About Sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is a debilitating and sometimes fatal inflammatory condition that can affect nearly every organ in the body. Immune cells cluster throughout the body, causing many people who have sarcoidosis to struggle with extreme fatigue, difficulty breathing, joint pain, fever, and eye inflammation. In some cases, the symptoms may last from one to two years, but for others it could be a lifelong battle with sarcoidosis, which has no cure. The existing treatments may address the inflammation, but many of them have significant side effects that include diabetes or weight gain. If left unmanaged, sarcoidosis can lead to severe organ damage and even death.
Philanthropic capital can accelerate progress in biomedical research, especially in underfunded fields like sarcoidosis. Donors’ funding can support pilot studies needed to develop an evidence base that will attract additional research grants from larger grant programs. Since 2021, the Center for Strategic Philanthropy has been working in concert with the Ann Theodore Foundation to solicit and fund research aimed at advancing scientific understanding of sarcoidosis. To date, the Fund has awarded more than $3 million to support key research with high potential to yield impactful results.
Funded Research
$5.8million
in funding awarded as of 2023.
11
scientific research grants supported.
4
interdisciplinary collaborations seeded.
In the first year of funding, the Ann Theodore Foundation – Breakthrough Sarcoidosis Initiative funded 6 scientific grants worth $3 million aimed at advancing research and alleviating the hardship sarcoidosis causes. A second cycle of available funding is currently soliciting additional sarcoidosis research proposals.
In 2022, the Ann Theodore Foundation, in partnership with the Center for Strategic Philanthropy, convened all funded researchers for an Annual Meeting of ATF-BSI Funded Investigators. This meeting promotes the sharing of research and development of collaborations across institutions that would otherwise go untapped.
This meeting also brings together the program’s Scientific Advisory Board to set strategic directions for the Fund, and acts as a forum to identify and develop new initiatives designed to propel the field forward by leveraging the unique strengths of philanthropic funding.
