What THE BEE FOUNDATION does

The Bee Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in May 2014 by sisters Christine Kondra and Erin Kreszl in response to the death of their cousin Jennifer A. Sedney from a ruptured brain aneurysm at age 27. Headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania (303 West Lancaster Avenue #334), the foundation operates exclusively on brain aneurysm prevention through four pillars: research funding, public awareness, federal advocacy, and survivor/family support. It has funded 23+ research grants and 2 fellowships since inception to neuroscientists at institutions including UCLA, Columbia, Penn, University of Miami, Beth Israel Deaconess, Weill Cornell, Cleveland Clinic, Thomas Jefferson University, and the University of Chicago; standard research grants range from $20,000-$25,000 with a dedicated $15,000 Rita Skertich Health Equity Grant targeting Black, Hispanic, and female populations disproportionately affected by brain aneurysms.

The foundation runs an event-driven and community-led fundraising model anchored by signature events (HoneyBash Gala, Summer Golf Classic, Race Series, Winter Wine Dinner) and diversified across individual donations, corporate matching programs, peer-to-peer fundraising, merchandise sales, and vehicle donations. A network of 20+ Awareness Ambassadors (brain aneurysm survivors) and 100+ virtual support meetings power grassroots outreach, while 300+ Congressional meetings and 37 advocates on Capitol Hill in 2026 back the Ellie's Law federal research authorization push. Its technology stack is standard nonprofit infrastructure (WordPress, Bloomerang, Constant Contact, Qgiv, Shopify, Classy, Double the Donation) with no proprietary platform or AI/ML component; research is funded as external grants rather than conducted internally. The 2025 fundraising target is $800,000 against $771,000 raised year-to-date as of December 15, 2025, contributing to a cumulative $3.5 million raised since 2014.

Name

THE BEE FOUNDATION

Legal name

The Bee Foundation For Brain Aneurysm Research

Website

https://thebeefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Bee Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 that funds brain aneurysm prevention research grants, raises awareness through survivor-led community programs, advocates for federal policy including Ellie's Law, and runs virtual support groups for survivors, caregivers, and bereaved families across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Advocacy Nonprofit / Brain Aneurysm Prevention

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Brain aneurysm prevention
• Nonprofit research funding
• Health awareness advocacy
• Survivor support services
• Health equity grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation receives direct cash donations from individuals through its website donation portal, checks, and stock donations. Donors can make one-time or recurring (monthly) gifts, and participate in tribute donations in honor of loved ones affected by brain aneurysms.
2. Corporate Matching Programs: Companies match employee donations to amplify the impact of individual contributions. The foundation maintains relationships with corporate partners who participate in matching gift programs.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from signature events including galas, golf tournaments, race series, and wine dinners. Events include ticket sales, sponsorships, and participant fundraising pages.
4. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Supporters create personal fundraising pages for birthdays, weddings, athletic events, and other occasions in tribute to brain aneurysm survivors or those lost to the condition.
5. Merchandise Sales: The foundation operates a Shopify store selling TBF merchandise including awareness materials, apparel, and educational resources.
6. Vehicle Donations: Partners with Donation Line LLC to accept car, boat, truck, RV, Jet Ski, and snowmobile donations for tax-deductible contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Bee Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds and awareness to prevent brain aneurysm ruptures. Its core activities are awarding preventative brain aneurysm research grants ($15,000–$25,000), running awareness education campaigns, conducting federal advocacy for Ellie's Law and the Brain Aneurysm Awareness Resolution, and operating virtual survivor and caregiver support programs. Programs are sustained by individual donations, corporate matching gifts, peer-to-peer fundraising, signature events and merchandise sales.

