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AMERICAN SYNESTHESIA ASSOCIATION
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 134108392 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE B90 · Education · Micro (<$100K) · synesthesia.info
revenue
$200
expenses
$2K
net assets
$5K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

THE MISSION OF THE SYNESTHESIA ASSOCIATION, INC (HEREINAFTER, "ASA OR CORPORATION")ISTO FOSTER AND PROMOTE THE EDUCATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE PHENOMENA OF SYNESTHESIA, AND TO PROMOTE A MEANS FOR PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE AND/OR STUDY SYNESTHESIA TO BE IN CONTACT WIOTH EACH OTHER. AS PART OF ITS EDUCATIONAL MISSION, THE CORPORATION WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION TO SCIENTISTS, WRITERS, MUSICIANS, LAY PERSONS AND PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE SYNESTHESIA.

profile · synthesized from sources

The American Synesthesia Association (ASA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing knowledge and education about synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon where stimulation of one sense leads to experiences in another. The organization fosters connections among people who experience synesthesia and researchers studying it, supporting scientific, artistic, and educational exploration. It hosts international conferences and promotes interdisciplinary dialogue across neuroscience, psychology, music, and visual arts.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Annual International Conference on Synesthesia
Hosts a multidisciplinary conference bringing together scientists, artists, and synesthetes to present research, share experiences, and explore synesthesia across fields such as neuroscience, music, and visual arts
Synesthesia Research and Education Network
Facilitates communication and collaboration among individuals and researchers interested in synesthesia through information sharing and community engagement
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Site-Specific Artistic Installations and Performances 1 activity
    • Curating public exhibitions and cultural programming on synesthesia
      Co-curated the exhibition "Synesthesia: Art and the Mind" at the McMaster Museum of Art and produced an electronic music album based on auditory-visual synesthetic experiences to promote public understanding of synesthesia.
  • Open Research Infrastructure & Publishing 1 activity
    • Disseminating research and facilitating scientific collaboration on synesthesia
      Highlights selected research articles through its "Article in Lights" feature, makes scientific papers available for download, and supports collaboration between researchers and synesthetes that contribute to published research.
  • Scientific Conference & Symposium Management 1 activity
    • Organizing national and international conferences on synesthesia
      Hosts annual national conferences and co-organizes international conferences, including joint events with the UK Synaesthesia Association, at universities across the U.S. and Canada, featuring presentations, panels, and special events for attendees.
  • Autism Awareness and Acceptance Initiatives 1 activity
    • Providing educational resources and information about synesthesia
      Distributes information about synesthesia to scientists, artists, educators, and the general public, and supports educational initiatives through membership and outreach.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$200
Contributions & grants$200100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$2K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$5K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$5K
5 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -98.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 4
  • DAPHNE MAURER — Director
  • GREG JARVIS — Director
  • JOEL SALINAS — Director
  • LAWRENCE MARKS — Director
relationships · 46

Who they work with

  • David Brang Partner — Co-hosted the 2011 national conference and presented research at the event.
  • Harvard University Partner — Host institution for the 2017 annual national meeting.
  • Harvard University Partner — Hosted ASA conferences.
  • Harvard University Partner — Hosted the Twelfth National Conference of the American Synesthesia Association.
  • MacKay Medical College Partner — Collaborates on crossmodal correspondence research between sounds and shapes
  • McMaster Museum of Art Partner — Co-curated the exhibition "Synesthesia: Art and the Mind" with the American Synesthesia Association.
  • McMaster Museum of Art Partner — Partnered with the American Synesthesia Association to present the exhibition "Synesthesia: Art and the Mind" in 2008, co-curated by association co-founder Carol Steen.
  • McMaster University Partner — Collaborates on research related to synaesthesia and aesthetic preferences
  • McMaster University Partner — Host institution for the 2008 annual national meeting.
  • New York University Partner — Hosted a workshop on "The Phenomenology of Synesthesia" in which American Synesthesia Association co-founder Carol Steen participated.
  • OCAD University Partner — Co-hosted public events with the American Synesthesia Association during its 2013 conference in Toronto.
  • OCAD University Partner — Host institution for the 2013 annual national meeting.
  • OCAD University Partner — Hosted the American Synesthesia Association's Tenth Annual National Conference in 2013.
  • Princeton University Partner — Host institution for the 2001 annual national meeting.
  • Princeton University Partner — Hosted ASA conferences.
  • Rockefeller Institute Partner — Host institution for the 2003 annual national meeting.
  • Rockefeller University Partner — Hosted ASA conferences.
  • Royal Oxford Hotel Partner — Partnered to provide discounted accommodation for attendees of the UKSA/ASA conference
  • The Juilliard School Partner — Engages musicians in studying Kandinsky’s art through a synaesthetic lens
  • Trident Technical College Partner — Conducts research on classification and prevalence of congenital synesthesia types
  • UC Berkeley Partner — Hosted an ASA conference where research on emotionally mediated synesthesia was discussed.
  • UK Synaesthesia Association Partner — Co-hosted the 2024 joint conference with the American Synesthesia Association.
  • UK Synaesthesia Association Partner — Co-organized a joint conference with the American Synesthesia Association.
  • UKSA Partner — Co-organized the UKSA/ASA Conference with the American Synesthesia Association
  • United Nations Language and Communications Unit Partner — Supports research on theatrical portrayals of synesthetes
  • University College London Partner — Highlighted research by Jamie Ward from University College London in the "Article in Lights" series.
  • University of California Berkeley Partner — Hosted ASA conferences.
  • University of California San Diego Partner — Hosted ASA conferences.
  • University of California San Diego Partner — Hosted the 9th Annual National Conference of the American Synesthesia Association.
  • University of California, Berkeley Partner — Host institution for the 2004 annual national meeting.
+ 16 more
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Art-Science Integration to Explore and Communicate Synesthetic Experience
    methodology: art-science_integration
    By using artistic expression and analysis as tools to explore and communicate the subjective experience of synesthesia, the organization advances understanding because artistic practices make internal, perceptual phenomena externally accessible and analyzable across disciplines.
  • Community-Research Integration to Advance Understanding
    methodology: community-research_integration
    By connecting lived experience with scientific inquiry—linking synesthetes directly with researchers and educators—the organization advances understanding of synesthesia because shared, bidirectional knowledge exchange enriches both research validity and community engagement.
  • Interdisciplinary Knowledge Dissemination to Broaden Understanding
    methodology: interdisciplinary_inquiry
    By disseminating knowledge across scientific, artistic, and public domains through conferences, publications, and collaborative programming, the organization advances understanding of synesthesia because diverse disciplinary perspectives collectively illuminate its perceptual, cognitive, and cultural dimensions.