The basic balance sheet information for FY 2009-2010 is presented below. For a complete discussion of MAPS 2009-2010 fiscal year see Rick Doblin’s financial report in MAPS Bulletin Volume 20 number 3. You can also read MAPS’ complete IRS Form 990 for 2010 in PDF format. Introduction

In the midst of an economic recession of historic proportions, MAPS FY 09-10 was remarkably successful. Income substantially increased by about 30% as compared to FY 08 - 09, approaching our record year of FY 07-08. When subtracting income from FY 07-08 for groups for which MAPS was the fiscal sponsor, income in FY 09-10 was our best year ever. Income was more than $1.57 million, expenses were more than $1.42 million, and our assets (mostly for upcoming study expenses) totaled $1 million. Total income exceeded the high end of our projected income ($1.45 million), permitting us to exceed our projected expenses ($1.27 million).

There are four primary reasons for this success: 1) the promising results from our U.S. and Swiss MDMA/PTSD pilot studies (and resulting publication of our U.S. study), which justify expanding our research agenda; 2) our outstanding and historic Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century conference; 3) our growing presence in the media which leverages scientific research into public education; and 4) the increasingly skilled and experienced MAPS staff who work efficiently and strategically to conduct research and educate the public honestly about the results of our studies.

MAPS' total income for FY 2009-2010 was $ 1,587,209. As in previous years, we’ve divided MAPS’ income into two categories, donations of $1000 or more, and donations of less than $1000. Income from donors of $1000 or more totaled $895,907. There were 10 donors over $10,000 who collectively donated $791,163, including $200,000 from Ashawna Hailey, $200,000 from John Gilmore, $100,000 from Joby Pritzker, $100,000 from David Bronner, $65,000 from Robert Barnhart, $50,000 from Peter Lewis, $25,000 from the Riverstyx Foundation, $25,000 from the Libra Foundation, $15,000 from Rene and Susan Ruiz, and $11,163 from Kevin Herbert. Support from these 10 donors was essential to MAPS’ ability to work towards our mission.

Income from donors of less than $1000 totaled $150,000, from about 2,200 donors. These smaller donations are more important than they may seem when compared with the donations of $1000 or more. These smaller donations are from a larger number of people who form the primary part of the MAPS community. Our smaller donations create the base of support from which MAPS covers a substantial portion of our operating costs. Many of our larger donors started out as smaller donors and, over time, obtained a better understanding of MAPS' work sufficient to motivate them to become larger donors. It’s often through the word of mouth of smaller donors that larger donors hear about MAPS, our most effective form of advertising. Our smaller donors also help educate MAPS staff about all sorts of matters related to our mission that we would otherwise have missed. I’ve long felt that if everybody who supports MAPS just gives what they can, regardless of the amount, we’ll end up having all the funds we need, and we’ll also benefit from volunteer help through donated time and services.

In addition to direct donations, MAPS brought in event income of $302,256, from our Psychedelic Science conference and other related events. Net income from the conference exceeded our expectations and amounted to $70,206, enabling us to spend about half of that on the post-conference seminar for researchers and on videotaping the conference and placing the videos on our website for free viewing. (The rest is being spent on other educational projects such as this Bulletin.) Income from books, Bulletins, art, and auction sales was $94,972 (including sales from the conference).

Expenses for FY 09-10 amounted to $1,423,347, divided between research, education, operational expenses and capital investments. While MAPS’ goal is to advance our mission, rather than to make a profit, we spent, with this amount primarily funding our MDMA/PTSD research projects that had not yet been fully approved by the end of FY 09-10, such as our U.S. study with veterans and our Canadian, Jordanian, and new Israeli studies.

A chart of all of MAPS expenses for FY 2009-2010 is available in PDF format. The division of expenses in terms of program services, management and general, and fundraising costs is the form required for the IRS Form 990.

The expenses in the chart are divided differently, and are categorized as project expenses (subdivided into research and educational projects), operational expenses (some of which are considered program services in the IRS report such as our website and Bulletin expenses, which are educational, and a substantial portion of staff salaries for work on research projects), product sales, and capital expenses. A summary of MAPS income, expenses, and assets is available in PDF format as well. You can also see a breakdown of MAPS staff salaries.

