The John Ritter Foundation For Aortic Health

What The John Ritter Foundation For Aortic Health does

Founded in 2003 by Amy Yasbeck weeks after actor John Ritter died from a misdiagnosed thoracic aortic dissection, The John Ritter Foundation For Aortic Health is a Los Angeles-headquartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 26-0073309) operating three integrated verticals: (1) research funding, anchored by the John Ritter Research Program in Aortic and Vascular Diseases at UTHealth Houston under Dr. Dianna Milewicz (1,500+ families enrolled, with data contributing to the 2022 AHA/ACC Guidelines); (2) patient and clinical education, including the Ritter Rules guidebook (refreshed in 2025), Aorta Academy virtual library, an AORTA IQ knowledge assessment, and the RITTER SCORE clinical decision rule co-developed with the American College of Emergency Physicians; and (3) community support, primarily through the Aorta Advocates peer-mentoring program launched October 2023 (750+ individuals supported). The foundation also runs a multi-channel awareness operation including Aortic Dissection Awareness Week (annually September 14–20), the Evening from the Heart LA gala, and Team Ritter's TCS New York City Marathon team.

The technology stack is research-oriented rather than commercial: JRF funds two AI/ML research projects — a thoracic aortic dissection prediction framework combining CT imaging, EHR data, and genetic variants (under Tooraj Mirshahi, PhD) and the AortaGPT facial-recognition tool for genetic aortic disease (under Siddharth Prakash, MD, PhD) — and the RITTER SCORE clinical decision rule for emergency-department diagnosis. None of these AI tools has been launched as a commercial product; all are research-stage. Educational and support offerings are distributed through the foundation website, YouTube, social channels, in-person events, and direct peer-matching. The organization has 1–10 employees based at 11901 Santa Monica Blvd #410, Los Angeles.

Revenue is raised entirely through individual donations, event fundraising, and external research grants — no commercial product sales. FY2025 reported total budget of $1,383,316 (programs 79.87%, administration 11.21%, fundraising 8.92%), with nearly $1.5M raised across the year and cumulative funded research exceeding $1.5M over 20 years. All resources, educational materials, and peer-support services are provided free of charge to patients and families. Recipients span four segments — aortic patients and survivors and caregivers/family members as primary audiences, with medical professionals and the general public/donor base as secondary audiences. The foundation is governed by an independent board (including Ritter family members Jason Ritter, Tyler Ritter, and Carly Ritter Rappold) and has been recognized with Charity Navigator four-star status (2024) and Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (2025).

Name

The John Ritter Foundation For Aortic Health

Legal name

The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health

Website

https://johnritterfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2003 after actor John Ritter's death from aortic dissection, that funds thoracic aortic research (including AI/ML projects), provides free patient and clinical education, and operates a peer-support program for patients, caregivers, and medical professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Health Advocacy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Aortic health advocacy
• Thoracic aortic research
• Patient peer support
• Genetic disease studies
• Health awareness education

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation receives donations from individuals who support the mission to prevent aortic dissections through research, education, and advocacy.
2. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from events including galas, marathons, golf tournaments, and community fundraising activities.
3. Research Grants: Funding received from external sources to support thoracic aortic research programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The John Ritter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds thoracic aortic disease research, provides free educational resources such as the Ritter Rules guidebook, operates the Aorta Advocates peer support program, and runs awareness campaigns to prevent deaths from aortic dissection. Its offerings center on the John Ritter Research Program at UTHealth, peer connections for patients and families, and community fundraising events including the Evening from the Heart LA gala and Team Ritter marathon participation.

Product overview

The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of educational, advocacy, and research programs centered on thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection awareness. Core offerings include the Ritter Rules patient guidebook (recently refreshed in 2025 with AHA/ACC alignment), the Aorta Advocates peer support program, Aorta Academy virtual educational resources, and the John Ritter Research Program (JRRP) genetic study. The foundation also hosts annual events including the Evening from the Heart LA gala, Run for Aortic Health 5K/10K, and Team Ritter marathon participation. Funded research includes AI/ML projects (AortaGPT facial recognition, dissection prediction framework) though these remain in development. All resources and programs work together toward the foundation's mission of preventing unnecessary suffering from aortic dissection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ritter Rules Educational guidebook providing actionable rules for patients and families to recognize, treat, and prevent thoracic aortic dissection, updated in 2025 to align with AHA/ACC Guidelines.
• Aorta Advocates Peer support program connecting aortic patients, caregivers, and bereaved family members with trained volunteer advocates who have personal experience with aortic disease.
• John Ritter Research Program (JRRP) Genetic research study conducted at UTHealth Houston investigating genes causing thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection; enrolls families remotely with over 1,500 families enrolled as of 2023.
• Aorta Academy Virtual library of educational resources including webinars, fact sheets, and on-demand content from aortic experts for patients and medical professionals.
• Life with Aortic Disease: Caring for Your Mental Health Free downloadable book addressing mental health challenges for aortic patients including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and resources for accessing therapy and support; over 100,000 copies distributed.
• AORTA IQ Interactive quiz tool helping users assess their aortic health knowledge and learn about risk factors and warning signs.
• Thoracic Aortic Disease in the Black Community Educational initiative addressing disproportionate impact of aortic disease on Black Americans, including resources on hypertension management and family medical history.
• Thoracic Aortic Research Impact Grants Research grant program funding projects to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of thoracic aortic disease; includes grants for AI/ML tools and clinical trials.
• Aortic Dissection Awareness Week Annual awareness campaign held September 14-20 featuring educational content, community meetups, webinars, and social media engagement to raise awareness of aortic dissection.
• Team Ritter Running team program participating in TCS NYC Marathon and other races to raise awareness and funds for thoracic aortic disease research; has raised $175K.
• Evening from the Heart LA Annual gala event in Los Angeles raising funds for aortic health research and celebrating the aortic disease community.
• Run for Aortic Health Annual 5K/10K walk/run event in Fort Worth, TX building awareness and funding vital research for aortic aneurysm and dissection.

