the MND Connect Helpline (answering over 5,200 calls annually), Benefits Advice Service, Voice Banking and Communication Aids, Financial Support Funds (over £4 million in grants in 2025), and Wheelchair Support. These are complemented by direct care services including 22 Care Centres and Networks, Home Visits through trained Association Visitors, an Online Forum community, and Bereavement Support. The Association also operates awareness and education programmes through the annual International Symposium on ALS/MND, MND Matters Podcast, Thumbprint Magazine (quarterly publication), Story Hub, Online Courses for professionals, the MND Register, and TiM-R remote research platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MND Connect Helpline
• Benefits Advice Service
• Voice Banking and Communication Aids
• Financial Support Funds
• Wheelchair Support
• Home Visits (Association Visitors)
• Care Centres and Networks
• Online Forum
• Bereavement Support
• International Symposium on ALS/MND
• MND Register
• TiM-R (Remote Research Platform)
• Online Courses for Professionals

Quantifiable outcome

• 53 new research grants totalling £14.9 million awarded in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MND Collaborative Partnership (Six UK Universities)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022£4.25 million grant awarded to six UK universities to kick-start a UK-wide collaborative research effort into MND. The partnership aims to find treatments for MND within years, not decades, by addressing problems hindering research progress.
• International Alliance of ALS/MND AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMND Association is a member of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, a global network connecting MND organizations worldwide. The Alliance coordinates Global MND Awareness Day and facilitates international collaboration in the fight against MND.
• Money and Pension Service (MAPS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MAPS to provide a comprehensive financial wellbeing programme for staff and volunteers, including tips, guides, tools, and access to one-to-one debt advice through their Money Helper initiative.
• MND Think Tank (Tech Companies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with technology companies from around the world to find technology solutions for real-life problems faced by people living with MND, as part of the Association's 'Every day with MND counts' promise.
• JustGiving and GoDonateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party fundraising platforms through which independent event organisers and supporters can process donations to the Association.
• Kings College London (Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership with leading MND researcher Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi from Kings College London, part of the Association's £21.5 million research portfolio.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Alzheimer's Research UK: UK charity funding research into Alzheimer's and other dementias, including co-occurring frontotemporal dementia in MND. Comparable research-funding operating model within the broader neurodegenerative disease space.
• Parkinson's UK: UK charity supporting people with Parkinson's, another progressive neurodegenerative disease. Closely comparable in mission structure (research funding, care networks, helpline, advocacy) but operates at much larger scale across a different (though related) disease.
• Marie Curie: UK charity supporting people with terminal illnesses including MND through hospice care, nursing services, and a support line. Comparable in providing end-of-life and serious-illness support services relevant to MND patients.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: One of the UK's largest disease-specific charities, providing information, financial support, and care services to people with cancer. Comparable operating model (helpline, benefits advice, financial grants, care network coordination) at much larger scale across a different disease.
• Muscular Dystrophy UK: UK charity focused on muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions, including some MND-adjacent disorders. Comparable in disease-category research and patient-support model; broader neuromuscular remit than MND Association's exclusive MND focus.

Direct peers

• International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations: Global umbrella network of which MND Association is a member, coordinating Global MND Awareness Day and international collaboration. Directly comparable as the convening body for the global MND/ALS nonprofit ecosystem.
• The ALS Association (US): The largest US nonprofit dedicated to ALS (the American terminology for MND), funding research, care services, and advocacy. Closely comparable mission, service mix (care, research, advocacy), and patient population to MND Association, but operating in the US.
• ALS Society of Canada: Canadian national ALS charity funding research and supporting patients. Same disease focus and three-part mission (research, support, advocacy) as MND Association; comparable in scope but operating in Canada.
• MND Scotland: Scotland's national MND charity, providing direct support, research funding, and care services for people with motor neurone disease. Direct peer in disease focus and service model, but operates exclusively in Scotland rather than the rest of the UK.

Others

• British Heart Foundation: One of the UK's largest medical-research charities, competing for the same charity-research donor pool. Not disease-comparable, but relevant as a benchmark UK health charity at much larger scale and as a competitor for charitable research funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mndassoc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/mndassociationofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/mndassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/mndassoc
• TikToktiktok.com/@mndassoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/motor-neurone-disease-association

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MND Association