Total assets at the end of FY 2009-2010 were $ 1,063,857. Of these assets, restricted funds amounted to $ 211,822, unrestricted funds amounted to $ 602,035, and MAPS operational reserve amounted to $250,000. Of the unrestricted funds, $50,000 is not liquid and is from the value of a remainder interest that MAPS was given in a $1 million home that will probably come to MAPS in 30 or 40 years. Of the restricted funds, $ 79,319 is for LSD research; $ 32,912 for psilocybin research; $ 21,973 for the Project Start-Up Fund: UMass Amherst (John Gilmore donated $ 100,000 to enable MAPS to fund initial costs of projects in early stages before other donors are likely to feel the projects are solid enough to justify support, ideally with the fund replenished if projects start); $ 50,273 is for the Jordanian MDMA/PTSD Psychotherapy Study, $ 10,364 for the Marijuana Vaporizer Study (which we have been unable to conduct since NIDA refuses to sell 10 grams for this study), $ 14,916 for Ibogaine Research (Mexico), $1000 for a Creativity Study, and $1000 for a Ketamine Study.

The restricted funds are summarized on this balance sheet available in PDF format. Besides in the Bulletin a listing of all MAPS Projects is also available in both PDF and HTML formats.

This year we also provided 3 charts projecting MAPS current fiscal year into the future. These cover our projected expenses, projected project costs, and our projected fiscal position at the end of FY 2010-11.

A chart presenting comparative results for the financial years 2002 - 2010 is available in PDF format.

Concluding Comments

The promising outcomes and resulting publication from MAPS’ U.S. MDMA/PTSD study, our long-term follow-up to our U.S. MDMA/PTSD study, and our Swiss MDMA/PTSD study provide powerful and compelling justification for expanding our international series of MDMA/PTSD studies. Our Swiss LSD/end-of-life study is still in process, as is our ibogaine outcome study, and both of these studies are likely to generate data that will suggest further research is in order. Unfortunately, our efforts to conduct research with medical marijuana are still fundamentally obstructed by the federal monopoly on the supply of marijuana available for FDA-regulated research projects.

When evaluated comprehensively and realistically, MAPS needs to continue to grow in order to fulfill our mission of developing psychedelics and marijuana into FDA-approved prescription medicines. Our growth will require finding new donors and retaining current ones. The pace of my travel has accelerated in conjunction with the expansion of our opportunities, and I’ll travel almost anywhere to meet potential large donors. Should anyone reading this financial report be able and willing to introduce me to potential large donors, please contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and we will make arrangements. MAPS has also benefited greatly from bequests, such as from Larry Thomas, whose bequest of about $400,000 will be received by MAPS in FY 10-11. For an insight into what motivated Larry to leave such a large bequest to MAPS, you can read an interview with him on page 32 of this Bulletin. Should anyone want to make a bequest to MAPS, please let us know so we can discuss whether you would prefer for your bequest to be restricted to any specific area or to be unrestricted. Of course, we’ll also encourage you to make smaller donations to MAPS while you can still see and be proud of the outcomes of your donations and we can thank you directly. For more information about making a bequest, please visit our website at: http://www.maps.org/bequests.

A major positive shift in the way Western culture sees psychedelic and medical marijuana research is in process. Part of this shift is due to the magnitude of the need for new treatments for PTSD and for new ways to help people navigate the profound challenge of facing death. Part of this shift is also due to the rather astonishing amount of favorable media coverage focusing on ongoing scientific studies with psychedelics and the increase in research showing beneficial results with patients from marijuana extracts and occasionally from marijuana itself, smoked or vaporized.

One example of this shift in the media is a thoughtful and favorable article about MDMA/PTSD research that will be published in O Magazine (Oprah Winfrey’s magazine) in early 2011, an outlet that is about as mainstream as there is. What makes this article such a good example of the shift in the media is that a decade ago, in 2001, Oprah devoted an entire television show to the risks of Ecstasy, featuring a brain scan that had first been shown on MTV that was digitally manipulated to display a series of major holes in the brain supposedly from MDMA, an image that was fraudulent yet powerful.

