Understood 2023 Annual Report

Understood is a nonprofit proudly dedicated to supporting people with learning and thinking differences — a diverse community of 70 million people in the United States alone.

Shaping the world for difference.

At Understood, our mission is to shape the world for difference so people with learning and thinking differences like dyslexia and ADHD can thrive. We offer content, connection, and conversation for people when they need it and through the key stages of their lives, reaching more than 20 million people a year.

Understood is the only nonprofit solely dedicated to supporting this diverse community, which includes 70 million people in the United States alone.

When Understood was established a decade ago, the neurodiversity landscape looked very different than it does now. The idea that began in the autism community — that there’s no “right way” for the brain to work and that differences should be accepted as part of the norm — was just entering the mainstream.

Fast-forward 10 years, and that landscape has changed dramatically, due in part to our groundbreaking work at Understood. The movement has broadened to include people with learning and thinking differences like dyslexia and ADHD, and more people than ever are reaching out for information, community, and support.

Between 2019 and 2023, the volume of Google searches for ADHD rose 141% in the United States. In 2023, TikTok’s hashtag #neurodivergent had more than 11 billion views, and Google had 62,000 monthly searches for “do I have ADHD?” and related search terms in the United States alone.

Our digital resources, programs, and partnerships have played an important role in bringing about some of the shifts we’re seeing now. Our work is far from done, however. While awareness has grown, many in our community still lack the resources, understanding, and support they need, especially people who are marginalized for other aspects of their identity as well.

Understood is committed to ensuring that people with learning and thinking differences are fully included in society and have equal access to opportunity. In 2023, we greatly expanded our resources and partnership programs to increase our impact and reach. We also began developing groundbreaking initiatives that address gaps in knowledge and support for people with learning and thinking differences.

We know that without more resources, greater understanding, and significant changes to the structure of our society, people with differences are less able to reach their potential and avoid poor outcomes.

Our vision

The world we live in isn’t designed for neurodivergence. Because of that, tens of millions of people in the United States who learn and think differently don’t get the support they need. The consequences can be devastating for individuals. And they can last a lifetime.

But imagine a world where parents have the tools to advocate for their child at school and manage the struggles at home. Where families, educators, and health care providers understand the challenges and work together to provide the best support. Where employers embrace neurodiversity and employees get the supports they need to do their best work.

Imagine a world shaped for difference.

At Understood, we work every day to make that world a reality. Our mission is to bring about change that leads to inclusion, equity, and opportunity for people with differences.

Each year, we reach 20 million people worldwide with a wide range of tools, resources, programs, and more. In 2023, we launched and developed new mission-critical programs to increase our reach and impact.

Our goal is to support 100 million people on the path to thriving by 2030.
That includes people who have learning differences and ADHD, along with those who support them.

Community pulse check

We know that our resources make a big difference in the lives of kids who learn and think differently — and in their parents’ lives. Our 2023 impact study showed that 100% of parents who used Understood felt better about their parenting. They reported feeling:

Knowledgeable: 82%. Validated: 63%. Prepared: 52%. Optimistic: 53%.

Parents also reported that their kids were more resilient, self-aware, and likely to use tools to help with their challenges. And kids of Understood users were more likely to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Our financials

2023 revenue total: $40,918,427. $400,000 from corporate and public partnerships. $838,930 from individual giving. $14,979,497 from grants. $24,700,700 from donor-advised fund. In-kind media contributions: $1,200,00.
2023 expenditures: $41,500,500. $32,100,000 related to program services. $2,800,00 related to fundraising. $6,600,000 general and administrative costs.

We couldn’t have gotten here without the generous donors, funders, and partners who share our mission. But we’re far from done.

In 2023 we reclassified Understood as a 501(c)(3) charity. That decision allows us to receive support from a broader range of sources — from generous individual donors and charitable foundations to government agencies and corporate partners. It also gives us greater freedom in how we develop and deliver new programs and solutions for the communities we serve.

Our approach

We approach our work in two ways. One, we empower individuals to thrive with their learning and thinking differences. Two, we change how the world interacts with people who learn and think differently, helping people and organizations embrace difference.

In 2023, we teamed with key partners on new programs and campaigns designed to increase awareness and understanding of learning differences and ADHD.

We used expert-driven qualitative and quantitative research to gain new insights into how people with learning differences experience the world and how we can best support them.

One area we explored was gender differences in how people experienced ADHD. Research shows that men are diagnosed with ADHD twice as often as women are, and that women have poorer outcomes because of this lack of diagnosis. This work helped us lay the foundation for a major new initiative aimed at women with ADHD and dyslexia.

As part of that work, we conducted our own proprietary studies and meta-analysis reviews. We also talked with hundreds of people who are impacted by learning differences and ADHD. They include adults, kids, parents, teachers, and health care providers.

One thing we learned was that we need to close gaps in research. Most of what’s known about ADHD and dyslexia is based on research with mostly male samples.

Understood by the numbers

Number of articles, printables, podcast episodes, and other resources we offer in English, with many also available in Spanish. Our articles are expert-reviewed and use plain language, making them accessible to all users, including people with reading or focus challenges.

Experts we work with. They represent a wide range of fields — from education to neuropsychology and more. Our experts review our content, advise on podcasts (and sometimes appear on them), and help us develop new products and solutions that are evidence-based. For example, a few Understood Experts helped with the creation of the Wunder Exercises we developed last year, which are part of a 2024 evolution of our app.

People we interviewed and surveyed to get real-life insight into the diverse experiences of living with learning and thinking differences. That information is just one of the forms of research that drives the work we do.

Our impact

Increase thriving, Reduce stigma, Drive advocacy

In 2023, we expanded our efforts on all fronts. Our work was guided by a framework that’s grounded in behavioral science and focused on three “pillars of change.”

1. Increase thriving

Our community knows us for expert-vetted resources, and as a place to gain knowledge and find community. Every year, we strive to meet their needs through new or improved approaches and products. In 2023, we launched these programs and products to reach targeted audiences:

Digital destination for Latino families

Partnering with UnidosUS with funding from Oak Foundation, we created a hub of content on Understood.org specifically for Latino families. The hub contains a library of more than 70 pieces of new, updated, and existing culturally responsive Spanish-language content. This content is also amplified across our community channels, like our Spanish-language Facebook group, for greater reach.

Digital destination for pediatricians

We teamed with the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) to create a toolkit to help health care providers engage with families of kids with ADHD and learning challenges. We also created a hub of content for pediatricians on Understood.org. This is our second program with the AAP. The first is the Take N.O.T.E. tool that helps parents and teachers recognize challenges in kids. Since its launch, Take N.O.T.E. has reached more than 2.5 million parents and health care providers in the United States.

Digital destination for educators

To give educators easy access to the information they need, we created an audience-specific destination on our website. We curated the many resources — articles, tools, downloads — we provide to help educators understand learning and thinking differences, partner with parents, and discover proven instruction strategies to help students with learning and thinking differences thrive.

Wunder evolution

2023 was a year of growth and significant expansion of our app for parents and caregivers. Throughout the year, our Wunder experts provided high-quality answers to our community members, with a 90% expert response rate in our “Ask an expert” groups.

Wunder had 10,072 posts across 22 community groups. In a survey of parents, 3 out of 4 said they found a new way to help their child, and 9 out of 10 felt less lonely as a result of using Wunder.

In 2023, we added more ways for families to get support:

7 Facebook Live events hosted by our Wunder experts. 26 articles, podcasts, and videos created or reviewed by Wunder experts. 9 new toolkits in the Resources tab, created directly from user feedback. 2 Facebook Community Groups (one in English and one in Spanish) for parents to find community and get access to our experts.

In Q3, we launched Wunder for Android, extending our reach significantly and bringing much needed support to many more parents and caregivers.

We also tested a behavioral offering called Wunder Exercises. The exercises include techniques and skillbuilding activities developed by psychologists to help parents confidently handle their child’s big emotions. The response was very positive, and we began developing an evolution of the app for 2024 (rebranded as the Understood App) focused on helping parents navigate these challenges.

2. Reduce stigma

Three people from Understood.org's stigma-reducing campaign.

We’ve learned so much about ADHD and learning disorders like dyslexia in recent years. But misperceptions and bias still exist, keeping people from seeking the help and support they need to thrive.

At Understood, we know that reducing stigma and increasing understanding is key to driving change. In 2023, we made inroads into stigma reduction through our expanding podcast network and our growing presence on social media. Both programs allow neurodivergent people to find community, share their experiences, and be heard.

Driven by data, our social media strategy evolved in 2023. The results were dramatic. By responding to the needs of our different audiences and using best channel practices, we reached 862,000 followers on our social channels — a 21.4% increase over 2022. Those gains were largely due to our introduction of TikTok, and strong performance on Meta platforms (Instagram and Facebook).

Each of our channels serves a different purpose and addresses specific audience needs:

Facebook speaks to our largest audience — parents. It highlights challenges, offers solutions, and validates personal experiences. The parents are farther along in their journey with their child.
TikTok and Instagram attract and speak to audiences earlier in the journey. TikTok lets us swiftly adapt content and react to trends, while Instagram gives us another format and different opportunities to provide tips and solutions for different ages.
Our Facebook Groups (English and Spanish) foster Q&As and community dialogue on a weekly basis. We use that to create culturally relevant content that answers their questions.

In 2023, we also launched a stigma-busting social media campaign for National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. The “Many Faces of Learning Disabilities” campaign celebrates differences by featuring 16 people with learning differences and ADHD sharing their experiences. It was covered in 406 new outlets, with a potential audience of more than 44.1 million people.

Here are two other campaigns we launched in 2023 in collaboration with our partners:

Wired Differently

We teamed with iHeartMedia on a national radio campaign that promotes neurodiversity and increases understanding and awareness.

Some of us are wired differently. But all of us can thrive with the right support. For families of neurodivergent kids, that means having a trusted community to turn to for strategies, inspiration, and advice. Partners like iHeartMedia help us shape the world for difference.

Thanks to a $738,000 in-kind media donation from iHeartMedia, we shared inclusive messages of support with nearly 70 million listeners. Public service announcements on iHeartMedia drive listeners to the iHeartMedia page on Understood.org.

#MyLearningDifference

Understood teamed with the Young Adults Network to empower preteen and teenage students who learn and think differently, tapping into a network of young neurodivergent social media influencers.

We know that self-advocacy can make the difference between being stuck and thriving. Young adults are often their own best advocates — if they have the right support and opportunities.

#MyLearningDifference amplified the voices and stories of young adults with differences. The goal was to spark conversations in middle schools and high schools around the country about the importance of self-advocacy in students.

Thanks to our partnership with the Educating All Learners Alliance, our message reached 444,000 social media users.

Strategic initiative

Growing our podcast network

Logos for Understood.org's podcast network.

Our podcasts, designed for a range of audiences, struck a tremendous chord with listeners in 2023. “It’s great to know others have gone through similar things.” “I am just so thankful for podcasts like yours.” “It’s made me feel so validated.”

The five podcasts — ADHD Aha!, The Opportunity Gap, How’d You Get THAT Job?!, In It, and Understood Explains — were so successful that we began planning a suite of new podcasts for 2024 as part of a major initiative aimed at women.

In 2023, our podcasts had: 107 published episodes, 523K+ downloads, 209K+ unique listeners, 31K+ followers, 235K+ YouTube channel views.

Our listeners are engaged and our year-over-year growth tells us we’re on the right path.

Audio hours listened: Up 129% form 2022, with 58,086 hours listened. YouTube hours listened: Up 289% from 2022, with 26,008 hours listened.

The success of our podcasts shows the power of personal storytelling. It’s why we put an emphasis on sharing the experiences and perspectives of people living with difference.

For example, on ADHD Aha!, you can listen to Weston Gardner talking about ADHD drain and learning to celebrate tiny victories. Or Jeannie Ferguson sharing what goes on in her brain when she tries to clean up her home.