Named customers3 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

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• The Marfan FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2025Collaborative partnership during Aortic Dissection Awareness Week 2025 to share educational information and the STAT acronym (Suspect, know the signs; Time is critical; Aortic imaging saves lives; Talk about it). Both organizations share resources and educational content about aortic disease.
• Think AortacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2025Partner during Aortic Dissection Awareness Week 2025 to spread awareness about aortic dissection signs and prevention through shared educational content.
• Aortic HopecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2025Collaborative partner during Aortic Dissection Awareness Week 2025, sharing the STAT acronym and educational resources about aortic dissection awareness.
• GADA CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2025International partner during Aortic Dissection Awareness Week 2025, collaborating to share aortic health education across borders.
• Rock from the HeartcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2025Partner during Aortic Dissection Awareness Week 2025 to amplify aortic health awareness message through shared educational content.
• Loeys Dietz Syndrome FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2025Partner during Aortic Dissection Awareness Week 2025 to raise awareness about aortic disease and share educational resources.
• Pluto TV and DLT EntertainmentnotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Collaborated for live staged reading of Three's Company episode at Evening from the Heart LA gala, featuring celebrities including Kaley Cuoco, Adam Devine, and original stars.
• American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership on a two-year research project to derive the RITTER SCORE, a clinical decision rule for diagnosing Acute Aortic Dissection in emergency departments. The goal is to reduce the current 1 in 4 missed cases rate.
• Montalcino Aortic ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational registry of individuals with pathogenic variants in hereditary thoracic aortic disease genes. JRF's Chief Science Officer presents at biennial scientific meetings and leads discussions on translating research into clinical care.
• University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome of the John Ritter Research Program in Aortic and Vascular Diseases under Dr. Dianna Milewicz's direction. Over 1,500 families enrolled in genetic research study.
• Johnson & SekinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWebsite donated by Johnson & Sekin to support the foundation's mission.
• Mended Hearts, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with The Mended Hearts, Inc. on Aortic Dissection: Early Detection Saves Lives initiative to improve early diagnosis and save lives through shared education.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Organization for Rare Disorders: US umbrella advocacy organization for rare diseases, including certain aortic and connective tissue conditions. Comparable patient-advocacy and education remit at a broader scale.
• American Heart Association: Largest US cardiovascular nonprofit, funding broad heart and stroke research including aortic disease. Not a niche competitor but a benchmark incumbent shaping the guidelines (e.g., 2022 AHA/ACC aortic disease guidelines) that JRF aligns to.
• Mended Hearts: Larger national nonprofit providing peer-to-peer support for heart disease patients and families. Broader cardiovascular focus but overlaps on patient advocacy and peer support; also a JRF partner.

Regional players

• British Heart Foundation: Major UK cardiovascular research and awareness charity. Comparable nonprofit model combining research funding, public education, and patient support, but operating primarily in a different geography.
• GADA Canada: Canadian nonprofit focused on genetic aortic disease awareness and education. Comparable mission with a primarily Canada-focused footprint; confirmed JRF international partner.

Direct peers

• The Marfan Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to Marfan syndrome and related connective tissue disorders, many of which involve aortic complications. Closely aligned mission around genetic aortic disease awareness, research funding, and patient support, and an explicit JRF partner.
• Rock from the Heart: Nonprofit raising awareness of aortic disease through music and community events. Closely comparable awareness-and-fundraising model and a confirmed JRF partner.
• Think Aorta: Campaign focused on raising awareness of aortic dissection among patients and clinicians. Highly comparable awareness-and-education remit and confirmed JRF partner during Aortic Dissection Awareness Week.
• Aortic Hope: Patient- and family-focused nonprofit providing support, education, and community for those affected by aortic disease. Direct overlap with JRF's Aorta Advocates program and awareness mission; also a confirmed JRF partner.
• Loeys Dietz Syndrome Foundation: Foundation supporting patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder with high aortic dissection risk. Comparable research-funding, patient-support, and awareness model; also a JRF partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xthreads.net/@johnritterfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiPlWXRU3KPw_JlNTxshkCQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/JohnRitterFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/johnritterfoundation?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-john-ritter-foundation-for-aortic-health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The John Ritter Foundation For Aortic Health