At the time, Oprah asked a young woman in the audience who had used Ecstasy at parties whether she would stop using if her brain had holes in it like the image broadcast during the show. When the young woman agreed that holes in her brain would persuade her not to use Ecstasy, Oprah offered her a brain scan and said the results would be broadcast on another show. This young woman contacted MAPS the day after the show and I encouraged her to accept the offer of a brain scan, but not from the people who created the holes in the brain image. The young woman went ahead with the scan and–as we knew would be the case–there were no holes. Unfortunately, there was also no second show on Oprah. Since this is now Oprah’s last year for her TV show, we’re trying to see if she would be willing to follow the article in O Magazine with the long-promised second show.

With your continued support of MAPS, we’ll continue to work toward developing psychedelics and marijuana into FDA-approved prescription medicines, for the benefit of many individuals and our entire society.

Normally, MAPS publishes a detailed report of its annual income and expenditures in the calendar year's final issue of the Bulletin. Last December, in a departure from tradition, MAPS published a special issue of the Bulletin with the theme of Psychedelics and Creativity. We wanted to keep the special issue focused on that topic and decided to publish the annual financial report for FY 99-00 in the first issue of this year.

PDF version of this document    PDF version of IRS Form 990 for 2000

You can read this report in its original form here.

Of MAPS' $379,423 in net assets at the close of FY 99-00, $40,000 is not available for use but represents the net present value of MAPS' remainder interest in a home that MAPS will receive in its entirety in forty to fifty years. Roughly $200,000 will be needed for the MDMA/PTSD research project MAPS is seeking to initiate in the United States, should it be approved (which I expect it will be). About $100,000 will be needed for the medical marijuana production facility MAPS is trying to establish should lightening strike and DEA permission is actually granted for this project.

As a matter of fiscal strategy, MAPS will seek to raise new funds for all projects in development that do become approved. If new funds can be obtained for approved projects, MAPS can retain some net assets along with the ability to guarantee funding to additional pioneering studies in the development phase, should they also become approved. Of course, MAPS can only pledge to fund projects whose cost is lower than MAPS' unallocated assets.

The major way I look at MAPS' net assets is in comparison with the estimated cost of achieving MAPS' primary goal, that being to obtain FDA approval for the medical use of MDMA as an adjunct to psychotherapy. Based on what I believe are reasonable financial assumptions, I've estimated that it will cost $5 million and take 5 years to conduct sufficient research to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of patients suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (see the Clinical Plan at: /research/mdmaplan.html.) From this perspective, MAPS' current net assets are sufficient only for the first steps of this clinical plan. However, I've always believed, and so far have had that belief confirmed, that funding can and will be obtained for all the successive steps in the research process, once the protocols are fully approved and ready to be implemented.

Now that I have completed my dissertation, I feel a bit more wind in my sails. Simultaneously, the social breezes are shifting directions somewhat. With skill and patience, it's possible to create increasingly greater opportunities to advance MAPS' agenda. As the teamwork between MAPS' staff and our membership continues to develop and expand, MAPS becomes more effective. I'm reminded yet again of Theodore Hertzl's inspiring words, "If you will it, it is no dream."

Fiscal Year June 1, 1998 - May 31, 1999 (FY 98-99) was another year of significant accomplishments. More than twice as much money was devoted to educational projects than to research projects, due in part to continued struggles to obtain permission for research. Staff time was more evenly divided between educational and research efforts, primarily because working to resolve and overcome bureaucratic obstacles to research requires more time and effort than money.

MAPS' efforts on behalf of research bore fruit this summer - after the close of MAPS' FY 98-99 - with three FDA decisions which we reported in the last Bulletin (Vol. IX No. 3). First, the FDA approved MAPS' application to have marijuana designated an Orphan Drug for AIDS wasting. Second, the FDA approved Dr. Ethan Russo's MAPS-supported marijuana/migraine protocol. Finally, the FDA decided to permit Dr. Charles Grob to move forward with a MAPS- supported study of MDMA in cancer patients, with the exact protocol design still to be negotiated.

You can read this report in its original form here.

