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NMDP Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.1M
Grant Range
$0K - $0.4M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ~$6.1 million (patient assistance, 2022)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (highly competitive - 2 awards from coveted national program)
  • Decision Time: Annual cycle (applications reviewed by expert panel)
  • Grant Range: $250 - $400,000 (depending on program)
  • Geographic Focus: United States (research grants and patient assistance)

Contact Details

NMDP Foundation 500 N 5th St. Minneapolis, MN 55401-1206

Phone: 1 (800) 507-5427 General Email: questions@nmdp.org Research Grant Inquiries: asmgrant@nmdp.org Patient Grant Inquiries: patientgrants@nmdp.org or (763) 406-8114

Website: https://www.nmdp.org

Overview

NMDP Foundation (formerly Be The Match Foundation, renamed December 2023) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1992 in Minnesota by Admiral E. R. Zumwalt Jr., with EIN 41-1704734. The foundation supports the life-saving mission of NMDP (formerly National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match), ensuring that patients diagnosed with blood cancers and other diseases receive the stem cell transplants and cellular therapies they need. With annual revenue of approximately $24.3 million and assets of $18.4 million, the foundation focuses on three strategic pillars: growing the NMDP Registry, providing financial assistance to help patients throughout their transplant journey, and advancing medical discovery through research grants. The foundation has earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator with a perfect 100% score, demonstrating exceptional fiscal responsibility and commitment to its mission.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program: $0 - $400,000

  • Five-year grants totaling up to $400,000 per recipient
  • Supports early-career physician-scientists (doctoral degree within past 10 years)
  • Up to 2 awards made annually
  • Since 1998, has invested nearly $12 million to fund 49 early career physician-scientists
  • Described as "one of the largest and most coveted grants in the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy"
  • Applications open in Summer for following year's grants
  • Requires submission through online application process

Barbara Buchbinder Nurse Research Program: $25,000

  • One-time grant of $25,000 awarded yearly
  • Supports pediatric BMT nurse researchers
  • Focus on improving transplant experience and outcomes for pediatric patients
  • Applicants must have nursing degree (ADN, BSN, MSN, NP, DNP, PhD) within past 10 years
  • Established in 2024 through philanthropic gift honoring Barbara Buchbinder

Patient Financial Assistance Program: $250 - $10,000

  • Most grants average $1,000 - $1,500
  • Crisis grants up to $10,000 available
  • In 2022, provided $6.1 million in grants to 2,320 patients and families
  • Pre-transplant grants for out-of-pocket costs before NMDP-facilitated transplant
  • Post-transplant grants for costs within 3 years after transplant
  • GVHD (graft-versus-host disease) treatment grants
  • Clinical trial travel grants
  • Sickle cell fertility preservation grants (up to $10,000)
  • Rolling application process through transplant center social workers
  • Applications submitted via Good Grants platform

Priority Areas

Research Grants:

  • Post-transplant complications research
  • Cell therapy advancement
  • Basic science (pre-clinical, non-animal)
  • Translational investigation
  • Supportive care
  • Survivorship research
  • Social determinants of health in transplant outcomes
  • Pediatric HCT outcomes improvement

Patient Assistance:

  • Patients with NMDP-facilitated transplants
  • Household income below 350% of federal poverty level
  • Actively being treated for disease
  • Residing and receiving care in United States
  • Uninsured out-of-pocket costs (copays, prescriptions, clinic visits, food, gas, temporary housing)

What They Don't Fund

Research Grants:

  • Applicants holding NIH R01 or equivalent research grants at time of award
  • Researchers without U.S. facility position
  • Animal-based pre-clinical research (for Buchbinder Nurse program)

Patient Assistance:

  • Patients not receiving NMDP-facilitated transplants
  • Household income exceeding 350% federal poverty level
  • Patients not actively in treatment
  • Care received outside United States

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership:

  • Erica Jensen, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Advancement (oversees NMDP Foundation as of January 2025)
  • Jessica Kowal, Chief Philanthropy Officer (hired December 2025 to lead foundation operations)
  • Joy King, former Chief Advancement Officer and Foundation Executive Director (departed January 2025 to become CEO of Animal Humane Society)

NMDP Foundation Board of Directors:

  • Roger Paschke, Secretary, Foundation Board of Directors
  • Michael Rose, Board member since 2018
  • Bruce Manasevit, Emeritus Director (served 8 years as active director)

