craig h. neilsen foundation

Name

craig h. neilsen foundation

Legal name

Craig H. Neilsen Foundation

Website

https://chnfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation grantmaking

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Spinal cord injury research
• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Clinical rehabilitation fellowships
• Community support grants
• Higher education scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Tarzana (Los Angeles area)

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Endowment: The Foundation operates from an endowment established from the sale of Ameristar stock in 2011, receiving approximately $470 million. The Foundation earns investment returns on this endowment which funds grants and operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that awards grants and scholarships to advance spinal cord injury (SCI) research, rehabilitation, clinical training, and community support. It operates six programs (SCIRTS, CO&I, PSR, NSP, SCIMF, and the Visionary Prize), awarding funding exclusively to qualifying non-profit organizations in the U.S. and Canada through a competitive Letter of Intent and full application process managed via ProposalCentral.

Product overview

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that operates six distinct grant-making and scholarship programs to advance spinal cord injury (SCI) research, rehabilitation, clinical training, and community support. The Foundation's offerings include the Spinal Cord Injury Research on the Translational Spectrum (SCIRTS) for research funding, Creating Opportunity & Independence (CO&I) for community programs, Psychosocial Research (PSR) for mental health studies, the Neilsen Scholarship Program for students with SCI, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowships for physician training, and the Craig H. Neilsen Visionary Prize for influential SCI advocates. Grant applications are submitted through ProposalCentral, with Letters of Intent reviewed by staff and external experts before final Board approval.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spinal Cord Injury Research on the Translational Spectrum (SCIRTS) Grant funding portfolio supporting creative, high-impact research spanning preclinical models, human subjects research, and existing datasets to improve function and recovery following spinal cord injury, including Translational Spectrum Grants (2-3 year) and Postdoctoral Fellowships (2-year). For SCI researchers and institutions in the U.S. and Canada.
• Creating Opportunity & Independence (CO&I) Community Support Grants supporting non-profit organizations providing programs for people with spinal cord injury including community activities, life transitions assistance, and accessibility projects, available as 1-year or 2-year funding. For community-serving non-profits in the U.S. and Canada.
• Psychosocial Research (PSR) Grant funding for research addressing emotional challenges and barriers to participation after spinal cord injury, including Postdoctoral Fellowships, Investigational Grants, and Interventional Testing funding. For SCI psychosocial researchers and institutions.
• Neilsen Scholarship Program (NSP) Scholarship program providing tuition, fees, and supplemental financial support for undergraduate or Master's degrees for students with spinal cord injury at partner institutions including Georgia Tech, Penn State, University of Arizona, University of Utah, University of Michigan, and others.
• Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowships (SCIMF) Grants supporting specialty clinical training in ACGME-accredited rehabilitation programs to attract physicians to the field of spinal cord injury medicine, at institutions including Craig Hospital, Kennedy Krieger, Shepherd Center, and others.
• Craig H. Neilsen Visionary Prize Unrestricted $1 million award honoring influential voices in spinal cord injury who embody the values of the founder, awarded to individuals demonstrating extraordinary determination and passion for SCI.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Georgia Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Neilsen Scholarship Program providing scholarships to students with spinal cord injuries pursuing higher education
• Pennsylvania State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Neilsen Scholarship Program providing scholarships to students with spinal cord injuries
• University of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Neilsen Scholarship Program providing scholarships to students with spinal cord injuries
• University of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Neilsen Scholarship Program and home of Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital
• University of Illinois, Urbana-ChampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Neilsen Scholarship Program with active wheelchair athletics program
• University of Alabama at TuscaloosacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for Neilsen Scholarship Program with adapted athletics program
• Craig Hospital/University of ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACGME-accredited SCI Medicine Fellowship training program partner
• Kennedy Krieger InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACGME-accredited SCI Medicine Fellowship training program partner
• Shepherd CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACGME-accredited SCI Medicine Fellowship training program partner
• Shirley Ryan AbilityLab/Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACGME-accredited SCI Medicine Fellowship training program partner
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACGME-accredited SCI Medicine Fellowship training program partner
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACGME-accredited SCI Medicine Fellowship training program partner

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis: University of Miami-based research center and fundraising entity that focuses on SCI cure-focused research. A frequent Neilsen grantee and a peer in the SCI research funding ecosystem.
• Travis Roy Foundation: Smaller private foundation providing grants for SCI research and adaptive equipment. Comparable SCI-focused mission but with materially smaller endowment and reach.
• Spinal Cord Injury Network (SCI Network): Nonprofit connecting SCI resources, research, and community support. Comparable mission of supporting individuals with SCI but operates more as a resource hub than a research funder.

Direct peers

• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: The most direct peer - also a private foundation focused on spinal cord injury research, quality of life, and caregiver support in the U.S. Competes for the same SCI research grantees and donor mindshare.
• Kessler Foundation: Disability-focused nonprofit that funds SCI and brain injury rehabilitation research and grants. Shares the SCI rehabilitation and recovery research focus and overlaps with Neilsen fellowship program partners.
• Wings for Life: International spinal cord injury research foundation funding cure-focused research and the global Wings for Life World Run. Directly comparable mission and grantmaking focus on SCI.
• Paralyzed Veterans of America: Congressionally chartered veterans service organization that funds SCI research and provides direct services to people with SCI. Overlaps significantly with Neilsen's Community Support and research portfolios.
• Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network: Operated by the Reeve Foundation, this network of clinical rehabilitation centers closely parallels Neilsen's fellowship and rehab hospital investments. Direct programmatic overlap in SCI rehabilitation.

Others

• Burke Medical Research Institute: Neurological rehabilitation research institute focused on SCI, stroke, and brain injury. Comparable research focus and frequently a beneficiary of Neilsen's translational research grants.

Broad incumbents

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): Largest public SCI research funder in the U.S. The Foundation's SVP previously worked at NINDS, and the agencies operate as complementary - rather than competing - funders in the SCI research ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/craig-h-neilsen-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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