MAPS' net assets were $351,701 as of May 31, 1999. Of this amount, $80,000 is restricted to specific research and educational projects. These sums need to be subtracted from net assets when considering MAPS' unrestricted funds available for new projects or organizational expenses. MAPS' goal as a non-profit organization is not to increase its net assets, but to advance its mission. Nevetheless, having some net assets gives MAPS the ability to commit to support high- priority projects and gives a measure of stability in the face of fluctuating contributions from its membership.

Scientifically, FY 98-99 was a year in which several groundbreaking studies were conducted, most notably Dr. Krupitsky's study of the use of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of heroin addicts, and the UC San Francisco study of Dr. Donald Abrams, in which the effects of marijuana in HIV patients is being evaluated. A fascinating study of Salvia divinorum and meditation was started, and a medical marijuana potency study was completed, both at little financial cost. A follow-up study to the LSD research of Dr. Janiger was completed and a follow-up study to the LSD research of Dr. Bastiaans was initiated.

A great deal of energy was spent trying to obtain permission for MDMA research projects around the world, for Dr. Russo's marijuana/migraine study in the United States, and for MAPS' application to have marijuana declared on Orphan Drug for AIDS wasting syndrome. The results of this effort can be seen in the FDA's final approval of Dr. Russo's study, which took place in FY 99-2000, and FDA approval of MAPS' application to have marijuana declared an Orphan Drug for AIDS wasting syndrome, which also took place in FY 99-2000.

MAPS' work on behalf of MDMA research can be measured by whether approvals will be granted in FY 99-2000 for MDMA psychotherapy projects in the United States, Israel and Spain.

Educationally, MAPS reached out to more people than ever through its Bulletin, various web site projects, e-mail discussion group, book publication efforts, and membership drive. MAPS supported the Psychedelic Elders conference and began planning a major international scientific conference on the clinical use of MDMA.

Financially, MAPS raised a substantial amount of money that enabled it to support a wide range of projects. MAPS' net assets were $351,701 as of May 31, 1999. Of these assets, $80,000 are restricted to specific research and educational projects and need to be subtracted from net assets when considering MAPS' unrestricted funds available for new projects or organizational expenses. These restricted sums will probably all be allocated in FY 99-2000.

MAPS' work load and range of projects increased, and with it the need to increase the amount of unrestricted donations that MAPS can use for organizational expenses. The disappointing results of the direct mail membership campaign means that MAPS needs to rely on its current members to remain supportive and to assist MAPS staff in outreach efforts to locate new people who share MAPS' vision and goals and are willing to become formally involved as new MAPS members. Current MAPS members are an unusual group of people willing to support efforts to make this vision of the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana into a reality. After MAPS succeeds in obtaining FDA permission for psychedelic psychotherapy research in the United States, research which has not taken place for over 25 years, it may prove easier to motivate people to support MAPS and the projects for which it has managed to obtain approval.

This past year has been one of significant accomplishments, among the most important being the building of a more mutually satisfactory working relationship with the FDA. I hope and expect that FY 99-2000 will see a continued improvement in MAPS' relationship with regulatory bodies around the world.

Comments or questions from MAPS members concerning this annual report are invited. Only with the continued support of its members can MAPS build in FY 99-2000 on the efforts expended since MAPS was founded in 1986. MAPS is deeply grateful for the past generosity of MAPS' membership. We will do our best to be worthy of your renewed support.

MAPS IRS Form 990 for 1998 in PDF format

Fiscal Year June 1, 1997 -- May 31, 1998 (FY 97-98) was a strong year for MAPS with a combination of important accomplishments and, not unexpectedly, some difficult struggles and set-backs. Financially, MAPS' budget grew 15% from FY 96-97, permitting it to support a wide variety of projects. Income was substantial but was less than half of what it was in FY 96-97, when MAPS received an extraordinary one-time donation of $329,000 from the estate of Eric Bass. After subtracting the value of Eric Bass' donation from FY 96- 97 income, income from FY 97-98 was almost exactly the same as in FY 96-97. Eric Bass' generosity has greatly expanded the capabilities of MAPS as an organization and will enable MAPS to be a catalyst of psychedelic and marijuana research for years to come. MAPS membership has also continued to grow gradually. The increased workload from projects and membership required the addition of a third full-time staff member, Carla Higdon, who had previously been working part-time. MAPS is quite fortunate to have someone of Carla's skills and dedication join the organization.

FY 97-98 was a year of gradual growth in membership and the start of exciting new projects, particularly the initiation of Dr. Abrams' study of the effects of marijuana in AIDS patients, and the opening of an effort to conduct MDMA research in Israel. Dr. Krupitsky's ketamine/heroin addiction study also continued to move forward and generate promising results. It was also a frustrating year since the MDMA/cancer patient study was still not approved by the FDA and MAPS' other medical marijuana project, by Dr. Ethan Russo, was rejected for the second time by the National Institutes of Health. MAPS' workload increased as did its staff. Educational efforts received more attention than ever before, and MAPS published its first book, The Secret Chief. Valuable lessons were learned from the failure of the direct mail membership campaign and another effort to increase membership is in process. All told, its was a satisfying year that has laid the groundwork for what we hope will be a new year of dramatic progress.

You can read this report in its original form here.

Comments or questions from MAPS members concerning this annual report are invited. Only with the continued support of its members can MAPS continue to build in FY 97-98 on its successes of FY 96-97.

This past fiscal year, which ran from June 1, 1995 to May 31, 1996, was MAPS' tenth and most successful ever in terms of both fund-raising and membership. I believe that at least part of this increasing success can be attributed to MAPS' accountability, as evidenced by the detailed disclosure of our income and expenditures in an explanatory article printed annually in the MAPS newsletter. With this information, MAPS members can determine how their money is being spent and can judge for themselves whether the pattern of expenditures satisfies their criteria for the productive use of their charitable donations.

Another reason for the growth in donations to MAPS is our willingness to devote 100% of a donation to a specific purpose if the donor so desires, without subtracting any percentage for operating expenses. For MAPS to be able to offer this option, a sufficient number of MAPS members must be willing to make unrestricted donations that can be used for operating expenses. The policy of encouraging restricted gifts is thus dependent upon the determination of hundreds of individual members that the overall spending priorities of MAPS are consistent with their vision for this organization.

You can read this report in its original form here.

FY 95-96 was the best ever for MAPS in financial terms. In terms of MAPS' goals, however, the year was decidedly mixed. The most important accomplishment was the conclusion of Dr. Grob's Phase 1 MDMA safety study, which successfully laid the groundwork for future studies into the therapeutic potential of MDMA. This accomplishment alone made the entire year a great success.

A very disappointing setback was the continued suppression of Dr. Abrams' FDA-approved study into the use of marijuana in the treatment of the AIDS wasting syndrome. MAPS has now been trying for over four years without success to sponsor research into the medical use of marijuana. It seems that progress in the medical marijuana issue is dependent not on science but rather on politics. MAPS will particularly be watching the fate at the ballot box of California Proposition 215, which would legalize the right of patients or their primary caregivers to grow marijuana for medical purposes with the recommendation of a physician.

Also disappointing was NIDA's shortsighted decision not to fund Phase 1 human studies with ibogaine, even though the data from several million dollars worth of NIDA-funded animal studies suggested to many independent scientists that ibogaine might indeed have anti-addiction potential at acceptable levels of risk.

Despite the disappointments, and actually because of them, the need for an organization like MAPS is clear. MAPS will thrive to the extent that it can continue to weave together the support of a large number of small donors, a small number of large donors, the efforts of several committed physicians and researchers who invest their time in psychedelic and marijuana research, and the courageous actions of some government regulators who are willing to place science and human needs over the excesses of the War on Drugs.

You can read this report in its original form here.

The amount of money in MAPS’ bank account at the end of the year rose to the rather astonishing sum of $55,946.58.  Of this sum, $48,820 was restricted for specific research projects.  By the time you read this report, several months after the close of MAPS’ fiscal year, $1,568 of the restricted funds will have been spent on the Nicaraguan project, and $8,000 will have been spent on the water pipe/vaporization study.  At the time of this writing, $39,252 remains earmarked for specific research projects

MAPS had a balance of $7,126.58 in unrestricted operating funds at the end of the fiscal year.  Most of this sum has now been spent on this newsletter and to pay for operating expenses.

There you have it, MAPS’ financial report for FY 93-94.  MAPS continues to
grow as does its research agenda, responsibilities, and membership.  With
your continued support, and that of new members who share an interest in
MAPS’ priorities, the report from FY 94-95 will demonstrate even more
accomplishments.  This year’s priorities are to spend our current
carryover funds, get MAPS’ operating budget on a more secure footing, and
raise $160,000 for Dr. Grob’s study of the use of MDMA to reduce pain and
distress in terminal cancer patients.  With your help, it can be done!

At the beginning of this fiscal year, MAPS had about 350 members and $897 in the bank. By the end of the fiscal year, MAPS' membership had doubled to 707 and its balance was $46,066 (consisting of $32,066 in cash and $14,000 in receivables related to MAPS' co-sponsorship of the 50th anniversary of LSD conferences-see pages 34-37 and 52-56). Of MAPS' assets, $37,000 is restricted to specific research projects and $9,066 is available for other research projects and general operating expenses. (The expenses associated with this newsletter will reduce MAPS' non-restricted funds to about $6,000.) MAPS' total income grew in FY 1992 from $28,860 (see MAPS Newsletter, Vol III, #3) to $113,962. Growth stemmed from increased membership donations, gross receipts of about $24,000 from admission fees to the 50th Anniversary conferences and, for the first time in MAPS' seven-year history, foundation grants. MAPS would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge with appreciation grants of $30,000 from the Dartington Hall Trust's Nicholas Carr-Saunders Fund (restricted to MDMA research in Russia) and $2,000 from the Tides Foundation's Breath and Smile Fund for general operating expenses.

MAPS' ability to cover its organizational expenses from membership donations permits it to offer donors the opportunity to direct 100% of their donations to research projects of their choice. This strategy seems to me to be the key to MAPS' fundraising success.

You can read this report in its original form here.

You can read this report in its original form here.

The following categories had no expenditures this fiscal year. Public Relations/Ads, Salaries, Grants, DEA Hearings, MDMA Animal Studies, MDMA Human Studies at Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Yale and in Switzerland, and Medical Marijuana.

* This loan was a no-interest loan made primarily to cover the expenses of the Swiss Conference. The expenses paid for by the loan are largely reflected in last yearns Swiss Conference expenditures of $26,600. Outstanding debt from FY91-92 is a no-interest loan from Rick Doblin made on 4/13/92 in the amount of $400.

Please note, the finandal statement does not reflect a great deal of time donated by Gary Bravo, Charles Grob, Jim McQuade and numerous others in the preparation of the MDMA protocol, by a dedicated graphic designer to the MAPS newsletter, as well as many other volunteers.

As you can see, MAPS has operated on a lean budget this year. The year's primary project has been to secure FDA approval for MDMA research. Everyone who worked on this project donated their time for free and as President, I have taken no salary. Now that we have secured permission to conduct MDMA research, however, the work takes on the nature of a full-time job. People will need to make greater time commitments to the project and will need financial assistance.

I will be taking a leave of absence from the Ph.D. program in Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government to work full time on MAPS. At the last MAPS Board of Directors meeting, I received authorization for a salary of up to $1,000 a month, an amount I hope your contributions will support.

At this time, I am guessing that MAPS will need to raise $120,000 or so to conduct three MDMA research projects. These include two experiments in the US directed by Dr. Charles Grob, one with healthy volunteers and the other with pancreatic cancer patients, and one study in Russia (for which we hope to receive permission soon) to be directed by Dr. Krupitsky using alcoholics as subjects. I will prepare more exact cost estimates after we finalize the protocols, hopefully by October. While I will also seek foundation and government funding, I am less than optimistic at this time. Just giving us permission is a fantastic step forward for the government. I think we will be expected to have proved ourselves worthy by generating solid data before we can expect significant outside funding or government grants. Your financial support, therefore, is decisive. And just think, isn't it much easier to donate money for MDMA research rather than spinal fluid, which is what I have asked for in the past?