Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation

What Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation does

The Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation (GIRF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit founded in 1961 by grateful patients and friends of Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner, a pioneer in gastroenterology. Headquartered in Highland Park, Illinois, the foundation's exclusive research partner is the University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center, where it funds clinical and laboratory research into inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer, liver disease, and the gut microbiome. Its core offerings include competitive grant programs (Annual Competitive Grant Awards, Young Investigator Awards), a Regenerative Medicine for Digestive Diseases (RMDD) program, and the CA CURE Initiative, which is focused on immunotherapies and personalized vaccines for digestive cancers.

GIRF generates revenue entirely through charitable contributions, with five primary streams: individual donations (one-time, recurring monthly, honorary, memorial), corporate matching gifts (via Double the Donation), annual fundraising events (notably the Annual Ball, which raises over $1 million per year with 500+ attendees, plus the Golf Classic and Moving the Needle educational events), planned and major gifts (starting at $25,000, including legacy giving through wills, trusts, and IRAs), and tax-efficient gifts (stock, mutual funds, donor-advised funds). Its go-to-market is community- and event-driven, supported by a multi-channel donor engagement stack: the Visceral podcast series, the Digestible: Bite-Sized Science newsletter, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), webinars, and patient support resources including gut-friendly recipes and yoga/meditation content.

The foundation operates with 51-100 employees and a lean executive staff led by Executive Director Jackie Casey (appointed 2022). Strategic recent grants include $5.4 million cumulatively to Elicio Therapeutics for cancer vaccine research, a $500,000 grant supporting histotripsy for liver cancer at UChicago, and approximately $770,000 in combined Annual Grant Cycle and RMDD awards announced for FY2026. GIRF holds the Candid Gold Seal and GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, and in 2024 the U.S. House of Representatives introduced H.R. 8542 calling for a Congressional Gold Medal for its founder.

Name

Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation

Legal name

GI Research Foundation

Website

https://giresearchfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1961 that raises funds for digestive disease research at the University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center, distributing competitive grants, running an Annual Ball that raises over $1M annually, and producing patient education content including the Visceral podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Research Foundation

NAICS

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

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

General Gastroenterology (HLAKAEAA), Liver & GI Clinical Research (Trials Centers) (HLAKAEAL)

Keywords

• Digestive disease research
• Medical research funding
• Nonprofit foundation
• Gastroenterology research
• Grant funding programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, including monthly giving programs, honorary gifts, and memorial donations. Donations made through secure online portal.
2. Corporate Matching Gifts: Employer matching donation programs where corporations double employee charitable contributions.
3. Annual Events: Revenue from Annual Ball (over $1 million annually), Golf Classic, and other fundraising events including sponsorships.
4. Planned and Major Gifts: Legacy giving through wills, trusts, life insurance, retirement plans; major gifts of $25,000 or more; event sponsorships.
5. Tax-Efficient Gifts: Stock and mutual fund donations, IRA qualified charitable distributions (up to $100,000 annually for those 70.5+), donor-advised funds.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit that funds innovative clinical and laboratory research into digestive diseases in partnership with the University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center. Its core offerings are competitive research grant programs (Annual Competitive Grant Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Regenerative Medicine for Digestive Diseases, and the CA CURE Initiative), patient and donor education media (Visceral: Listen to Your Gut podcast, Digestible newsletter, webinars), and major fundraising events (Annual Ball, Annual Golf Classic). Support is generated through individual donations, corporate matching gifts, planned giving, and event sponsorships.

Product overview

The GI Research Foundation is a non-profit organization that functions as a research funding and patient education entity rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings include competitive grant funding programs for digestive disease research (Annual Competitive Grant Awards, Young Investigator Awards, CA CURE cancer initiative, Regenerative Medicine program), patient education resources (Visceral podcast, Digestible newsletter, webinars, Moving the Needle videos), and patient support resources (yoga/meditation, gut-friendly recipes). The Foundation also organizes fundraising events (Annual Ball, Golf Classic) and offers donor services including matching gifts. The organization partners with the University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center to fund innovative clinical and laboratory research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Visceral: Listen to Your Gut: A podcast series featuring the latest research updates and treatment options on specific digestive diseases, presented by physician-scientists and experts at the University of Chicago.

Products and services

• Annual Competitive Grant Awards Program Annual seed funding program awarding competitive grants to investigators pursuing novel digestive disease research at the University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center. For physician-scientists and researchers conducting clinical and laboratory research.
• Young Investigator Awards Awards program supporting early-career researchers, fellows, and young investigators in digestive disease research at the University of Chicago Medicine. Part of the Associates Board initiatives.
• Regenerative Medicine for Digestive Diseases (RMDD) Specialized research funding initiative supporting regenerative medicine and stem cell-based approaches for digestive diseases, including 'mini-guts' technology for inflammatory bowel disease treatment. For physician-scientists at University of Chicago Medicine.
• CA CURE Initiative Cancer cure funding initiative (Committee to AdvanCe the Understanding of High-Risk GI CancErs) focused on advancing immunotherapies and personalized vaccines for digestive cancers through rapid delivery of critical research dollars.
• Visceral: Listen to Your Gut Podcast Podcast series featuring physician-scientists and experts at the University of Chicago discussing the latest research updates and treatment options for specific digestive diseases, along with patient stories. For digestive disease patients, caregivers, and donors.
• Annual Ball Annual fundraising gala event and one of Chicago's largest fundraisers for medical research, drawing over 500 attendees and raising over $1 million annually. Includes presentation of the Joseph B. Kirsner Award. For major donors, corporate sponsors, and community supporters.
• Annual Golf Classic Annual golf charity tournament supporting the GI Research Foundation's mission to fund digestive disease research. For corporate sponsors and community donors.
• Joseph B. Kirsner Award

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual grant funding: $770K+ in FY2026, $500K+ in 2025, $600K in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elicio TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2024Backed by $5.4 million in grants from GI Research Foundation for cancer vaccines research. Prospective cancer vaccines show strong T-cell activation in animal trials with similar vaccines already in human trials. Part of CA CURE initiative for digestive cancer immunotherapy.
• RareCytecoreTechnology or Integration · 6 September 2023CA CURE initiative funded the Orion Spatial Biology Platform for GI cancer research. Used by Dr. Pashtoon Kasi at Weill Cornell Medicine for colorectal cancer immunotherapy research showing 80-90% cancer cell kill rates in small-scale study.
• Weill Cornell MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Dr. Pashtoon Kasi at Weill Cornell Medicine leading immunotherapy research for colorectal cancer using RareCyte's Orion platform funded through CA CURE initiative.
• University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1961Primary research partner since 1961. The foundation funds innovative clinical and laboratory research at the world-renowned Digestive Diseases Center, supporting physician-scientists, facilities, equipment, and research programs including the Translational Core and Regenerative Medicine program.
• Metro Infusion CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor for the Visceral podcast series. Metro Infusion Centers is part of Metro Infectious Disease Consultants with 110 physicians and over 220 infusion centers nationwide.
• CA CURE InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommittee to AdvanCe the Understanding of High-Risk GI CancErs (CA CURE) is a donor-driven initiative of GI Research Foundation that delivers critical research dollars to groundbreaking immunotherapy and personalized vaccine research for digestive cancers.
• International Bowel Ultrasound GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring widespread diagnostic use of bedside intestinal ultrasound to the United States through a multi-phase initiative at UChicago Medicine.
• ECHO ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeb-based educational forums training community healthcare providers at federally qualified health centers in diagnosis and management of hepatitis C. Has reached over 400 providers in and around Chicago.
• Crohn's and Colitis FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport letter provided by Michael Osso, President and CEO, for proposed Congressional Gold Medal recognizing Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Crohn's & Colitis Foundation: The largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's and ulcerative colitis), directly overlapping GIRF's primary research focus areas. Operates a much larger national fundraising model and provides a benchmark for GIRF's disease-specific donor engagement.
• American Liver Foundation: National nonprofit funding liver disease research, patient education, and advocacy — overlapping with GIRF's liver cancer/histotripsy and hepatitis C (ECHO Chicago) initiatives. Comparable in mission structure (research funding + patient resources) but operates at a national scale.
• Cure Crohn's Colitis (C3) Research Foundation: Smaller, disease-specific research foundation focused exclusively on IBD, Crohn's, and ulcerative colitis — directly competing for the same grateful-patient donor segment that anchors GIRF's fundraising in the IBD space.
• Celiac Disease Foundation: Disease-specific nonprofit focused on celiac disease and gluten-related digestive disorders. Comparable structure of funding research, providing patient education, and running awareness events.
• BrightFocus Foundation: Nonprofit funding research into digestive as well as vision and brain diseases, with a comparable grant-cycle structure, donor cultivation model, and disease-specific research focus.
• Colorectal Cancer Alliance: Largest national nonprofit dedicated to colorectal cancer — a key disease in GIRF's research portfolio (Elicio vaccines, Weill Cornell immunotherapy). Comparable donor-driven research funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN): Major disease-specific research funder and patient advocacy organization with a sophisticated national fundraising apparatus, often cited as the gold standard for translational research nonprofits — useful benchmark for GIRF's CA CURE initiative.
• American Cancer Society: The largest U.S. cancer research nonprofit, funding digestive cancer research among many others. Represents both a competitor for donor dollars and a benchmark for scale and infrastructure.
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Pioneering venture-philanthropy nonprofit model in disease research funding, often cited as a template for translational research funding that combines academic grants, biotech partnerships, and major-donor cultivation — relevant structural benchmark for GIRF's research funding model.
• American Gastroenterological Association (AGA): Professional society for gastroenterology that also funds digestive disease research and awards grants. A broader incumbent serving the same scientific community GIRF supports through UChicago Medicine.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzCVZPoxc_pwhXomiNXqGlQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/gastro-intestinal-research-foundation-124179210979796
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gastro-intestinal-research-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/giresearchfoundation
• Xx.com/researchgi

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments4 records

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Frequently asked questions about Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation