Van Andel Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, registered in 1997, with $112,738,485 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 65% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$112.7M
▼ 66.8% vs prior year
Medical Research median: $217K
Expenses (FY2023)
$118.9M
Net assets
$174.3M
Employees
596
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Van Andel Research Institute: 65% to programs · $2 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Van Andel Research Institute: 18 mo reserves · -5% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Van Andel Research Institute: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Van Andel Research Institute: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Show this grade on your website
A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Medical research organization
Department of neurodegenerative scienceschedule o provides further information regarding this program's accomplishments.
Department of metabolism and nutritional programmingsee schedule o for further information about this program's accomplishments.
Revenue grew from $75.1M (FY2013) to $112.7M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-5.5%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$190.5M
Total liabilities
$16.1M
Net assets
$174.3M
Salaries & benefits
$67.7M
57% of expenses
Board members
6
5 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $112,738,485▼66.8% | $118,913,786▲6.1% | $174,319,019▼3.4% | $190,464,759▼3.4% | 990 |
| 2022 | $340,011,886▲136% | $112,044,445▼1.5% | $180,371,936▲505% | $197,193,153▼10.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $143,778,282▲51.6% | $113,718,338▲15.5% | -$44,512,015▲69.0% | $219,998,295▼13.1% | 990 |
| 2020 | $94,830,916▲6.7% | $98,445,391▲4.3% | -$143,474,122▲12.4% | $253,165,469▼12.6% | 990 |
| 2019 | $88,891,678▲2.9% | $94,429,770▼5.2% | -$163,865,474▼24.8% | $289,629,145▲5.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $86,360,028▼0.1% | $99,641,728▲15.6% | -$131,287,835▼87.7% | $274,298,502▲19.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $86,468,883▲4.1% | $86,205,648▲14.1% | -$69,943,590▲14.5% | $229,968,935▼7.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $83,066,841▲39.6% | $75,551,666▲4.0% | -$81,818,583▲15.4% | $247,321,206▼0.2% | 990 |
| 2015 | $59,508,889▼9.1% | $72,643,256▲5.1% | -$96,746,386▼10.5% | $247,782,645▼1.2% | 990 |
| 2014 | $65,448,267▼12.8% | $69,140,666▲3.9% | -$87,533,261▼15.2% | $250,842,142▼0.4% | 990 |
| 2013 | $75,055,982 | $66,574,767▼2.1% | -$75,972,190▼15.7% | $251,725,432▲12.0% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $68,033,791▼0.8% | -$65,666,394▲29.7% | $224,789,773▼16.0% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $68,557,809▲4.6% | -$93,416,921▼6.3% | $267,685,668▼0.9% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $65,553,404▼29.1% | -$87,917,587▼49.2% | $270,167,888▲6.5% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $92,506,520 | -$58,914,192 | $253,776,425 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Kathy Vogelsang — $1,125,167 (0.95% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathy Vogelsang | Chief Investment Officer | 45 | $1,125,167 |
| Dr Peter Jones | Chief Scientific Officer & Res. Dir. | 44 | $953,170 |
| Ted Heilman | Assoc Direct-sr. Portfolio Mgr. | 45 | $782,302 |
| David Van Andel | Chairman / Ceo | 23 | $691,507 |
| Dr Jana Hall | Chief Operat. Officer (end 4/1/2024) | 44 | $635,819 |
| Austin Way | Senior Portfolio Manager | 45 | $530,219 |
| Thomas Curran Jr | General Counsel | 42 | $517,831 |
| Dr Peter Laird | Distinguished Investigator | 45 | $513,955 |
| Gerald Callahan | Chief Strat. Officer (end 7/5/2024) | 43 | $508,121 |
| Timothy Myers | Vice President & Cao/cfo | 42 | $492,899 |
| Dr Huilin Li | Sr. Scientific Investigator & Dept. Chair | 45 | $433,939 |
| Dr Max Wicha | Trustee | 1 | $9,500 |
| Dr Michelle Lebeau | Trustee | 1 | $9,500 |
| Dr Ralph Deberardinis | Trustee | 1 | $7,500 |
| Dr James Fahner | Trustee | 1 | $7,000 |
| Dr Henry Paulson | Trustee (beg. 9/23/2024) | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Huron Consulting Group Inc | Consulting Services | $1,804,360 |
| Owen-ames-kimball Co | Construction Services | $560,293 |
| Mcpc Inc | Helpdesk Services | $467,128 |
| Fei Company | Maintenance Services | $435,430 |
| Two By Four Ltd | Consult. & Advert. Services | $358,093 |
106 grants to Van Andel Research Institute totaling $557.1M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Cancer Society Inc | Extramural research | 2024 | $300,144 |
| Community Foundation For the Fox Valley Region Inc | Medical research | 2024 | $50,000 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Medical research | 2024 | $18,775 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Medical research | 2024 | $11,000 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $7,739 |
| Van Andel Institute | Support for vari operating expenses. | 2023 | $61,431,822 |
| Washington University | Research | 2023 | $511,585 |
| Yale University | Subaward - sponsored research | 2023 | $468,099 |
| American Cancer Society Inc | Extramural research grant | 2023 | $276,833 |
| Emory University | Research/subcontract | 2023 | $230,584 |
| Cornell University | Research | 2023 | $148,825 |
| American Heart Association Inc | Research | 2023 | $144,580 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $135,150 |
| University of Pittsburgh | Research- subcontract | 2023 | $120,117 |
| Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assn | Seed grants program | 2023 | $50,000 |
4 grants totaling $673K in FY2023. All grants made by Van Andel Research Institute →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment Industry Foundation | Research collaboration | $625,000 |
| Grand Rapids Economic Club | Growing economic health of grand rapids | $25,000 |
| Gordon Research Conferences | Funding metabolomics and human health conference | $15,000 |
| Friends of Crescent Park | Support maintenance of crescent park | $8,000 |
Explore more
Data for Van Andel Research Institute (EIN 52-2000823) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.