American Lung Association HQ
When you can't breathe, nothing else matters
Learn how to support this organization
American Lung Association
EIN: 13-1632524
as of October 2026
as of October 13, 2026
Mission
The American Lung Association's mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.
Ruling year
1944
Main address
55 W Wacker Dr Ste 1150
Chicago, IL 60601-1796 USA
EIN
13-1632524
Subject area information on the Candid Subject Area taxonomy.">
Lung cancer
Public health
Respiratory system diseases
Smoking
Population served
Adults
Children and youth
Health
NTEE code
Lung (G45)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease, through research, education and advocacy. Our work is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. Whether it's searching for cures to lung diseases, keeping kids off tobacco or fighting for laws that protect the air we all breathe, the work of the American Lung Association helps to save lives every day. Breathing is essential to life. From our first breath to our last, every breath counts. For nearly 120 years the American Lung Association has been America's leading force for lung health—successfully tapping into America's spirit of community that inspires us to work together for better health and longer life for all.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Freedom From Smoking
The American Lung Association has been helping people quit smoking for over 35 years through Freedom From Smoking®. Ranked as one of the most effective programs in the country, Freedom From Smoking has helped hundreds of thousands individuals quit smoking for good and is now available in a variety of formats. Freedom From Smoking Plus, whose user-friendly interface allows you to create a personal quit smoking plan on your desktop, tablet or smartphone, is the newest way to quit smoking . Through interactive features that include videos, quizzes and activities, Freedom From Smoking Plus walks you through the quitting process and has a surround sound of support from our Lung HelpLine counselors and other quitters through our online community. See a free demo of this program online at FreedomFromSmoking.org.
Lung HelpLine
You Ask. We Answer. Talk to our lung health experts at the American Lung Association Lung HelpLine and Tobacco QuitLine. Our service is free and available as often as you need. 1-800-LUNGUSA
Better Breathers Clubs
Living with a chronic lung disease can be easier. Better Breathers Clubs are welcoming support groups for individuals with COPD, pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer, and their caregivers. Learn better ways to better cope with lung disease while getting the support of others in similar situations. Led by a trained facilitator, these in-person adult support groups give you the tools you need to live the best quality of life possible. Better Breathers Clubs meet regularly and feature educational presentations on a wide range of relevant topics, including: How COPD affects the lungs Breathing techniques Exercise Talking with your physician Medications and other treatment options Medical tests Supplemental oxygen Home healthcare Lung transplants Air pollution You don't have to feel alone or isolated. It feels good to talk with others who understand—and that can have a positive impact on your health. Find a Better Breathers Club near you, by following the links below or calling 1-800-LUNGUSA for more information. If you are interested in joining an online support community in addition to an in-person Better Breathers Club, Living with COPD, Living with Lung Disease and Lung Cancer Survivors online communities on Inspire.
Lung Cancer
The American Lung Association is committed to defeating lung cancer and supporting those affected by this disease. We offer a variety of resources and information about lung cancer. Check out some of our key lung cancer support and education resources featured at lung.org/lung-cancer, including patient resources, videos, toolkits, worksheets, infographics and other resources for lung cancer patients and caregivers. Lung Cancer Survivors Community This online lung cancer community is a place to discuss how lung cancer is affecting you and share your experience and hope with peers. LUNG FORCE Our movement to defeat lung cancer. Through events all over the country and our LUNG FORCE Heroes program, you can meet others with lung cancer and join the fight.
Asthma Basics
The American Lung Association's Asthma Basics course is a free one-hour interactive online learning module designed to help people learn more about asthma. This course is ideal for frontline healthcare professionals, such as school nurses or community health workers, as well as individuals with asthma, parents of children with asthma, and co-workers, friends and family who want to learn more about asthma. Asthma Basics is available in English and Spanish.
Open Airways for Schools
Open Airways For Schools® is a program that educates and empowers elementary-aged children through a fun and interactive approach to asthma self-management.
Research
Since 1915, our researchers have made significant contributions/milestones in the fight against lung disease by revolutionizing treatment and unlocking secrets of the body's immune system. As such, premature babies are less likely to die from respiratory distress syndrome; tuberculosis (TB) rates are at an all-time low; and young and old with chronic lung diseases are benefiting from improved treatment options such as lung transplantation, oxygen therapy and genetically-based medicines.
Where we work
-
United States
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of individuals enrolled in a smoking addiction program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Freedom From Smoking
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The # of individuals enrolled in our Freedom From Smoking Cessation program is back to pre-pandemic participation for FY 22 at 4704.
Number of comment letters to government agencies
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Lung Cancer
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Includes written comments and oral testimony at regulatory hearings.
Number of media citations of advocate research or products
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Lung Cancer
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These numbers reflect our State of the Air, State of Tobacco Control and State of Lung Cancer Reports.
Number of staff members certified in subject area training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Open Airways for Schools
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These individuals are staff who have been certified through a credentialling body to be a Certified Asthma Education or a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists.
Number of people trained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Open Airways for Schools
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These are individuals trained in our Behavior Change Asthma Programs.
Number of research studies funded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Research
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The American Lung Association aims to:
1) Defeat lung cancer
2) Champion clean air for all
3) Improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families
4) Create a tobacco free future
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Advocacy, education, research, awareness and engagement are equally critical to achieving our mission. The American Lung Association uses evidence-based and data-driven decision making to make a measurable impact. Integral to the success of our mission is building a diverse, active and engaged pool of volunteers. We work to reduce the effects of lung disease in our community and engage individuals, families and organizations in our work. We use evidence-based, data-driven decision making to achieve measurable impact through a diverse, active and engaged pool of volunteers. We work to overcome health disparities to work toward universal lung health.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2025 info
4.25
Months of cash in 2025 info
2
Fringe rate in 2025 info
28%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
American Lung Association
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
SOURCE: IRS Form 990 Learn more">
American Lung Association
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
SOURCE: IRS Form 990 Learn more">
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
SOURCE: IRS Form 990 Learn more">
This snapshot of American Lung Association’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $18,525,661 | $3,317,069 | $5,912,881 | $2,566,121 | $3,822,628 |
| As % of expenses | 18.8% | 3.3% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 3.3% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $18,147,374 | $2,965,912 | $5,524,898 | $2,177,519 | $3,516,640 |
| As % of expenses | 18.4% | 2.9% | 4.9% | 1.9% | 3.0% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $99,575,226 | $129,392,936 | $108,589,062 | $107,743,323 | $118,682,229 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -4.7% | 29.9% | -16.1% | -0.8% | 10.2% |
| Program services revenue | 7.9% | 1.9% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 4.8% | 4.5% |
| Government grants | 24.5% | 31.5% | 28.1% | 29.8% | 27.1% |
| All other grants and contributions | 58.8% | 55.1% | 63.0% | 58.6% | 53.8% |
| Other revenue | 5.1% | 7.5% | 2.6% | 5.0% | 12.8% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $98,354,274 | $101,575,548 | $112,573,085 | $113,423,978 | $116,586,338 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | -6.9% | 3.3% | 10.8% | 0.8% | 2.8% |
| Personnel | 42.4% | 41.3% | 41.2% | 44.1% | 44.4% |
| Professional fees | 26.4% | 25.6% | 27.6% | 27.2% | 26.7% |
| Occupancy | 4.2% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 12.8% | 13.0% | 12.1% | 11.3% | 11.0% |
| All other expenses | 14.2% | 16.8% | 16.6% | 14.7% | 15.4% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $98,732,561 | $101,926,705 | $112,961,068 | $113,812,580 | $116,892,326 |
| One month of savings | $8,196,190 | $8,464,629 | $9,381,090 | $9,451,998 | $9,715,528 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $1,781,745 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $1,568,862 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $106,928,751 | $111,960,196 | $124,123,903 | $123,264,578 | $126,607,854 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Months of cash and investments | 20.4 | 17.4 | 15.7 | 16.3 | 16.4 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 13.2 | 13.2 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 12.8 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $30,341,221 | $27,358,501 | $17,723,896 | $14,012,617 | $19,871,934 |
| Investments | $136,781,279 | $120,122,477 | $129,437,208 | $140,472,615 | $139,627,148 |
| Receivables | $10,952,635 | $17,319,964 | $18,913,608 | $15,873,955 | $11,315,435 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $20,081,524 | $21,343,030 | $21,386,226 | $18,745,491 | $16,108,589 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 51.1% | 48.3% | 50.0% | 53.1% | 49.9% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 27.7% | 23.0% | 21.2% | 19.7% | 17.8% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $118,316,552 | $121,282,464 | $126,807,362 | $128,984,881 | $132,501,521 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $50,122,189 | $44,381,061 | $47,591,269 | $52,297,718 | $53,007,033 |
| Total net assets | $168,438,741 | $165,663,525 | $174,398,631 | $181,282,599 | $185,508,554 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
American Lung Association
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
American Lung Association
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
American Lung Association
Board of directorsas of 11/12/2025
Board of directors data
Afif El-Hasan DIRECTOR
Anne E Dixon DIRECTOR
Cheryl A Calhoun PAST CHAIR
Claude A Robinson DIRECTOR
Colleen M Mcintosh DIRECTOR
David G Hill CHAIR
Joe Ochipinti DIRECTOR
Johnny A Smith DIRECTOR
Jonathon K Rosen DIRECTOR
Joy Kleinmaier DIRECTOR
Juanita Mora DIRECTOR
Julian Coy DIRECTOR
Laurie M Shelby DIRECTOR
Mark C Johnson Cfa SECRETARY/TREASURER
Michael V Carstens CHAIR-ELECT
Michelle Sylvia Spriggs DIRECTOR
Sean R Muldoon Md Mph Fccp DIRECTOR
Sterling Ql Yee DIRECTOR
Susan B Padernacht Edd Pcc DIRECTOR
Vin Gupta Md Mpa DIRECTOR
Wendy Lawson Mph Rrt DIRECTOR
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Contractors
Fiscal year endingProfessional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
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