The authentic and honest voices of ADHD Aha! deeply resonated with listeners. By the end of 2023, the podcast had 15,406 followers.

3. Drive advocacy

All of us have roles to play in shaping the world for difference. We engage our community to expand our mission through advocacy in many forms. By advocating for greater understanding, more support, and inclusion and equity for people with learning and thinking differences, our community of advocates is making the world a more inclusive place. Here are some examples of how we spurred others to action.

Earning donations from mission-aligned individuals: Donations to Understood, large and small, help us continue and expand our work in support of the 70 million people in the United States with learning and thinking differences. We take seriously our responsibility to earn and be good stewards of these critical contributions. Our donors are champions of our community and ambassadors for our mission.

Empowering supporters and influencers: Engaging and empowering the professionals who work closely with families can directly improve the lives and futures of children with learning and thinking differences. These professionals are some of the earliest and most influential advocates a child can have. So last year, we created digital destinations on our website for educators and for health care providers. Each group now has ready access to information and tools that will help them help children thrive.

Collaborating with partners and funders: The projects we do with our partners let us provide specific audiences with tools and knowledge they need to improve lives. Our partners help extend our ability to support people of all ages and backgrounds with learning and thinking differences. A key example is the NeuroEquity Research Collaborative (NERC), where a grant from Scarlet Feather Fund allowed us to pull together key groups to advance research into ADHD and underserved communities, including women.

Storytelling to shift public perception: By leveraging the power of first-person storytelling, grounded in behavioral science, we can build the confidence of individuals, increase awareness and understanding, and reduce stigmas around learning and thinking differences — ultimately shifting mindsets and behaviors to improve outcomes. Through our videos, podcasts, and large-scale cause-marketing campaigns, we are catalysts for everyday actions that help all of us to thrive.

Strategic initiative

The NeuroEquity Research Collaborative (NERC)

In 2023, we established the NeuroEquity Research Collaborative (NERC) with generous support from the Scarlet Feather Fund. NERC includes a group of leading researchers, experts in neurodivergence, equity-oriented and community-based organizations, thought leaders and advocates, and other key stakeholders.

The goal of this program is to advance equitable conditions for neurodivergent people, especially those who experience compounded marginalization based on other aspects of their identity. With learning differences significantly understudied, the collaborative aims to fill gaps in research on neurodivergence to advance equity.

This group of partners is committed to initiating an equity-centered research base from which the field can build. It includes:

Logos for UnidosUS, Kessler Foundation, Promise Project, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Learning Heroes, and Great Schools.

At Understood, we recognized the urgent need for more research on neurodivergence and marginalization. And we took action. We charged ourselves with bringing together stakeholders, creating urgency, undertaking new research across a range of methodologies, influencing the field of research, and amplifying findings to create meaningful change.

For more information on partnerships, please contact us at partnerships@understood.org or visit our partnerships page.

2023 awards

Our hugely impactful stigma-reduction campaign, “Be the Reason,” launched in 2022. It received great recognition in 2023, winning 15 awards:

2023 International Hermes Creative Awards (1)
2023 International Viddy Awards (4)
2023 International dotCOMM Awards (7)

2023 PRDaily Nonprofit Communications Awards (1)
2023 OMMA Awards (1)
2023 Shorty Impact Awards (1)

Our ADHD Aha! podcast, aimed at reducing stigma and increasing community for people with ADHD, was also recognized with four awards in 2023:

Board members + Supporters

We couldn’t do our crucial work without the help and dedication of our board members, leadership team, and supporters.

Board members

Nancy Poses

Chair of the Board and Secretary

Nancy Poses is vice chairman for the Whitney Museum. She has dedicated her life to shaping the world for difference. Poses is co-founder of Understood and has been instrumental in its launch and development. Before that, she played an active role with the National Center for Learning Disabilities for 15 years.

Poses is also the driving force behind the Poses Family Foundation, which focuses on initiatives related to learning and thinking differences, education, literacy, and assistive technology. She serves on the board of trustees at the Riverview School, from which her son Max graduated. She is a member of the board of directors at PASE (Partnership for After School Education) and at the Drawing Center. She holds a master of education degree in counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Laurie Siegel

Laurie Siegel serves as the president of LAS Advisory Services to develop and execute high-performance organizational structures, teams, and reward systems. She has served as a business and human resources consultant since 2012 after retiring from Tyco International Ltd., where she served as chief human resources officer. Siegel has also held executive positions with Honeywell International Inc. and Avon Products and was a principal of Strategic Compensation Associates.

Mary Beth Gustafsson

Mary Beth Gustafsson serves as business advisor at ITT. She joined ITT in 2014 to serve as senior vice president, general counsel of ITT. She previously served as general counsel and secretary and chief compliance officer for First Solar. Gustafsson formerly held senior legal leadership positions at Trane Inc. (formerly American Standard Companies Inc.), including general counsel and secretary, as well as at Honeywell International Inc. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in English literature from Boston University and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan.

Kenneth deRegt

Kenneth deRegt joined Neuberger Berman in 2018, where he serves as the COO for Fixed Income and Manager of Issuer. Prior to this work, deRegt was the managing director and the global head of fixed income sales and trading at Morgan Stanley, and served on its management committee.

In February 2008, deRegt rejoined Morgan Stanley from Aetos Capital, where he was a managing director. He serves on the board of directors of Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Inc. and KKR Financial. He is also a member of the advisory board of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and the former board chair for the Eagle Hill School. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Stanford University.

Mary Quick

Mary Quick is a philanthropist dedicated to child education and welfare. Her efforts are focused toward organizations that support and cultivate the needs of underprivileged and disabled children by placing them in equal-opportunity environments.

Through her participation on multiple boards, Quick has been influential in helping children with learning disabilities succeed at school, at home, and in the community. As a board member, she helps to establish policies, oversee practices for internal operations, hire and evaluate officers, and ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards. With the rest of the board, she will serve as a steward of the financial and reputational assets of Understood, governing in a manner that is consistent with its mission and charitable purpose.

Justin Gray

Justin Gray is the president and CEO of Gray Global Advisors LLC (GGA), a full-service business advisory firm that specializes in the strategic implementation of government affairs and business consulting services for public and private corporations, foreign governments, educational institutions, trade associations, foundations, and nonprofits. He leads the operations of the firm’s numerous practice areas and is responsible for the management of the Washington, D.C., office.

Gray also serves as chairman of the board of trustees for the Riverview School in East Sandwich, Massachusetts, a coeducational residential school for children with complex learning and cognitive disabilities.

Michael Kosnitzky

Michael Kosnitzky, co-leader of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s Private Client and Family Office practice, advises some of the world’s most well-respected individuals, families, and privately held businesses, using a holistic risk-assessment approach to the law. Pillsbury is a 153-year-old international law firm with 19 offices around the world, including in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Austin, Houston, Miami, Palm Beach, London, Beijing, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

Kosnitzky focuses his practice on structuring family offices, federal tax law, estate and trust planning, family foundations and charitable giving, structuring private aircraft ownership, art and collectibles matters, legacy real estate planning, and other legal matters of interest to the wealthy.

Jake Poses

Treasurer of the Board

Jake Poses has created, counseled, and led teams at some of the world’s most promising emerging digital products. He is the director of product at LinkedIn, where he drives the video, creator, and events experience. Previously, Poses was co-founder and CEO of Jumprope, a place where passionate and knowledgeable makers are able to create and share step-by-step videos on topics ranging from cooking to fitness, beauty, and more. Additionally, he was on the executive team and acted as vice president of product for Thumbtack, where he was responsible for customer experience, growth, and monetization. He helped take the company to a $1.25B valuation through five rounds of funding. Poses received his education at Duke University and Stanford University.

Leadership team

Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder
Fred Poses
As the leader of Understood, Fred Poses is committed to ensuring that everyone who learns and thinks differently can thrive. His unique perspective was shaped through leadership roles at public companies and years of philanthropy.

