The Charlie Foundation

What The Charlie Foundation does

The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1994 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California, that advances the use of ketogenic dietary therapy primarily for drug-resistant epilepsy and increasingly for adjacent metabolic and neurological conditions. Its core digital asset is the KetoDietCalculator, a web-based relational database of foods, medicines, and supplements designed by Beth Zupec-Kania in 1995 with LifeTime Computing, Inc., distributed free to clinical nutritionists and patients globally and maintained with daily updates.

The foundation monetizes primarily through charitable donations, supplemented by a small direct-to-consumer e-commerce store selling ketogenic supplies including a $92 precision digital scale, a $125 starter kit (English and Spanish versions), spatulas ($10), and Magic Grips ($4), plus free-ship US fulfillment. A secondary, indirectly monetized leg is professional training, delivered through the ketomastery.pro platform under partnership with The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, offering Continuing Professional Education for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists across Foundational, Advanced, and Psychiatric Metabolic Therapies curricula.

Distribution is community-led and educational rather than sales-led: the foundation maintains a worldwide hospital directory covering 200+ institutions with ketogenic programs across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and parts of Central/South America, alongside a vetted directory of private keto specialists. Audience reach is built on a 30-year brand anchored by the Charlie Abrahams cure story, supported by earned media including the 1997 Dateline NBC feature and "First Do No Harm" screenplay starring Meryl Streep, plus owned channels across Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and a newsletter. The organization operates with 1-10 employees, has no external funding rounds or investors, and relies on its scientific collaborators (including named researchers at Johns Hopkins, Trinity College, University of South Florida, and Creighton) for clinical credibility.

Name

The Charlie Foundation

Legal name

The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies

Website

https://charliefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Charlie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes ketogenic dietary therapy, primarily for drug-resistant epilepsy, through free patient education, a free clinical KetoDietCalculator tool, a worldwide hospital and specialist directory, and accredited healthcare professional training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ketogenic Therapy Education & Patient Support

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Eating Disorder Recovery Nutrition Support (HSADAFAM)

Keywords

• Ketogenic diet therapy
• Epilepsy treatment resources
• Medical ketogenic education
• Metabolic therapy nonprofit
• Clinical diet planning tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: The foundation operates an e-commerce store selling ketogenic diet supplies including digital scales ($92), starter kits ($125), spatulas, and other keto-related products. Products ship from their store.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Charlie Foundation is a public charity exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. They accept donations via PayPal and estate donations. All resources on the website are provided free of cost, supported by donations.
3. Professional Training (via ketomastery.pro): The foundation directs healthcare professionals to ketomastery.pro for training in ketogenic therapies. Online modules with live Q&A offer training for Foundational, Advanced, and Psychiatric Metabolic Therapies. Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEs) from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provided for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Charlie Foundation provides free education, resources, and tools supporting ketogenic diet therapies, primarily for epilepsy and other neurological/metabolic conditions. Its core offering includes the KetoDietCalculator web tool used globally by clinical nutritionists and patients, an e-commerce storefront for ketogenic supplies (digital scales, starter kits, spatulas), a worldwide directory of hospitals and private specialists offering ketogenic therapy, and educational content including recipes, research archives, and success stories. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity sustained primarily by donations.

Product overview

The Charlie Foundation operates primarily as an informational and educational nonprofit organization focused on ketogenic therapies for epilepsy and other conditions. Its core digital product is the KetoDietCalculator, a web-based diet planning tool used by nutritionists and patients globally. The organization also maintains an e-commerce store selling ketogenic diet supplies including the Ketogenic Digital Food Scale ($92.00), the Ketogenic Diet Starter Kit ($125.00), Two Mini Spatulas ($10.00), and Magic Grips ($4.00). Additionally, the foundation provides free keto recipes and maintains directories of hospitals and private keto specialists as educational resources. The product portfolio consists of one core digital tool paired with physical products and informational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KetoDietCalculator
• Ketogenic Digital Food Scale
• Ketogenic Diet Starter Kit
• Two Mini Spatulas
• Magic Grips
• Healthcare Professional Training in Ketogenic Therapies (via ketomastery.pro)

