It is an honor to have been selected to serve as president of The Allergists’ Foundation by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. I look forward to building on the incredible work that’s been done under the leadership of Dr. Melinda Rathkopf over the past two years, and our efforts to empower practicing allergists to address unmet needs in their communities.
Since 2021, our Community Grant Program has funded 31 projects (totaling nearly half a million dollars in grant funding) with a special focus on improving access to care and addressing health disparities in allergy and immunology at the community level. Our most recent grantees are conducting research to better understand the impact of waterways and wetlands on pediatric asthma; improve food allergy support for patients facing food insecurity; strengthen nurses’ ability to identify and treat food allergic reactions; reduce hospital readmissions for children with asthma; expand access to guideline-based aspirin/NSAID therapy; and develop a tailored asthma self-management program for high-risk students. You can read more about these and other projects we have funded on the College’s website.
“I would like to thank The Allergists’ Foundation for this invaluable opportunity which enabled my team to better understand current practices in the diagnosis and treatment of Inborn Errors of Immunity, as well as educational needs of ACAAI members,” said Barbara Ariue, MD, FACAAI, a 2024 Community Grant Recipient. “The support we received will help us equip the practicing allergist with further resources and connections to provide enhanced patient care in this area.”
This important work would not be possible without the generous support of our donors. I invite you to join us in investing in the next round of community grants by making a gift today. We are short of meeting our goal of raising the $100,000 we need to fully fund the program in 2026, and there is still time to help us make it happen. There are many ways to give, and even a small donation can make a big difference.
And, if you have a project idea you would like to have considered for funding, watch for the next funding opportunity notice in January. It may be the perfect opportunity to address an unmet need in your community. In the meantime, be sure to visit the Foundation grants webpage to learn more about the program and how you can apply.
Whether you decide to support our work financially and/or by participating in the program as a grantee, I invite you to amplify our impact in 2026.
Jeffrey Demain, MD, FACAAI
President, The Allergists’ Foundation
