![Arthritis Foundation building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Arthritis_Foundation_building.JPG)
The Arthritis Foundation is a
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
that is dedicated to addressing the needs of people living with
arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
in the United States. There are more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children living with arthritis, the nation's leading cause of disability. The Foundation works to provide information and resources, access to care, advancements in science and community connections.
The Arthritis Foundation also publishes the magazine ''Arthritis Today''. Through local offices nationwide, the Foundation sponsors a variety of year-round events to raise funds and create awareness, from local walks and runs to dinners, galas and other affairs.
The Arthritis Foundation has contributed to arthritis research since its founding in 1948, and has invested over $470 million toward medical research into the disease In addition, the organization advocates for changes to health care policies, legislation and government-funded research to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by arthritis.
The Foundation funds two patient registries, the Arthritis Internet Registry (AIR) and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), to help control symptoms and accelerate the search for a cure by analyzing and correlating biological data.
Access and Advocacy
The Arthritis Foundation holds the annual Advocacy Summit, in which arthritis advocates converge in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, to meet with Capitol Hill lawmakers. Participants tell their stories and put a human face on arthritis pain. They continue to urge elected officials to join the Congressional Arthritis Caucus, chaired by Reps.
David McKinley
David Bennett McKinley (born March 28, 1947) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, McKinley was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from ...
(R-WV) and
Anna Eshoo
Anna A. Eshoo ( ; née Georges; born December 13, 1942) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from . She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 14th district from 1993 to 2013, is based in Silico ...
(D-CA). The caucus serves as a bipartisan forum to aid senators and representatives in working together to address arthritis.
Tools used by the Foundation for advocacy include state-by-state arthritis prevalence data, regular issue briefs, e-advocacy opportunities, a health care reform Q&A, and sample letters and tips to raise awareness about arthritis.
Types of arthritis
The Arthritis Foundation offers information and assistance for the more than 100 types of the disease, including conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia and psoriatic arthritis.
Community events and programs
Community events and programs run by the Arthritis Foundation help educate the public about the realities of arthritis, raise funds and awareness, and encourage people with arthritis to manage their joint pain and improve overall health. Nationwide activities include Walk to Cure Arthritis and Jingle Bell Run/Walk. In addition, the Arthritis Foundation hosts dinners, galas and other specialty parties to raise funds for the Foundation's efforts.
Through community programs like Walk With Ease and Put Pain in Its Place, the Arthritis Foundation encourages people with arthritis to get moving and provides tools to help manage their arthritis pain.
History
Organized in 1948 as the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation, the organization's name was changed in 1964 to the Arthritis Foundation. The following year, the American Rheumatism Association (ARA) merged with the Foundation. In 1965, an additional professional society, Allied Health Professions, was established within the Foundation; its name was changed to the Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) in 1980. The American Juvenile Arthritis Organization (AJAO) was established in 1981 as a membership group within the Foundation; in 1991, AJAO became a council of the Foundation. In 1986, the ARA became a separate, independent organization and now is known as the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). In 1994, the AHPA became a division of the ACR and changed its name to the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals.
The Arthritis Foundation is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and has more than 100 local offices nationwide.
Assets
As of 2018 the Arthritis Foundation had total assets of $175,798,470.
Funding details
Funding details as of 2018:
Partnerships
The Arthritis Foundation receives funding from its corporate partners, including
AbbVie
AbbVie is an American publicly traded biopharmaceutical company founded in 2013. It originated as a spin-off of Abbott Laboratories.
History
On October 19, 2011, Abbott Laboratories announced its plan to separate into two publicly traded compan ...
,
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi (, AOII, Alpha O) is an international women's fraternity founded on January 2, 1897, at Barnard College on the campus of Columbia University in New York City. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage
"AOI ...
,
American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society
The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) is a professional medical society based in Rosemont, Illinois. It was founded in 1969 and currently has a membership of around 2,400 foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons. The society provide ...
,
American Physical Therapy Association
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is a U.S-based individual membership professional organization representing more than 100,000 member physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy. The nonpro ...
,
Amgen
Amgen Inc. (formerly Applied Molecular Genetics Inc.) is an American multinational biopharmaceutical Corporation, company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. One of the world's largest independent biotechnology companies, Amgen was esta ...
,
Boehringer Ingelheim
C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. is the parent company of the Boehringer Ingelheim group, which was founded in 1885 by Albert Boehringer in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. As of 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical ...
,
Bristol Myers Squibb
The Bristol Myers Squibb Company (BMS) is an American multinational pharmaceutical company. Headquartered in New York City, BMS is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and consistently ranks on the ''Fortune'' 500 list of the lar ...
,
Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is an American pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in 18 countries. Its products are sold in approximately 125 countries. The company was founded in 1876 by, and named after, Colonel ...
,
Genentech
Genentech, Inc., is an American biotechnology corporation headquartered in South San Francisco, California. It became an independent subsidiary of Roche in 2009. Genentech Research and Early Development operates as an independent center within R ...
,
Janssen,
Novartis
Novartis AG is a Swiss-American multinational pharmaceutical corporation based in Basel, Switzerland and
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (global research).name="novartis.com">https://www.novartis.com/research-development/research-loc ...
,
Organon
The ''Organon'' ( grc, Ὄργανον, meaning "instrument, tool, organ") is the standard collection of Aristotle's six works on logical analysis and dialectic. The name ''Organon'' was given by Aristotle's followers, the Peripatetics.
The si ...
,
Pfizer
Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...
,
Tylenol Tylenol may refer to:
* Paracetamol (acetaminophen), a medication used to treat pain and fever
* Tylenol (brand)
Tylenol () is a brand of medication, advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, ...
and
UCB.
Ease of Use Commendation
The Arthritis Foundation's Ease of Use Commendation recognizes products proven to make life easier for people who have arthritis and other physical limitations. The Arthritis Foundation's Ease of Use Commendation identifies products that have been tested and evaluated by experts and people with arthritis. Companies which have had products accredited with the Ease of Use commendation include
Fiskars
Fiskars Group (also known as Fiskars Oyj Abp or Fiskars Corporation, and until 1998 as Fiskars Oy Ab) is a Finnish group company. The company has its roots in the village of Fiskars (in the town of Raseborg, about west of Helsinki), where it was ...
Melnoran
Acorn Stairlifts
Similar organizations
*
Arthritis Australia
Arthritis Australia is a charitable not-for-profit organisation advocating for people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.
Arthritis Australia awards nearly $1 million in annual funding to researchers engaged in basic and clinical rese ...
- Australia
*
Versus Arthritis
Versus Arthritis is the UK's largest charity dedicated to supporting people with arthritis. It was launched in September 2018, following the legal merger of the two leading arthritis charities in the UK, Arthritis Research UK and Arthritis Care ...
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Arthritis Consumer Experts- Canada
Spondylitis Association of America U.S.A.
The Arthritis Society– Canada
*
The Swedish Rheumatism Association The Swedish Rheumatism Association ( sv, Reumatikerförbundet) is a non-profit organization working for people with rheumatic disorders. Rheumatism Association funds research in rheumatic diseases through Rheumatism Fund, which collects and administ ...
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References
External links
Arthritis Foundation Official Website
{{Authority control
Arthritis organizations
Medical and health foundations in the United States
Organizations based in Atlanta
Organizations established in 1948