Quantifiable outcome

• Seizure reduction of at least 50% in 50% of patients
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Creighton UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2021SUDEP researchers at Creighton University School of Medicine are studying the experiences and perspectives of people who have lost a loved one to SUDEP. The Charlie Foundation shares this survey to advance their research efforts.
• Dr. Mary NewportminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Research collaborator leading understanding of ketogenic therapy for brain health and aging, featured in Charlie Foundation research archives.
• LifeTime Computing, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationCo-designer of KetoDietCalculator with Beth Zupec-Kania in 1995. LifeTime Computing developed the relational database that powers the ketogenic diet calculation tool used globally by nutritionists and patients.
• The Academy of Nutrition and DieteticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEs) for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who complete training through ketomastery.pro for ketogenic therapies.
• ketomastery.procoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline training platform for healthcare professionals including Registered Dietitians, nutritionists, physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and health coaches. Offers Foundational, Advanced, and Psychiatric Metabolic Therapies training.
• Dr. Eric Kossoff (Johns Hopkins)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor of neurology and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Key collaborator and advocate for ketogenic diets for epilepsy. Conducted surveys on scientific interest in ketogenic diet.
• Dr. Thomas SeyfriedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor and researcher, pioneer of cancer as a metabolic disease. Published 'Cancer as a Metabolic Disease' (Wiley, 2012). Featured in Charlie Foundation research content.
• Dr. Dom D'AgostinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate Professor at University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. Leading scientist developing and testing metabolic-based therapies including ketogenic diets for seizures, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and metabolic disorders.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Epilepsy Foundation of America: U.S. national voluntary health organization covering all aspects of epilepsy (diagnosis, treatment, research, advocacy), including ketogenic diet as a non-pharmacological therapy. Operates overlapping education and research-dissemination functions at significantly broader scope than Charlie Foundation.
• National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): U.S. umbrella advocacy and education organization supporting patients with rare diseases (including Dravet syndrome, the condition featured in Charlie Foundation content). Comparable as a federated rare-disease educator and grantmaker for patient-oriented resources.

Emerging players

• Vitaflo (Nestlé Health Science): Developer of medical ketogenic products including Betaquik, Liquigen and KetoVie used in clinical ketogenic diets. Sits on the supply side of the same therapeutic approach that Charlie Foundation advocates.
• Keto-Mojo: Consumer-direct keto testing products (blood glucose/ketone meters, strips) and education site focused on the broader lifestyle keto market, not medical epilepsy. Adjacent commercial competitor in patient tools and consumer keto content.
• Nutricia (Danone): Medical-nutrition manufacturer producing KetoCal and other ketogenic formulas widely prescribed in epilepsy treatment. Operates in the same ketogenic-therapy value chain but as a for-profit supplier rather than a patient-education nonprofit.
• Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health: Nonprofit research and education organization advocating metabolic (including ketogenic) approaches to cancer and other chronic diseases. Overlaps with Charlie Foundation's expansion into cancer and other indications beyond epilepsy.

Others

• American Epilepsy Society: Professional society for clinicians and researchers in epilepsy, including diet therapy workgroups. Adjacent rather than competitive; an ecosystem stakeholder that legitimates ketogenic therapy in clinical practice.
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Largest U.S. professional body for registered dietitian nutritionists, providing the CPE credits underpinning Charlie Foundation's ketomastery.pro training. An ecosystem enabler and credentialing partner rather than a competitor, but also a producer of overlapping nutrition resources.

Direct peers

• Anita Kaufmann Foundation / SUDEP Institute: Nonprofit focused on epilepsy awareness, SUDEP education, and seizure first-aid training. Shares Charlie Foundation's model of patient/parent education, school-based awareness and free digital resources, though focused on sudden death in epilepsy rather than dietary therapy.
• Matthew's Friends: UK-based nonprofit dedicated to ketogenic dietary therapies for drug-resistant epilepsy, providing patient/parent resources, professional training, and a global clinic network. Direct charitable counterpart to Charlie Foundation in the UK and internationally, with overlapping mission and stakeholder base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CharlieFndation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/charliefoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheCharlieFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/charliefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-charlie-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Charlie Foundation