Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Description

JDRF was founded in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes. As a result, JDRF volunteers have a personal connection to type 1 diabetes, which translates into an unrelenting commitment to finding a cure. JDRF has embarked on a five-year global campaign to raise 1 billion dollars. This campaign will close critical research funding gaps, accelerate research progress and deliver a cure. Over the next five years JDRF will focus on: 1. Perfecting islet transplantation - without chronic immunosuppression - to permanently restore normal blood sugar levels in people with type 1 diabetes; 2. Create a stable, replenishable, "universal donor" source of insulin - secreting cells for transplantation; 3. Regenerating the body's own beta cells without islet transplantation and simultaneously inducing immune tolerance to restore normal blood sugar levels; 4. Developing a closed-loop artificial pancreas; 5. Creating novel approaches and therapeutics for predicting, preventing and treating complications; and 6. Preventing type 1 diabetes by maintaining or restoring immune tolerance in new-onset patients. JDRF is structured on a business-world model; JDRF effectively directs resources to research aimed at finding a cure as soon as possible. In a typical year, more than 85 percent of JDRF's expenditures directly support research and research-related education. This unwavering dedication to our mission to find a cure has enabled JDRF to receive an "A" rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy, the only such rating for any international diabetes organization. JDRF also receives top rankings from other independent sources rating charitable giving, including Forbes magazine, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Wall Street Journal's SmartMoney magazine and Charity Navigator. The Kansas City Chapter was founded in 1995 as part of JDRF's national expansion plan. Today, JDRF has more than 80 Chapters and Branches across the United States. Each Chapter is responsible for fundraising, board development and government advocacy programs in their assigned communities. Through these efforts and JDRF's fundraising activities worldwide, JDRF has allocated more than $800 million to diabetes research since 1970.