What Migraine Research Foundation does

The Migraine Research Foundation (MRF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York. It is the only charitable foundation focused exclusively on funding innovative migraine research, with a stated commitment that 100% of donations go directly to research grants because operating expenses are underwritten by its Board of Directors. Since inception, MRF has awarded 76 research grants supporting 98 investigators across 12 countries, spanning basic science, genetics, pediatric migraine, and novel treatment development including work on endocannabinoids, inhaled cannabis, status migrainosus, and CGRP-related mechanisms.

MRF's offerings consist of a core Research Grants Program, the higher-profile Impact Awards for large-scale innovative studies, and supporting resource services including a Find a Doctor directory, migraine education content, news and announcements, a "Migraine Stories" community platform, and a fundraising toolkit for supporters. Notable award vehicles include the Thomas E. Heftler Migraine Research Award (for outstanding young researchers), the Heller Family Impact Award, the Werber Family Grant (for whole-genome sequencing twin studies), and the "For Our Children" pediatric grant line. Marketing and donor acquisition are driven by community fundraising events, the official TCS NYC Marathon charity partnership, and corporate sponsorships, with Amgen serving as Champion Corporate Partner since 2019.

The foundation operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and does not sell products or services. All revenue is derived from charitable contributions, fundraising events, and corporate partnerships, with no disclosed financial figures. The served population is large but non-paying in the commercial sense: migraine affects 39 million Americans and roughly 1 billion people worldwide, generating an estimated $36 billion annually in U.S. healthcare and lost productivity costs, against which NIH funding allocated only about $0.50 per sufferer in 2017 — a gap MRF is organized to address.

Name

Migraine Research Foundation

Legal name

Migraine Research Foundation

Website

https://migraineresearchfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Migraine Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2006 that funds innovative migraine research, with 100% of donations directed to grants. It has awarded 76 grants supporting 98 investigators across 12 countries and serves the global migraine patient community through research funding and educational resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Health Research Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Migraine research grants
• Nonprofit health foundation
• Headache research funding
• Medical research grants
• Pediatric migraine research

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. 100% of all donations received go directly to fund migraine research grants. The organization does not generate revenue from products or services; it relies entirely on charitable contributions from donors to fund its research grant programs.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Migraine Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises charitable donations to fund migraine research grants and provides educational resources to migraine sufferers. Since 2006, it has awarded 76 research grants supporting 98 investigators across 12 countries, with 100% of donations going directly to research because operating expenses are covered by the Board of Directors. Complementing its grantmaking, the foundation maintains a doctor directory, migraine resources, news updates, community stories, and fundraising programs such as TCS NYC Marathon charity entries.

Product overview

The Migraine Research Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 that operates as a single-purpose research funding organization. Its core offerings consist of the MRF Research Grants Program (which has awarded 76 grants supporting 98 investigators in 12 countries), the MRF Impact Awards for large-scale innovative studies, and various resource services including a Find a Doctor directory, migraine resources and links, news/announcements, and a community platform for sharing migraine stories. The organization does not operate a technology product platform but instead serves as a funding and information distribution organization with 100% of donations directed to migraine research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MRF Research Grants Program Grant funding program awarding research grants to investigators studying migraine causes, treatments, and potential cures; since 2006, MRF has awarded 76 grants supporting 98 investigators in 12 countries.
• MRF Impact Awards Large-scale research funding initiative for innovative migraine studies that could impact treatment immediately, designed for research too innovative to get funding through mainstream channels.
• Find a Doctor Resource Directory of certified headache specialists, children's headache doctors, and comprehensive headache centers to help migraine sufferers find appropriate medical care.
• Migraine Resources and Links Educational resources including headache/migraine organizations, prescription payment assistance programs, headache tracking tools, apps, and helpful websites and blogs.
• MRF News and Announcements Updates on new research from MRF grantees, events, announcements, and migraine-related news from around the world.
• Migraine Stories Community platform for migraine sufferers to share personal experiences and connect with others who understand the challenges of living with migraine.
• Fundraising Platform Tools and resources for supporters to fundraise for migraine research, including TCS NYC Marathon guaranteed race entries and volunteer opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94 researchers funded in 12 countries since 2006
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AmgenflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Amgen serves as MRF's Champion Corporate Partner, sharing MRF's passion for providing hope, help, and healing for the 39 million American migraine sufferers and supporting MRF's mission of funding innovative research

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Dysautonomia International: Smaller U.S. nonprofit funding autonomic-disorder research and patient advocacy; comparable in grassroots grantmaking model and donor-fundraising GTM in adjacent chronic-disease niches.
• Cluster Headache Research Foundation: Smaller U.S. nonprofit funding research specifically for cluster headache; comparable in disease-specific grantmaking model and donor psychology, though narrower disease focus.

Direct peers

• American Migraine Foundation: U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing migraine research and patient education; closest direct peer to MRF given shared migraine-specific mission, donor base overlap, and patient-resource offerings.
• National Headache Foundation: Long-standing U.S. patient-facing headache/migraine nonprofit providing education, physician directories, and advocacy; directly comparable in disease focus, mission, and resource-driven GTM.
• Migraine Trust: U.K.-based migraine charity funding research and providing patient support; directly comparable in funding model, disease focus, and resource offerings, with geographic complementarity.

Broad incumbents

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): U.S. NIH institute funding migraine research (cited at $0.50 per sufferer); comparable as the largest institutional funder MRF complements, and a potential channel for follow-on funding of MRF grantees.
• American Brain Foundation: U.S. neurology-focused nonprofit funding research across brain diseases including migraine; comparable as a neurology grantmaking peer that competes for similar donor dollars.
• Epilepsy Foundation: Large U.S. disease-specific nonprofit funding neurology research and patient resources; comparable as a mature disease-research funder that anchors the playbook MRF may follow as it scales grantmaking.
• International Headache Society: Global membership organization for headache clinicians and researchers running international congresses and journals; comparable as a higher-tier global umbrella body serving many of the same investigators MRF funds across its 12 countries.
• American Headache Society: Professional society for clinicians and researchers in headache medicine; comparable because it serves the same migraine clinician/research community MRF funds, though its mission is professional rather than grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MigraineRF
• Facebookfacebook.com/migraineresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/migraine-research-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Migraine Research Foundation