the autism research foundation

What the autism research foundation does

The Autism Research Foundation (TARF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1990 by Dr. Margaret L. Bauman, a child neurologist who, alongside Dr. Thomas Kemper, first demonstrated anatomical differences between typical and autistic brains in 1984. Headquartered at 72 East Concord Street in Boston, Massachusetts, with active research also conducted at Boston University School of Medicine, TARF describes itself as the first medically-accredited autism research charity in the world. The organization serves families of individuals with autism, individuals with autism across age ranges, autism researchers and clinicians, educators, and high school ambassadors through three integrated lines of activity: brain-based research, education and convening, and social inclusion programs.

TARF's research arm operates 9 short-term and 2 long-term studies anchored by the Brain Atlas Project — a collaboration with the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center that maps structural similarities and differences between typical and autistic brains using donated tissue and longitudinal medical records — and the Neurochemical Profile Analysis investigating sex hormone effects on autism. Adjacent research programs examine GI disorders (noting ~70% of individuals with autism report GI discomfort), mitochondrial disorders, sensory processing in animal models, co-morbidities, and aging. The convening and education layer includes the annual Current Trends in Autism (CTIA) Conference, launched in 1994, and the Autism Research Consortium think tank, established in 1996, which convened 21 researchers and clinicians from the U.S. and Canada in 2016. Community-facing programs include Athletes 4 Autism, Art 4 Autism, and Michael's Place.

The business model is donation-based with no revenue figures publicly disclosed. Named sponsorship tiers range from $25 (Support a Young Autism Professional) to $80,000 (Hire a Research Director), with intermediate levels for school scholarships ($100), community programs ($2,500), research studies ($5,000), think tank sponsorship ($25,000), and CTIA hosting ($60,000). The organization operates primarily on volunteer labor, has no disclosed paid headcount, and has no public API, SDK, or commercial product distribution. Geographic reach is concentrated in New England for community programs, while research and consortium activity draw participants nationally and from Canada. Notable partnerships include a strategic co-development relationship with the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center and an April 2024 GTM/marketing partnership with Small-cash.com.

Name

the autism research foundation

Legal name

The Autism Research Foundation

Website

https://theautismresearchfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Autism Research Foundation is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 that conducts brain-based autism research anchored by the Brain Atlas Project and Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center partnership, operates the annual Current Trends in Autism Conference and Autism Research Consortium think tank, and delivers community inclusion programs for individuals with autism and their families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Autism Research and Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Autism Teacher Training & Professional Development (EDAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Autism research
• Family support services
• Special needs education
• Brain disorder research
• Social inclusion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization operates entirely on community donations. Revenue comes from general donations, memorial donations, and gift donations. No specific revenue figures are disclosed.
2. Event Sponsorship: Sponsorship opportunities for events including the Current Trends in Autism Conference ($60,000 hosting sponsorship) and the Autism Research Consortium Think Tank ($25,000 sponsorship).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Autism Research Foundation conducts brain-based research on autism spectrum disorders and translates findings into education, family support, and social inclusion programs. It operates the Autism Research Consortium think tank and runs community programs such as Athletes 4 Autism and Art 4 Autism, alongside the annual CTIA conference. The organization serves individuals with autism, their families, clinicians, and researchers.

Product overview

The Autism Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of research programs, educational conferences, and community inclusion programs. The core research arm includes the Brain Atlas Project and Neurochemical Profile Analysis for understanding autism neurobiology, complemented by clinical research on co-morbidities, GI disorders, mitochondrial disorders, sensory processing, and aging. The organization operates the annual Current Trends in Autism Conference (CTIA) for disseminating scientific knowledge to families and professionals, and hosts the Autism Research Consortium as an annual think tank for researchers. Community programs include Athletes 4 Autism (sports inclusion), Art 4 Autism (creative therapy), and Michael's Place. The organization also produces educational resources and family life support materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brain-Based Autism Research Program

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1 in every 88 children with autism helped through Brain Atlas Project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Small-cash.comminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 April 2024Partnership aimed at enhancing autism research, education, and inclusion. Small-cash.com leverages its resources to amplify TARF's efforts in creating meaningful impacts for individuals with autism. Collaboration signifies shared vision for positive change uniting strengths of both organizations.
• Harvard Brain Tissue Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrain tissue from donors is prepared and stored carefully in brain tissue freezers at the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center. TARF's collection is separate from Autism Speaks' reserve and did not experience the freezer melting incident in 2012.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Autism Speaks: Autism Speaks is the largest autism advocacy and research nonprofit in the US, operating national awareness campaigns, funding research grants, and maintaining its own brain-tissue reserve referenced alongside TARF's collection. It competes with TARF for donor mindshare and research talent, though at materially larger scale and with a broader portfolio.
• Simons Foundation (SPARK): SPARK, supported by the Simons Foundation, is a large-scale autism research initiative building a national cohort and genomics dataset. It is a significantly larger and better-capitalized competitor for research funding, scientific talent, and donor attention in the autism research category TARF operates in.
• Autism Society of America: Autism Society of America is a national advocacy and support nonprofit operating a network of local affiliates that run education, family-support, and inclusion programs — overlapping TARF's parent-education and community-inclusion mission but at materially larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Autism Science Foundation: Autism Science Foundation is a research-focused nonprofit that funds autism research and supports graduate students and early-career investigators, closely overlapping TARF's research-funding and scientific-education mission. Both organizations position themselves as scientifically rigorous complements to larger advocacy groups.
• Organization for Autism Research (OAR): OAR is a nonprofit that funds applied autism research, runs an annual research-focused conference, and produces educational resources for families and professionals — a near-direct analog to TARF's CTIA Conference and research-grant programming. Its applied-research orientation makes it one of the closest comparable peer organizations.
• Autism Research Institute (ARI): ARI is a long-standing autism research nonprofit that funds scientific studies, disseminates research findings to families and clinicians, and runs conferences — overlapping TARF's brain-based research and translational education mission. It is one of the oldest comparably positioned organizations in the autism research nonprofit space.
• Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism: The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism funds autism research, family support, and inclusion/sports programs, closely mirroring TARF's mix of research funding and community inclusion offerings such as Athletes 4 Autism. Both rely on grassroots donations and event-based fundraising.
• National Autism Association: The National Autism Association is a nonprofit focused on autism education, advocacy, and family support, with programs that overlap TARF's parent-education and awareness-building mission. It competes for the same grassroots donor audience in the family-support segment.
• Marcus Autism Center: Marcus Autism Center is a clinical and research center affiliated with Emory and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta that conducts autism research, clinical care, and family education programs. It is a directly comparable peer organization combining pediatric autism research with family-facing programs.

Regional players

• AANE (Asperger/Autism Network): AANE is a New England-based nonprofit providing education, support, and community programs for individuals with autism and their families. It is a directly overlapping regional peer competing for the same New England donor and family-engagement pool as TARF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TARFautism

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about the autism research foundation