Invest in Hope

2008 marks the 10th anniversary of the Scleroderma Foundation. As we commemorate this milestone and look to the future, we imagine a world free of scleroderma. This is the greatest hope of those whose lives have been touched by this disease.

Inherent in each Scleroderma Foundation research grant is the hope that our funds will make a significant difference to a researcher whose investigations may lead to the cure.

The leadership of the Foundation is launching the largest and most important fundraising
campaign in the organization's history. The goal of the Invest in Hope campaign is to raise an additional $1,000,000 during our 10th Anniversary year to fund innovative and cutting-edge research.

This is an ambitious undertaking through which the Scleroderma Foundation will build on its historical strengths in identifying and supporting top-level research.

We are asking 1000 supporters to invest $1,000 above and beyond their usual level of giving—or to raise an additional $1,000—to meet the $1 million goal of the campaign.

An Investment Worth Making

Although a cure remains elusive, research funded by the Foundation continues to play a vital role in increasing the understanding of scleroderma.

Our $1 million goal is ambitious, but attainable with your generous investment. The impact that this campaign will have on scleroderma research will be felt far into the future.

You can contribute with confidence in knowing that 100 percent of each dollar raised through the Invest in Hope campaign will be used exclusively to fund the best research being done by the brightest minds working to solve the mystery of scleroderma. Contributions to Invest in Hope will be research-restricted funds and used only for that purpose.

The Scleroderma Foundation and its predecessor organizations have funded nearly $14 million in research grants since 1989, making it the largest nonprofit supporter of scleroderma research in the United States, and second only to the federal government. Many past recipients who started their work with “seed money” from the Foundation have gone on to receive major funding from the National Institutes of Health.

A successful campaign will allow the Scleroderma Foundation to provide over $2 million in research grants in 2009. These grants will enable new investigators to embark on a career in scleroderma research while enticing established investigators to undertake innovative avenues of research.

The Research Grant Program has earned a unique place in the field of scleroderma research.
It is respected by government health agencies and it has served as a model for other patient advocacy organizations.

Read more about the 10th Anniversary Research Campaign.