Joy King, during her tenure, stated her role was to "shape the foundation's strategy, lead government affairs and legislative policy work, advance the brand, sponsor diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, and aid in the overall direction of the organization."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program:

  • Application period opens in Summer for following year's grants
  • 2026 grants application period is closed; 2027 applications open Summer 2026
  • Submit via online application portal
  • Must include research proposal relevant to allogeneic HCT or cellular therapy
  • Only one principal investigator per proposal (co-investigators acceptable but receive no direct support)
  • Applications evaluated by expert review panel in HCT field
  • Contact asmgrant@nmdp.org for eligibility or application questions

Barbara Buchbinder Nurse Research Program:

  • Annual application cycle
  • Access application and instructions through NMDP network website
  • Formal review process by expert panel
  • Focus on pediatric allogeneic HCT research

Patient Financial Assistance Program:

  • Rolling basis applications
  • Must be submitted by transplant center staff member (preferably social worker)
  • Applications submitted through Good Grants secure online platform
  • NMDP patient navigator or transplant center social worker assists with eligibility determination and application
  • Income assessment based on previous month (not previous year)
  • No restrictions on grant fund usage
  • Grant money is not taxable

Decision Timeline

Research Grants:

  • Annual award cycle with announcements typically in late winter/early spring
  • Expert panel review process
  • 2024 Amy Scholars announced March 2024
  • 2025 Amy Scholars announced February 2025

Patient Assistance Grants:

  • Rolling review process
  • Decision timeline not publicly specified
  • Applications processed as received

Success Rates

Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program:

  • Up to 2 awards made annually
  • Described as "most coveted" in the HCT field
  • 49 physician-scientists funded over 25 years (1998-2023)
  • Specific application numbers and acceptance rate not publicly disclosed
  • Highly competitive given limited awards and national prestige

Barbara Buchbinder Nurse Research Program:

  • 1 award made annually
  • Program began in 2024
  • Success rate data not yet available

Patient Financial Assistance Program:

  • 2,320 patients received assistance in 2022
  • Need far exceeds available funding
  • Specific application numbers and acceptance rates not disclosed

Reapplication Policy

Research grants: Reapplication policy not explicitly stated in publicly available materials. Contact asmgrant@nmdp.org for guidance.

Patient assistance: Patients may apply for different grant types as eligible (pre-transplant, post-transplant, GVHD, crisis grants).

Application Success Factors

For Amy Strelzer Manasevit Research Program:

Recent Amy Scholars demonstrate the foundation values research addressing critical gaps in transplant care:

2025 Amy Scholar Dr. Warren B. Fingrut stated: "My aim is to develop approaches to help all patients, including those from vulnerable populations, to receive life-saving transplantation and cell therapy care." His project focuses on social determinants of health using machine learning—described as "one of the first ever to collect information from patients on those non-medical factors across a department at a major cancer center while the research is underway."

2025 Amy Scholar Dr. Mark B. Leick focuses on addressing relapse in AML patients using genetically engineered T-cells as "micro-pharmacies."

Key Success Factors Based on Recent Awards:

  • Innovative approaches to longstanding problems (relapse, complications, disparities)
  • Focus on improving patient outcomes and reducing post-treatment complications
  • Early-career trajectory with strong research potential
  • Proposals addressing preventions or treatments for life-threatening complications following cellular therapy
  • Relevance to allogeneic HCT or cellular therapy
  • Clear patient impact potential

For Patient Financial Assistance:

  • Work with transplant center social worker to complete application
  • Demonstrate financial need (income below 350% federal poverty level)
  • NMDP-facilitated transplant required
  • Active treatment status
  • Documentation of household income from previous month
  • Clear demonstration that income and assets don't exceed monthly costs

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Research grants are highly competitive: With only 2 Amy Scholar awards annually from a nationally recognized program, applications must demonstrate exceptional innovation and patient impact potential
  • Early-career focus is critical: Both research programs target researchers within 10 years of doctoral degree—established researchers with R01 equivalents are ineligible
  • Patient impact is paramount: Foundation prioritizes research that directly addresses post-transplant complications and improves patient outcomes, not basic science alone
  • Innovation matters: Recent awards show preference for novel approaches (machine learning for disparities, CAR-T engineering) over incremental advances
  • Partner with transplant centers: Patient assistance requires social worker submission—individual patients cannot apply directly
  • U.S. focus: All programs require U.S.-based research or U.S.-based patient care
  • Philanthropic funding creates opportunities: Both research programs are fully funded through donations, not organizational endowment, emphasizing donor impact stories

References

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