For 15 years, he served as the chairman of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. He is a trustee of the Riverview School, a school for children with special needs.

Poses brings an impact- and consumer-focused mindset to Understood with his leadership roles at public companies, including chief executive officer and partner of Ascend Performance Materials, and chairman and chief executive officer at Trane, Inc. (previously American Standard Companies). Before that, he was president and chief operating officer at Allied Signal from 1988 to 1999. He served there in various capacities, starting in 1969. Fred spent two years in Peru with the Peace Corps.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from New York University.
Chair of the Board and Co-founder
Nancy Poses
Nancy Poses has dedicated her life to shaping the world for difference. She was instrumental in the development and launch of Understood in 2014 and played an active role in the National Center for Learning Disabilities for 15 years.

She is also the driving force behind the Poses Family Foundation, which focuses on issues related to learning and thinking differences, education, literacy, and assistive technology.

Poses serves on the board of the Riverview School, from which her son Max graduated, and at the Whitney Museum. She is a member of the board of directors at PASE (Partnership for After School Education) and at the Drawing Center.

She holds a master of education degree in counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Co-president and Chief Marketing Officer
Nathan Friedman
Nathan Friedman leads Understood’s multifaceted brand strategy, product marketing, consumer engagement, communications, creative, and production functions. He brings more than 20 years of experience building iconic brands, crafting impactful campaigns, and leading teams through complex operational challenges to his role as co-president and chief marketing officer.

Friedman began his career at Ogilvy, where he drove strategic marketing and communications efforts. He held numerous roles, including managing director of its Chicago office and global account leader. Friedman eventually led the firm’s four-office West Coast operation, where he directed the rollout of the Affordable Care Act in California.

Previous roles include general manager of a mid-sized agency and president of a consultancy focused on branding and marketing strategy for startups in the impact space. He serves on the board of directors of the Point Foundation, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ scholarship fund.

Friedman graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, and holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He and his brother each have learning and thinking differences, which makes Understood’s cause very important to him and his family.
Co-president and Chief Technology Officer
Rahul Rao
Rahul Rao leads the engineering, analytics, information technology, process excellence, and project management teams at Understood.

With expertise and a successful track record in product development and new technology integration, Rao brings an inherent passion for innovation and helps shape the organization’s growth strategy and longer-term product ambitions.

Rao started his career at a software firm, which gave him the unique opportunity to architect and launch multiple products across a variety of companies and markets. It also provided him with the understanding and context he needed to learn how to take products through multiple iterations to the next level.

Previous roles include senior director of engineering at Pager and vice president of engineering at QuickFrame. Most recently, he was a senior director at Zillow Group, where he ran the internal Developer Experience department and was in charge of bringing cross-functional products from concept to reality.

Rao earned a master of science degree in integrated digital media with a focus on human-computer interaction (HCI) at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.
Chief People and Culture Officer
Deb Wilson
Deb Wilson leads the human resources function at Understood, which includes talent acquisition, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), HR compliance and operations, employee experience, and people development.

Before joining Understood, Wilson served as the global head of talent development at Shutterstock and held leadership positions in human resources for large brands like AT&T, Cushman & Wakefield, and WPP. She brings a wealth of experience from various industries, specializing in team development, engagement, and retention.

Wilson holds a master of business administration degree from Morgan State University. She also served three terms (nine years) on the Montclair Board of Education, where she was vice president, president, and chairman of the Superintendent Search Committee. She is a founding member of the board of directors at the Sickle Cell Association of New Jersey, and she serves on the board of directors of New Beginnings for Tomorrow, a nonprofit day program for autistic adults, where her son is a client.

Join our mission

We had a tremendous impact on many fronts in 2023 and laid the groundwork for even more in 2024 and beyond. Our goal is to support 100 million people on the path to thriving by 2030 — providing an even greater range of resources, raising awareness, and working to build a more inclusive and equitable world for people who learn and think differently and those who support them.

Donate now

We’ll need help getting there, though. There are many ways you can support us in our mission to shape the world for difference: