Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation

What Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation does

The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 1995 by philanthropists Zachary Fisher and David Rockefeller, each of whom contributed $2.5 million to build the Fisher Center Lab at The Rockefeller University. The Foundation raises charitable contributions to fund Alzheimer's research and education through an integrated portfolio that includes the Fisher Center Lab at Rockefeller under Dr. Nathaniel Heintz, the Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Alzheimer's Disease Education and Research Program at NYU Grossman School of Medicine under Dr. Martin Sadowski, and an Alzheimer's program at the Imagine Institute in Paris. It also operates the Fisher Artificial Intelligence Platform and the Fisher Drug Discovery Resource Center at Rockefeller, supports a Clinical Trials Program at NYU Langone Health, and runs the Fisher Fellows in Neuroscience graduate training program launched in 2021.

The Foundation's information arm — alzinfo.org, the Preserving Your Memory® magazine, the "Alzheimer's Research News You Can Use" biweekly newsletter, the Resource Locator tool, and Caregiver's Corner — distributes expert-reviewed content on disease understanding, caregiving, prevention, and clinical trials to patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Notably, the seven-stage Global Deterioration Scale developed by Dr. Barry Reisberg in 1982 is a globally adopted diagnostic framework; the Foundation's Neuroscience Advisory Committee includes Nobel laureates Michael W. Young and Torsten N. Wiesel.

The business model is a direct-to-consumer donation model: unrestricted, tribute, recurring, planned-giving, stock, and workplace donation streams (including Combined Federal Campaign and State Employee Charitable Campaigns) flow into research grants and education programs. Suggested donation tiers range from $25 to $500 plus custom amounts on monthly or annual cadences. The Foundation holds Charity Navigator Four-Star and top-1% ratings (15 years running) and a GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency, and it operates from a New York mailing address (FDR Station, PO Box 220) with a 1-800-ALZINFO donor and information line.

Name

Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation

Legal name

The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation

Website

https://alzinfo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1995, that raises charitable donations to fund Alzheimer's research at The Rockefeller University, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and the Imagine Institute in Paris, and distributes expert-reviewed information, caregiver resources, and the Preserving Your Memory magazine to patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alzheimer's Disease Research Nonprofit

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Alzheimer's research funding
• Nonprofit research foundation
• Caregiver support resources
• Alzheimer's disease education
• Clinical trials program

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The Foundation receives one-time and recurring donations from individual donors. Donors can give online via credit card or PayPal, by mail, by phone, or through email. Options include monthly or yearly recurring donations, tribute gifts (in honor or memory of someone), and matching gifts.
2. Planned Giving and Bequests: The Foundation accepts legacy gifts, bequests, charitable lead trusts, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance, and retirement plan donations as part of planned giving programs.
3. Stock Transfers: Donors can transfer stocks to the Foundation as charitable contributions.
4. Workplace Donations: The Foundation receives donations through workplace giving programs including Combined Federal Campaign and State Employee Charitable Campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation raises charitable donations to fund Alzheimer's disease research at the Fisher Center Lab at The Rockefeller University, the Fisher Alzheimer's Disease Education and Research Program at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and the Imagine Institute in Paris. It distributes expert-reviewed educational content, caregiver resources, clinical trial information, and a quarterly magazine (Preserving Your Memory®) to Alzheimer's patients, families, caregivers, and the general public through its website alzinfo.org. The Foundation also operates the Fisher Artificial Intelligence Platform and the Fisher Drug Discovery Resource Center, which provide Alzheimer's researchers with computational and drug discovery capabilities.

Product overview

The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation operates as a research funding organization with multiple interconnected programs and information services. Its core offerings include the Preserving Your Memory® Magazine (flagship publication), the INFOcus research insights platform, and various research programs including The Fisher Center Lab at The Rockefeller University, the Fisher Alzheimer's Disease Education and Research Program at NYU, the Fisher Artificial Intelligence Platform, and the Clinical Trials Program. The Foundation also provides support services through Caregiver's Corner and the Resource Locator tool, along with educational resources like the 7 Clinical Stages framework and clinical trial information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Preserving Your Memory Magazine: The Foundation's flagship magazine providing information about Alzheimer's research, caregiving tips, and healthy aging.

