Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

What Diabetes Research Institute Foundation does

The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1971 by parents of children with diabetes and headquartered in Hollywood/Miami, Florida. It is the sole fundraising and operational support entity for the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, with a 50+ year mission to develop a biological cure for type 1 diabetes. The foundation operates with 11–50 professional staff and a National Board of Directors chaired by Marc S. Goodman, with Robert A. Pearlman serving as President and CEO since 1993.

DRIF's core technology portfolio is built around cure-focused research rather than incremental disease management. Foundational assets include the Ricordi Method (automated islet cell isolation, invented 1986), the pancreatic organotypic slice platform with single-cell RNA sequencing, BMP-7-driven beta cell regeneration, the THR-123 regenerative peptide, intraocular islet transplantation with localized immunosuppression, and biomaterial engineering for cell protection. The DRI has been designated by NIH as one of only five centers worldwide authorized to conduct clinical islet cell transplant trials, and the program has produced durable outcomes — including insulin independence lasting more than 10 years in some patients and a Tegoprubart + islet transplant trial showing insulin independence for up to 14 months in five brittle T1D patients.

The foundation generates revenue entirely through donations and fundraising rather than product sales. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time, recurring, tribute, memorial, stock, donor-advised funds, planned giving), event fundraising (Empire Ball, Love and Hope Ball, Don Strock Diabetes Classic, Out of the Kitchen, Walk/Run/Ride, virtual campaigns), corporate partnerships (Walgreens, Carnival, Total Diabetes Supply, Diabetic Sock Club, SGD Pharma), and vehicle donations via Vehicles for Charity. Patient and family engagement is delivered through PEP Squad (a parent support community), educational resources, and clinical trial programs (BioHub, POSEIDON, VX-880, intraocular islet transplant) that provide experimental therapies at no cost to participants. Major historical funding events include a $14M+ NIH award (2004), a $10.4M JDRF grant (2000), and cumulative fundraising exceeding $100 million since inception.

Name

Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

Legal name

Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

Website

https://diabetesresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1971 that funds and supports the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami, pursuing a biological cure for type 1 diabetes through islet cell transplantation, pancreatic regeneration, and immunomodulation research, and serving T1D patients, families, and donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Research Nonprofit

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Diabetes research funding
• Islet cell transplantation
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Clinical trial management
• Type 1 diabetes research

Headquarters

HQ city

Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, including tribute gifts and memorial donations.
2. Event Fundraising: Revenue from galas, golf tournaments, walkathons, culinary events, and virtual fundraising campaigns.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorships, cause marketing, and corporate donations from business partners supporting the mission.
4. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts including life insurance policies, bequests, and gift planning options.
5. Vehicle Donations: Vehicle donation program through Vehicles for Charity with 100% of net proceeds donated.
6. Stock Donations: Donations of appreciated securities.
7. Donor Advised Funds: Donors can contribute through donor advised funds for tax-advantaged giving.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation funds and operates cure-focused type 1 diabetes research at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. It runs a portfolio of FDA-approved clinical trials in islet cell transplantation, stem cell therapies, and pancreatic regeneration, and provides patient/family support through the PEP Squad parent program, diabetes education resources, fundraising events (galas, walkathons, culinary events), and community engagement programs including Team DRI personal fundraising.

