Craig H Neilsen Foundation

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is the largest private funder of spinal cord injury (SCI) research, rehabilitation, clinical training, and community programs in the U.S. and Canada — a singular distinction that defines its entire operating model. With approximately $397 million in assets and consistent annual giving between $37 million and $42 million, the Foundation deploys capital with the precision of a research institute, not the breadth of a generalist community foundation. Every dollar targets SCI.

The Foundation funds across four complementary tracks: translational research (SCIRTS), psychosocial research, community programs (Creating Opportunity & Independence), and clinical training fellowships. This portfolio reflects a theory of change that connects bench science to clinical application to quality-of-life support — applicants who frame their work within this full continuum, even when proposing work in a single track, tend to resonate most strongly with the Foundation's mission.

The application architecture is invitation-only and cycle-specific. All major programs begin with a Letter of Intent (LOI) submitted through ProposalCentral during a published window. Only applicants invited to proceed may submit a Full Grant Application (FGA), which is then reviewed by program staff and external expert boards. The board of directors includes SCI specialists such as Daniel Lammertse, M.D. — proposals are evaluated with genuine scientific rigor, not philanthropic generosity alone.

Organizations without established SCI track records face a steeper path. Consistent grantees include Kessler Foundation, UCSF, and University of Utah Health — institutions with dedicated SCI programs and proven translational output. First-time applicants should consider starting with the CO&I community grants ($25,000–$200,000 range) rather than the more competitive SCIRTS portfolio ($200,000–$800,000), using an initial award to build a funding relationship before advancing to larger research grants.

The Foundation accepts no general unsolicited proposals. Relationship-building with program officers — while strictly avoiding any contact with Review Board members — is the correct pre-application approach. Given the Foundation's Calabasas, CA headquarters and predominantly West Coast–to–national grantee base, applicants anywhere in the U.S. or Canada are competitive, but demonstrating awareness of the current SCI landscape and existing funding gaps is essential regardless of geography.

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation has expanded its grantmaking significantly over the past decade. Annual giving (total charitable disbursements) rose from approximately $10.9 million in 2012 to a consistent range of $32–42 million from 2019 onward, reflecting both portfolio growth and deliberate programmatic expansion.

Recent annual giving figures: 2023, $41.7 million (grants paid: $34.4M); 2022, $37.1 million (grants paid: $31.0M); 2021, $41.7 million (grants paid: $35.0M); 2020, $32.9 million (grants paid: $26.0M); 2019, $32.8 million (grants paid: $26.1M). The gap between total giving and grants paid — typically $5–7 million — reflects fellowship stipends, clinical training support, and partnership awards administered through third-party organizations.

Grant size varies substantially by program track:

• SCIRTS (Translational Research): $200,000–$800,000 per award, 2–3 year duration. These represent the Foundation's largest individual investments and fund academic medical centers and research institutes. The $13.5 million disbursement in September 2025 covered this and allied education portfolios.
• Creating Opportunity & Independence (CO&I): $25,000–$200,000 total per award (max $125,000/year), 1–2 year duration. The November 2025 round of $7.4 million across 70+ grantees implies an average award of approximately $100,000. Community support grants are the most accessible entry point.
• Psychosocial Research: 2-year awards; exact per-grant range is not publicly disclosed, but the scale and review process mirror the SCIRTS portfolio structure.
• Allied Health Professional Research Award (via ASIA) and Creativity Award (via ASCIP): $30,000 each, administered through partner organizations.
• Move United Partnership (adaptive sports): $3,000–$15,000 per grantee.

The Foundation receives no outside contributions (zero in 2019–2023) — all grantmaking is funded from investment returns on the endowment. Net investment income was $16.6 million in 2023 and $6.3 million in 2022, with total revenue of $19.7 million and $11.0 million respectively. The endowment's capacity to sustain $37–42 million in annual giving despite investment income often falling below that level reflects the Foundation's willingness to spend from principal in service of its mission.