Products and services

• Preserving Your Memory® Magazine Registered-trademark quarterly publication of the Fisher Center Foundation providing articles on Alzheimer's research, healthy aging, caregiving tips, and strategies for healthy living; content is expert-reviewed for accuracy.
• INFOcus Research Insights Platform Online platform showcasing pioneering Alzheimer's research projects, scientist profiles, and breakthroughs, sharing insights into research funded by the Fisher Center Foundation.
• The Fisher Center Lab at The Rockefeller University Flagship research laboratory at The Rockefeller University, directed by Dr. Nathaniel Heintz, conducting investigations into early-stage molecular events and selective cellular vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease. Funded primarily by the Fisher Center Foundation.
• Fisher Alzheimer's Disease Education and Research Program at NYU Grossman School of Medicine Foundation-funded research program at NYU Grossman School of Medicine that aims to identify the cause of Alzheimer's, enhance patient care, and find a cure, including the Clinical Trials Program at NYU Langone Health.
• The Fisher Artificial Intelligence Platform Computational AI platform providing Alzheimer's researchers with engineering talent and technical expertise to leverage advanced artificial intelligence methods for research projects at The Rockefeller University.
• Fisher Center Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Program Clinical trials program at NYU Langone Health led by Dr. Martin Sadowski testing new Alzheimer's treatments, therapies, and patient care approaches for individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
• Fisher Drug Discovery Resource Center One of the foremost academic facilities for early-stage Alzheimer's drug development at The Rockefeller University, supporting investigations to detect, prevent, and treat the disease. Directed by Dr. Fraser Glickman.
• Fisher Fund for Translational Research Foundation grant fund supporting translational research investigations at The Rockefeller University that advance strategies to detect, prevent, and treat Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
• Caregiver's Corner Comprehensive online resource section of the Foundation providing practical information, expert insights, and proven strategies to support family and professional caregivers through every stage of the Alzheimer's caregiving journey.
• Resource Locator Online search tool that helps users locate healthcare providers and Alzheimer's-related services by category and proximity to a zip code, covering more than 30 types of providers.
• Seven Clinical Stages of Alzheimer's Framework (Global Deterioration Scale) Diagnostic and educational framework outlining seven major clinical stages of Alzheimer's disease, developed by Dr. Barry Reisberg in 1982 and used by physicians and caregiving professionals worldwide.
• Clinical Trials Information Service Online educational resource providing comprehensive information about Alzheimer's clinical trials, including participation guidelines, trial phases, protocols, and guidance on accessing ClinicalTrials.gov listings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Scientific discoveries featured in The New York Times, Nature, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• The Rockefeller University - Fisher Center LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995The majority of Foundation funding goes to the Fisher Center Lab at The Rockefeller University under Dr. Nathaniel Heintz's leadership. The lab is one of the largest and most modern scientific facilities dedicated to solving Alzheimer's disease. Founded in 1995 with $2.5 million each from Zachary Fisher and David Rockefeller.
• NYU Grossman School of Medicine - Fisher Alzheimer's Disease Education and Research ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation supports the Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Alzheimer's Disease Education and Research Program at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, led by Dr. Martin Sadowski. This includes the Clinical Trials Program and research into identifying Alzheimer's cause and enhancing patient care.
• Imagine Institute / Institute of Brain & Spine, Paris, FrancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation supports the Alzheimer's program at the Imagine Institute in Paris, France, where Dr. Olivier Hermine explores how mast cells may contribute to Alzheimer's development and treatment.
• Dr. Barry ReisbergsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Director of the Fisher Alzheimer's Disease Education and Research Program at NYU. Developed the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), the first diagnostic model to schematize Alzheimer's disease progression in seven distinct stages, used worldwide by physicians.
• Dr. Michael W. YoungsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNobel laureate serving on the Neuroscience Advisory Committee. Shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries about cellular and molecular machinery of biological clocks.
• Dr. Torsten N. WieselsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNobel laureate and neurobiologist serving on the Neuroscience Advisory Committee. Co-director of the Shelby White and Leon Levy Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior at The Rockefeller University and former president (1992-1998).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Brain Foundation: Funds research across the full spectrum of brain diseases including Alzheimer's. Comparable as a neurological research grantmaker but broader in disease scope than Fisher Center.
• Dana Foundation: Private neuroscience-focused philanthropic foundation supporting brain research and public education. Comparable as a science-grantmaking nonprofit, but covering all neuroscience rather than Alzheimer's specifically.

Direct peers

• Cure Alzheimer's Fund: Disease-specific Alzheimer's research nonprofit funding academic labs and emphasizing venture-philanthropy accountability. Closely matches Fisher Center's grantmaking model and elite-researcher focus.
• Banner Alzheimer's Foundation: Affiliated fundraising arm for Banner Alzheimer's Institute, funding clinical research and care programs. Comparable mission and partnership-with-elite-medical-center structure.
• Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF): Funds drug discovery research for Alzheimer's and related dementias, with a venture philanthropy model. Highly comparable as a research-focused grantmaking foundation operating in the same scientific and donor ecosystem.
• Alzheimer's Foundation of America: National nonprofit providing care, education, and research support for Alzheimer's patients and families. Overlaps with Fisher Center on caregiver resources and donor outreach.
• Alzheimer's Association: The largest US nonprofit dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support, and research, also funding scientific studies and providing patient/caregiver resources — directly comparable mission and donor base to Fisher Center.
• BrightFocus Foundation: Funds research and provides public education on Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Comparable as a disease-specific research grantmaker with a strong donor-funded operating model.

Emerging players

• Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer's Initiative: Fashion-industry-backed Alzheimer's research and awareness initiative. Operates in the same disease cause space with research funding and public awareness components.
• American Health Assistance Foundation (Clarity Health): Re-launched successor organization with similar mission of funding Alzheimer's research and providing caregiver education. Comparable niche-grantmaking model with smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fishercenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/ALZResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fishercenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/alzinfo

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation