About
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) describes itself as the #1 voluntary health organization in the United States for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. Established in 1950 and headquartered in Chicago, MDA has spent 75 years advancing the understanding and treatment of neuromuscular diseases while supporting families through care, advocacy, and community programs.
Mission
MDA's core purpose is to empower the people it serves to live longer, more independent lives. The organization pursues this by funding research toward breakthrough treatments, supporting a network of specialized clinical care, and providing families with education, resources, and community from the day of diagnosis onward.
What they do
- Fund research grants for neuromuscular disease: MDA reports it is currently supporting 150 research projects worldwide, alongside scientific conferences, clinical research training grants, and career development programs for future research leaders.
- Support MDA Care Centers, where kids and adults make nearly 50,000 visits each year for specialized medical care.
- Run MDA Summer Camp, which serves more than 3,800 kids annually.
- Provide community support groups, peer connections, educational resources, and virtual learning programs.
- Offer equipment assistance grants and college scholarship programs, plus gene therapy support networks.
- Operate a national Resource Center reachable at 1-833-ASK-MDA1.
History
MDA was established in 1950. Over its 75-year history, the organization says it has been the leading philanthropic organization in advancing understanding and treatment of neuromuscular diseases, driving breakthroughs in genetics, diagnostics, and therapies. MDA's research strategy is deliberately cross-disease: learnings from one neuromuscular disease often accelerate progress against others.
Financials
According to MDA's Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer for the fiscal year ending December 2025, the organization reported total revenue of $64,160,032 and total expenses of $61,748,106, with net assets of $9,697,419. Contributions made up 84.7 percent of revenue (about $54.4 million), with royalties contributing roughly $6.1 million. MDA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN 13-1665552).
Governance
MDA maintains transparency through public financial disclosures, holds BBB accreditation, and has achieved Platinum Transparency status from Candid (formerly GuideStar).