Product overview

The Bee Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to brain aneurysm prevention through four core pillars: Research (funding preventative research grants), Awareness (educational programs and campaigns), Advocacy (federal policy efforts including Ellie's Law), and Support (virtual support groups and community resources). The organization offers research grant programs, virtual support communities including the Brain Aneurysm Support Hive and Bee Hive Book Lounge, content platforms including the Making Headway Podcast collaboration and The Apiary digital zine, an ecommerce merchandise store, and community storytelling platforms. The Research Grants Program funds innovative brain aneurysm research through multiple grant types including standard research grants, health equity grants, and named memorial grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Grants Program Funding program that awards preventative brain aneurysm research grants of $20,000 to $25,000 to leading neurosurgeons and neuroscientists at US academic medical centers; awarded grants annually to investigators at institutions including UCLA, Columbia, Penn, University of Miami, Beth Israel Deaconess, Cleveland Clinic, Thomas Jefferson University, USC and University of Pennsylvania.
• Rita Skertich Health Equity Research Grant Dedicated $15,000 health equity research grant funding brain aneurysm prevention and treatment research focused on Black, Hispanic, and female populations, where ruptures are disproportionately more frequent or severe.
• Awareness Education Program Educational awareness program that informs the public about brain aneurysm signs, symptoms and treatments through Fact Friday social media content, blog posts, awareness cards, and community outreach campaigns using hashtags like #1in50 and #Every18Minutes.
• Advocacy Initiative (Ellie's Law & Brain Aneurysm Awareness Resolution) Federal policy advocacy initiative that mobilizes survivors, families and supporters to influence US Congressional action on brain aneurysm policy through Capitol Hill meetings, Advocacy Day events and the Advocacy Toolkit resource hub.
• Brain Aneurysm Support Hive Free virtual support community for brain aneurysm survivors, caregivers and bereaved family members providing monthly general support group meetings, a Family & Caregiver Support Group and a Bereavement Support Group.
• Bee Hive Book Lounge Quarterly virtual book club program hosted by The Bee Foundation for brain aneurysm survivors and community members to discuss inspirational and relevant literature together.
• Making Headway Podcast Collaboration Co-produced podcast series with Making Headway that publishes episodes focused on brain aneurysm awareness, survivor stories, research updates, advocacy, and women's aneurysm research.
• The Apiary (TBF Digital Zine) Quarterly digital zine publication showcasing visual art and writing from brain aneurysm survivors, caregivers and community members to amplify lived-experience storytelling.
• TBF Merchandise Store Shopify-powered online merchandise store selling branded TBF awareness items, apparel and Brain Aneurysm Signs & Symptoms Awareness Cards to support the foundation's mission and raise awareness.
• Share Your Story Platform Website-hosted blog platform that publishes personal brain aneurysm survivor and family stories to raise awareness and provide hope to others affected by the condition.
• Signature Fundraising Events Annual signature fundraising events including the HoneyBash Gala, Summer Golf Classic, Race Series (virtual 5K walks/runs) and Winter Wine Dinner that generate revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships and participant fundraising pages.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 million people in the US have an unruptured brain aneurysm (1 in 50)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Matthew Friedman Memorial FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint collaborative research grant partnership in 2025 supporting Dr. Sean Polster at University of Chicago for preventative brain aneurysm research. The Matthew Friedman Memorial Foundation and The Bee Foundation co-funded a research grant award to advance prevention science through interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Elizabeth Ratta (Rita Skertich Research Grant)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021TBF Ambassador Elizabeth Ratta partnered with The Bee Foundation to create the Rita Skertich Health Equity Research Grant, specifically funding research on brain aneurysm prevention and treatment in Black, Hispanic, and female populations. Elizabeth's grandmother Rita had an aneurysm in the 1970s, and she designed this grant to address health disparities.
• Brittany McCarthy Family (Brittany McCarthy Research Grant)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Named research grant established in honor of Brittany McCarthy, who passed away from a ruptured brain aneurysm at age 21. The family partnered with TBF to create a dedicated research grant that has been awarded multiple years (2022, 2023, 2025) to neuroscientists studying brain aneurysm prevention.
• Yezzi Family (Yezzi Family Research Grant)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Named research grant established by the Yezzi Family following son Zac Yezzi's survival from a ruptured brain aneurysm and AVM in 2021. The family has been dedicated to spreading awareness and funding research, partnering with TBF for annual grant awards.
• Lora Beth Ritchie Family (Lora Beth Ritchie Research Grant)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Named research grant established in honor of Lora Beth Ritchie, who died from a ruptured brain aneurysm at age 43 in January 2022. Family member Jaime Meltzer, a TBF Ambassador, partnered with the foundation to create this grant focusing on iron metabolism research.
• Donation Line LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle donation partner enabling donors to contribute cars, boats, trucks, RVs, and other vehicles as tax-deductible donations. The partner handles pickup, processing, and transfer of donated vehicles nationwide.
• 2025 Sponsors and BenefactorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsors and benefactors who supported The Bee Foundation's 2025 events and programs, enabling the foundation's mission activities. Sponsors featured in annual year-end review materials.
• Union League Liberty HillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for the annual Summer Golf Classic event, providing the event location for TBF's signature fundraising tournament.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Heart Association / American Stroke Association: Largest U.S. cardiovascular nonprofit funding stroke-related research and awareness. Brain aneurysm prevention overlaps with their stroke mission, making them a broader incumbent that competes for both donors and researchers in adjacent cerebrovascular disease space.
• Alzheimer's Association: Large disease-specific health nonprofit combining research grants, advocacy, awareness, and caregiver support. Comparable as a model for combining research funding with survivor/family support services and federal advocacy at scale.
• Susan G. Komen: Iconic disease-specific nonprofit combining signature event fundraising (Race for the Cure), research grants, and advocacy. Direct comparable for TBF's event-driven, race series fundraising and community engagement model.
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Disease-specific health nonprofit that built a venture philanthropy model funding transformative research. Relevant comparable for TBF's grantmaking-as-mission approach and the operational design of a research-focused nonprofit, despite different disease focus.
• ALS Association: Disease-specific health nonprofit combining research grants, federal advocacy, and patient services. Highly relevant structural peer — small patient population but outsized awareness, similar advocacy and research funding playbook.

Emerging players

• Tina's Wish / Honor Foundation (brain tumor research): Smaller research-grantmaking nonprofit focused on brain-related disease. Comparable in scale, structure, and the niche of funding peer-reviewed neuroscience research through family/mission-driven philanthropy.
• National Stroke Association: Focused on stroke awareness, prevention, and survivor support. Overlaps with TBF's hemorrhagic stroke / aneurysm rupture mission and shares a similar survivor-support and education-driven nonprofit model.

Others

• Patient Advocate Foundation: Nonprofit providing case management and support services to patients with serious illnesses. Comparable as a peer-support and resource-navigation nonprofit serving patients and caregivers navigating complex medical conditions.

Direct peers

• Joe Niekro Foundation: National nonprofit dedicated to brain aneurysm, AVM, and hemorrhagic stroke awareness, research, and education. Highly comparable mission, similar event-driven fundraising model, and overlapping survivor community engagement approach.
• Brain Aneurysm Foundation: The most direct peer — another U.S. nonprofit exclusively focused on brain aneurysm awareness, research funding, and patient support. Both organizations fund aneurysm research grants, run awareness campaigns, and serve survivors and families, competing for the same donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thebeefoundatio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thebeefoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebeefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-bee-foundation-for-brain-aneurysm-prevention
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebeefoundation
• Pinterestpinterest.com/TheBeeFoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 BEE FOUNDATION