The High Q Foundation Inc.

The High Q Foundation Inc. is not a conventional grant-making foundation and does not accept applications from external organizations. It operates exclusively as a private pass-through funding vehicle for a single beneficiary: CHDI Foundation Inc. (Cure Huntington's Disease Initiative). Understanding this structure is the essential first insight for any grant seeker: approaching High Q directly for funding is not productive, and no application process exists.

High Q was incorporated in New Jersey in October 2003 and originally served as a parallel organization to CHDI, with High Q focusing on Huntington's disease target identification and CHDI concentrating on drug development. In 2008, CHDI consolidated High Q's research portfolio under its management, and since then High Q has functioned as a capital accumulation and transfer vehicle — receiving large private contributions (from what appears to be a tightly controlled donor group, including Triplet Investment Company LLC) and deploying them to CHDI in massive block grants: $134M in FY2018, $180M in FY2019, and $155M in FY2020.

The practical implications are significant. High Q's leadership (President/Treasurer Kenneth J. Slutsky, VP/Secretary David Mills, VP/Asst. Secretary John L. Berger) are the same individuals who operate CHDI Foundation. The organization is administered by Lowenstein Sandler's Tax Exempt Institutions Group in Roseland, NJ — a law firm arrangement typical of foundations designed for controlled, inward-facing governance rather than open philanthropy.

For researchers, institutions, and nonprofits working in Huntington's disease, the actionable pathway is CHDI Foundation, not High Q. CHDI funds academic proposals, external partnerships, and industry collaborations — but through direct relationship-building with its science directors rather than open RFPs. First contact should come through CHDI's conference ecosystem, particularly the annual HD Therapeutics Conference, which draws researchers from Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, Roche, and Spark Therapeutics.

High Q's historical giving reveals a foundation that has operated in two distinct eras with dramatically different funding profiles.

Early Era (FY2012–FY2015): Annual giving ranged from $8.8M (FY2014–2015) to $12.2M (FY2012), distributed across multiple recipients including academic and clinical HD research initiatives. Total assets were comparatively modest ($27M–$87M). This period saw High Q functioning more like a traditional research funder.

Pass-Through Era (FY2018–FY2020): The foundation transformed into a high-volume transfer vehicle. It received contributions of $133–$190M annually and immediately granted nearly identical sums to CHDI: $134M (FY2018), $180M (FY2019), $155M (FY2020). Assets during this period remained minimal ($2.5M–$38M) because capital flowed through rapidly.

Accumulation Era (FY2021–FY2023): A dramatic reversal. High Q received $213M in contributions in FY2021, $127M in FY2022 (implied from revenue data), and $127M in FY2023 — but made zero substantial program grants in FY2021 through FY2022, and only $230K in FY2023 (likely administrative). Assets ballooned from $38M (FY2020) to $251M (FY2021), $393M (FY2022), and $540M (FY2023). This $540M asset base makes High Q the 364th largest foundation in the U.S. by assets — but with no active external grant-making.

The $230K in annual giving reported for FY2022–2023 likely represents fees, compliance costs, or minor administrative disbursements rather than program grants. The sole documented program grant in the grantee data is the $155M FY2020 transfer to CHDI. No grants to any other organization appear in recent filings.

The following table compares High Q to peer foundations in the Science & Technology NTEE category, placing its unusual financial profile in context:

High Q is, by a wide margin, the largest foundation in its NTEE peer group — yet it is paradoxically the least accessible. Its $540M in assets dwarfs the Kaphan Foundation ($141M) and Allen Institute for AI ($139M) by nearly 4x, but unlike those organizations, High Q deploys zero capital to external applicants. NC IDEA, the smallest peer at $51M in assets, is the only one with a documented open application process for external organizations. For grant seekers in science and technology research, the actionable peers in this comparison are NC IDEA (for innovation/entrepreneurship in North Carolina) and CHDI Foundation itself (the operational vehicle for High Q's HD mission).

High Q's most recent documented program activity was the $155M grant to CHDI Foundation in FY2020, classified as supporting "medical and scientific research in the field of neurodegenerative diseases." No additional program grants appear in FY2021, FY2022, or FY2023 filings despite the foundation accumulating $302M in new assets over that period.

On the CHDI side — the operational expression of High Q's mission — activity has been continuous and substantial. The 20th Annual HD Therapeutics Conference took place February 24–27, 2025 in Palm Springs, California, covering huntingtin biology, somatic instability, mismatch repair, genetic modifiers, enabling technologies, and clinical biomarkers. Speaker institutions included Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, UC San Diego, Roche, and Spark Therapeutics.

CHDI has announced its 2026 conference schedule with events in Phoenix, AZ (June 25–27, 2026) and Krakow, Poland (October 22–24, 2026). CHDI's current funding strategy page notes that letters of intent are not being accepted for either preclinical or clinical research proposals as of early 2026, though direct contact with science directors remains the recommended pathway for engagement.

No leadership changes at High Q have been publicly announced. Kenneth J. Slutsky remains President/Treasurer; David Mills serves as VP/Secretary; John L. Berger as VP/Asst. Secretary. All officers report zero compensation.

Because The High Q Foundation Inc. does not accept applications from external organizations, the following tips address how grant seekers can engage with the CHDI Foundation ecosystem — the only practical pathway to the research mission that High Q funds.

Do not contact High Q directly. The foundation is administered by Lowenstein Sandler's Tax Exempt Institutions Group (not a grants office), and its application instructions are explicitly listed as "none." Any outreach to High Q's Roseland, NJ address will be unproductive.

Target CHDI Foundation's science directors for preclinical proposals. CHDI does not use an open LOI or RFP system. Researchers with relevant Huntington's disease proposals should identify the appropriate CHDI Science Director by research area (available on chdifoundation.org) and initiate direct contact. This is a relationship-first funding environment.

Attend the HD Therapeutics Conference. CHDI's annual conference (next: Phoenix, June 25–27, 2026; Krakow, October 22–24, 2026) is the primary networking venue for HD researchers. Presenting at or attending this conference dramatically increases visibility with CHDI program staff. Submission of conference abstracts should be prioritized.

Align proposals with CHDI's 2025–2026 research themes. Current emphasis areas include somatic instability and mismatch repair mechanisms, huntingtin lowering strategies, fluid biomarkers and neuroimaging for clinical trials, and enabling technologies. Proposals that do not address translational drug discovery for HD are unlikely to advance.

For industry partnerships, contact the CHDI Outreach Team, not the science directors. Biotech and pharmaceutical companies should frame proposals around co-development, tool licensing, or collaborative research that accelerates CHDI's therapeutic pipeline.

Be aware that CHDI's LOIs are currently closed. As of early 2026, CHDI is not accepting formal letters of intent for preclinical or clinical research. Monitor chdifoundation.org/funding-strategy/ for updates on when the process reopens.