The database peers are matched by asset size (~$395–$400 million) within the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category. It is important to note that these peers are generalist or family foundations with broad giving mandates — CHNF is unusual in operating as a single-issue funder at this scale.

For mission comparison, CHNF has no true peer among U.S. private foundations. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is the closest mission analog, but operates at a significantly smaller asset base and splits resources between research and advocacy. Wings for Life (Austria) focuses on SCI cure research internationally. CHNF's $37–42 million annual commitment to a single disease area — from basic science through community services — is effectively unmatched in the U.S. philanthropic landscape. Applicants competing for CHNF funds are not competing against diversified foundations; they are competing against other SCI-focused institutions for a dominant share of available private SCI philanthropy.

The Foundation closed 2025 with two major grant tranches totaling approximately $20.9 million in the final quarter alone. On September 16, 2025, it announced $13.5 million in research and education grants — the largest single announcement of the year, covering SCIRTS translational awards and fellowship programs. On November 18, 2025, it announced $7.4 million in CO&I community support grants distributed across more than 70 nonprofit organizations, framed explicitly around 'access, connection, and independence.'

In early 2026, the Foundation opened multiple application cycles in rapid succession: CO&I LOI window on January 2, Psychosocial Research LOI on January 30 (closing March 5, with full applications due December 31, 2026), and the SCIRTS LOI set to open April 17, 2026 (with full applications due November 12, 2026). This compressed multi-cycle calendar means applicants should track all three tracks simultaneously.

The 2026 Allied Health Professional Research Award ($30,000, administered through ASIA) went to Amilie Langlois, MScPT, for a study on perioperative pelvic floor physiotherapy. The Foundation's editorial output in early 2026 has emphasized community, trust, and shared experience — themes that signal continued attention to quality-of-life and psychosocial dimensions alongside biomedical research. No leadership changes were announced; Trustees Gordon R. Kanofsky and Ray H. Neilsen remain in place.

Lead with the gap, not your organization. The LOI scoring rubric weights relevance to gaps in the SCI field and creativity of approach above all other factors, including feasibility. Begin your LOI with a specific, evidence-backed statement of what is currently missing in the SCI research or services landscape — then position your proposal as a novel solution. Generic organizational capability statements should come second.

Use the exact language of the relevant program track. For CO&I proposals, the Foundation's November 2025 announcement explicitly frames community grants around 'access, connection, and independence.' Map every outcome in your budget narrative to one of these three pillars. For SCIRTS proposals, emphasize the translational arc — what is the pathway from your proposed research to clinical application or functional improvement?

Size your budget to the program band. CO&I grants must total between $25,000 and $200,000 (max $125,000/year). Based on the November 2025 average (~$100,000 per grantee), proposals in the $75,000–$125,000/year range appear most competitive. For SCIRTS, the published range is $200,000–$800,000. Proposals outside either band are not reviewed.

Strictly observe the Review Board contact prohibition. The Foundation's application guides state unambiguously that contacting Review Board members at any stage — LOI or FGA — results in immediate disqualification. Program officers Tracey Wheeler and Jacob Shreckengost (SCIRTS) are the appropriate pre-submission contacts for eligibility and fit questions.

Download the current-year Application Guide before writing. The CO&I 2026 guide was published October 14, 2025; the SCIRTS 2027 guide on January 8, 2026. Requirements, page limits, and evaluation criteria change between cycles. Writing to an outdated guide is a common and avoidable mistake.

Demonstrate SCI specificity throughout. The Foundation does not fund general disability programs. Every element — problem statement, methodology, evaluation plan, budget justification — must address spinal cord injury specifically. Proposals that treat SCI as one of several disability populations served will not advance past LOI review.

Prepare ProposalCentral access in advance. The system at proposalcentral.com requires account creation, organization registration, and authorized signatories. These steps can take days to complete. Do not wait until the LOI window opens to begin platform setup.