Product overview

The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that funds and supports the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The organization offers a portfolio of clinical trials for type 1 diabetes including islet cell transplantation, stem cell-derived therapies (VX-880), pancreatic regeneration approaches (THR-123/BMP-7), and the BioHub omental transplant. Beyond research, DRIF provides patient and family support through the PEP Squad parent program, educational resources covering diabetes management and school accommodations, and community engagement via the Team DRI fundraising platform and events (galas, walk/run events, culinary events). The organization also maintains the DRI Insider newsletter to keep supporters informed on cure-focused progress.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DRI Clinical Trials Program A comprehensive portfolio of FDA-approved clinical trials in islet cell transplantation, stem cell therapies, pancreatic regeneration, and immunomodulation, offered at no cost to participants with type 1 diabetes.
• Pancreatic Islet Transplantation into Anterior Chamber of Eye An interventional clinical trial transplanting pancreatic islets into the anterior chamber of the eye with localized immunosuppression via eye-drops for patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who are legally blind.
• VX-880 Stem Cell-Derived Islet Cell Therapy Trial An interventional study exploring the safety and efficacy of VX-880 (Vertex Pharmaceuticals), administered via hepatic portal vein infusion, for type 1 diabetes patients with impaired hypoglycemia awareness and severe hypoglycemia history.
• BioHub Clinical Trial (Islet Transplantation into Omentum) A clinical trial for islet cell transplantation into the omentum (abdominal lining), providing a biologically engineered site for housing transplanted insulin-producing cells.
• POSEIDON Study A clinical trial testing whether oral vitamin D and omega-3 supplements may slow or stop the immune system's attack on insulin-producing cells to preserve beta cell function in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients.
• PEP Squad (Parents Empowering Parents) A parent support program offering emotional support and practical tips from diabetes professionals and fellow parents of children with type 1 diabetes through a private Facebook group, educational resources, and monthly PEP Talk newsletters.
• Team DRI Fundraising Program A community fundraising platform enabling supporters worldwide to raise money for diabetes cure research through independent events including runs, walks, cycling, bake sales, culinary events, and golf tournaments.
• Annual Events and Galas Annual events including Walk/Run/Ride fundraising activities, Out of the Kitchen culinary events in Miami and New York, Empire Ball, Champions for Charity, Collaborate-Celebrate-Cure (C3), and Sportsmen for Charity clay shooting events.
• Diabetes Education Resources Extensive educational materials covering diabetes types, warning signs, symptoms, management tips, school resources (504 plans), diabetes classes, and resources in Spanish for people living with diabetes and their families.
• DRI Insider Newsletter A newsletter program providing supporters with cure-focused diabetes research news, updates on clinical trials, patient stories, and opportunities to engage with the DRI mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Some study participants have maintained insulin independence for more than 10 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• University of Chicago Transplant InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2025Clinical collaboration for islet cell transplants using Tegoprubart. Five patients with brittle T1D achieved insulin independence after receiving islet cell transplants paired with the novel anti-rejection drug at this institution.
• Baylor College of Medicine and Methodist HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 September 2005Texas institution that successfully performed the first islet cell transplant in Texas using islets processed and shipped from DRI, demonstrating clinical benefits of DRI's isolation and preservation technologies.
• Carnival Cruise LinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2003Longtime supporter providing $20,000 grant for Mastering Your Diabetes program and donating cruise packages for fundraising events. Sponsored events including the Love and Hope Ball.
• University of FloridamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2000Collaborating institution in the JDRF Gene Therapy Center for the Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications, combining UF's gene therapy expertise with UM's islet transplantation leadership.
• University of Miami Miller School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Diabetes Research Institute is a center of excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The foundation provides funding to support the DRI's cure-focused research programs. This is the primary research and clinical operations location.
• Bascom Palmer Eye InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on the clinical trial transplanting pancreatic islets into the anterior chamber of the eye with localized immunosuppression via eye-drops.
• Network of Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides live pancreatic slices from donors with T1D for research, enabling demonstration that regeneration pathways activated by BMP signaling remain intact in patients with type 1 diabetes.
• Corporate Partners (Various)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partners including Walgreens, Total Diabetes Supply, Diabetic Sock Club, SGD Pharma support the foundation through sponsorships, cause marketing, and donations. Companies enjoy benefits of meeting corporate responsibility objectives while supporting cure research.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• JDRF International (formerly Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation): The largest T1D-focused research foundation globally, also funding cure-focused research including islet transplantation and beta cell regeneration. Directly comparable as a nonprofit granting agency for the same scientific mission and donor population.
• American Diabetes Association: National nonprofit supporting diabetes research, advocacy, and education. Comparable in mission overlap, donor base, and research grantmaking, with DRIF researchers having received ADA awards including the Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award.
• Joslin Diabetes Center: Harvard-affiliated diabetes research and clinical care center affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Directly comparable as an integrated research, clinical, and education institution focused on diabetes cure and management.

Others

• Helmsley Charitable Trust: Major private foundation with a significant diabetes-focused grantmaking program. Comparable as a high-capacity philanthropic funder shaping the diabetes research funding landscape that DRIF operates within.

Regional players

• Diabetes UK: Leading UK charity funding diabetes research, awareness, and support. Comparable mission and structure but operates primarily in the UK rather than competing head-to-head with DRIF in the US donor market.
• Diabetes Canada: Canada's national diabetes charity funding research and providing services. Comparable in mission and nonprofit structure, but operates in Canada rather than directly competing with DRIF for US donors.

Emerging players

• Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus-affiliated center for T1D research and clinical care. Comparable as an integrated research-clinical center specializing in type 1 diabetes, particularly pediatric populations.
• Beyond Type 1: Younger nonprofit focused on T1D education, advocacy, and grantmaking with strong digital engagement. Comparable as a competing nonprofit for the same T1D donor and community segment, though smaller in research funding scale.
• Vanderbilt Diabetes Center: Vanderbilt University Medical Center's diabetes research and clinical program. Comparable as an academic medical center conducting cure-focused diabetes research including islet transplantation, but with broader institutional scope.

Broad incumbents

• City of Hope: Major NCI-designated comprehensive cancer and diabetes research center. Comparable as a research institution running islet transplantation and beta cell regeneration programs, but with a broader mandate and larger scale than DRIF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Diabetes_DRI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/theBestHope4aCure?ob=5
• Facebookfacebook.com/DiabetesResearchInstituteFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/diabetesresearch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Diabetes Research Institute Foundation