CHDI Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 73-1683871 · since 2005chdifoundation.org·International·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$476k

Annual giving, 2022 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$10,000 to $215k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$90,000

Typical grant (median)

5 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

CHDI Foundation's stated focus is Huntington's disease, across therapeutics, mutant huntingtin, somatic instability, genetic modifiers and gene editing, and it says it is most receptive to novel ideas with robust human data or disease-modifying potential, so work outside these areas is unlikely to fit.
Its typical grants fall between $10,000 and $215,000, and half of its grants to organisations in the filing were $90,000 or less, so a request near the lower end suits it better.
For academic research, submit a short summary of the proposal, and keep out of the request the costs it will not normally fund: graduate students, training, administrative staff, equipment and office supplies.
Its External Partnerships work covers HD projects at or near proof-of-concept for in vivo animal testing and does not normally fund external drug screening, hit-to-lead optimisation or direct preclinical evaluation of compounds, so applicants whose work falls in those areas should look elsewhere.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so you can approach it at any time, and funded investigators must deliver progress reports to receive continued support.

Overview

CHDI Foundation is a US private foundation based in Roseland, NJ.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

CHDI Foundation is a privately funded, nonprofit biomedical research organisation devoted to Huntington’s disease. Its mission is to develop therapeutics that provide meaningful clinical benefit to patients as quickly as possible. It funds and collaborates with academic HD researchers around the world, and its activities extend from exploratory biology and therapeutic-target validation to drug discovery, development and clinical studies. Its preclinical research is organised into four interconnected thematic areas focused on mutant huntingtin, somatic instability and mismatch handling and repair, non-mismatch-repair genetic modifiers, and gene editing of the causative triplet repeat mutation. It also works with biopharmaceutical partners and builds clinical infrastructure and capacity to help advance promising therapeutics to clinical trials.

Themes

Huntington’s disease therapeutics
Mutant huntingtin
Somatic instability
Genetic modifiers
Gene editing

Geographic Focus

Around the world.

What They Don't Fund

Academic Proposals only: graduate students (not normally supported); training (not normally supported); administrative staff (not normally supported); equipment costs (not normally supported); office supplies (not normally supported)
External Partnerships only: external drug screening activities or optimizing compounds at the hit-to-lead stage; direct funding for preclinical evaluation of compounds in the typical case

How to apply

For academic research funding, submit a short summary of the proposal to CHDI.

Application success factors

Grant size: In its TY2022 filing, half of its 5 grants to organisations were $90,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

It is particularly receptive to novel ideas in areas of biology relevant to Huntington’s disease when there is robust human data evidence or the therapeutic approach has disease-modifying potential.
Its External Partnerships team focuses on HD-relevant projects at or near the proof-of-concept stage for in vivo animal testing.
The investigator must conduct the research as specified in the contract and deliver progress reports to receive continued support.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax year 2022.

Grant dollars by state

Maryland45%

Kentucky28%

New York24%

Michigan2%

The largest single recipient received 45% of grant dollars to organisations.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.

Grants

5 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $90,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 5 grants in tax year 2022 by size

$10k–$25k20%

$25k–$50k20%

$50k–$100k20%

$100k–$250k40%

Median $90,000 (tax year 2022)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Johns Hopkins University · Establish a medical center
$215,0002022 tax year
University of Kentucky Research Foundation · Support for HTT lowering in non-human primates
$135,1752022 tax year
Huntington's Disease Society of America · Support for fellowship programs
$90,0002022 tax year
Huntington Study Group · Support for annual meeting
$25,6012022 tax year
Huntington's Disease Youth Organization · Support for annual meeting
$10,0002022 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Kenneth J Slutsky — Director / President / Assistant Treasurer / Assistant Secretary
Timothy Hentzel — Vice President / Treasurer / Secretary
Robi Blumenstein-pd thru CHDI Mgt I — President CHDI Management Inc
Triplet Investment Company LLC — Member
Thomas D Stern — Director
John Maraganore — Director
Alexandra P Mansbach — Director
Elizabeth Fascitelli — Director
James Bradner — Director
Christopher Austin — Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

1 year of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$179,908,199	$475,776	$79,566,802	Filing for 2022 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.