The Charlie Foundation
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
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.
The Charlie Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- 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
The Charlie Foundation industry classification
Industry- 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
Where The Charlie Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Monica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Charlie Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ketogenic Digital Food Scale |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ketogenic Diet Starter Kit |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Charlie Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use The Charlie Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Charlie Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Charlie Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Creighton UniversityminorSUDEP 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 NewportminorResearch collaborator leading understanding of ketogenic therapy for brain health and aging, featured in Charlie Foundation research archives.
- LifeTime Computing, Inc.coreCo-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 DieteticscoreProvides Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEs) for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who complete training through ketomastery.pro for ketogenic therapies.
- ketomastery.procoreOnline 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)coreProfessor 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 SeyfriedminorProfessor 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'AgostinocoreAssociate 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
The Charlie Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
The Charlie Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Charlie Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Charlie Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Charlie Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Charlie Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Charlie Foundation
What does The Charlie Foundation do?
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.
Is The Charlie Foundation a public or private company?
The Charlie Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Charlie Foundation founded?
The Charlie Foundation was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Charlie Foundation based?
The Charlie Foundation is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Charlie Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions and professional Training (via ketomastery.pro).
Who are The Charlie Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Epilepsy Foundation of America and National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Emerging players are Vitaflo (Nestlé Health Science), Keto-Mojo, Nutricia (Danone) and Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health. Others are American Epilepsy Society and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Direct peers are Anita Kaufmann Foundation / SUDEP Institute and Matthew's Friends.
Does The Charlie Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Charlie Foundation.
What industry is The Charlie Foundation in?
The Charlie Foundation's product category is Ketogenic Therapy Education & Patient Support. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of HSADAFAM, Eating Disorder Recovery Nutrition Support. Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8200.