The Rare Disease Foundation has a passion and solid track record for delivering potential cures and providing meaningful seed-funding for R&D, in addition to resources for people with rare diseases and their caregivers.
We are not like a standard granting agency that funds large-scale, multi-year research projects with significant overhead costs that serve to deepen expertise in specific areas. While these are needed, they don’t solve problems efficiently for today’s patients.
Since 2009, we have delivered 464 microgrants and 7 potential cures or major therpies by investing as little as $1.2 million in funding. Our global reach has led us to work with institutions in over 50 countries on 3 continents. The recipients of some of these microgrants have gone on to attain up to $10.6 million in further funding to expand their work which we jump-started with our microgrant investment.
The core principle of our research philosophy is to enable practitioners, patients and researchers to find practical and innovative solutions by, for instance, repurposing drugs and finding cures within 12-48 months with a seed investment of as little as $5,000.
In our Translational Care Research Model, patients are participants, evolving from end-users to change catalysts and decision makers, green-lighting seed funding on microgrant research projects that promise the most immediate and practical benefits.
Check out some of our amazing results below. We aim to spend less than 10% of donor funds on operations, meaning your donation will have a major impact and then get multiplied 5.3-fold!
individual projects
seeded
disbursed
institutions funded
When it comes to programs, our philosophy is that no one is an island, and at no time does an individual feel more isolated and alone then when they are facing a rare disease or condition. We believe that peer-to-peer support brings connection, growth, efficiencies, and critical support to families in the rare disease space.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, RDF pivoted towards meeting the most critical needs of the rare disease community across Canada through the Glowing Hearts Campaign.
Now we are building toward the future, looking to re-establish our Peer2Peer Resource groups and re-launch our much loved Microgrant and Mental Health & Wellness programs.
This program addresses the mental health needs of rare disease patients (children and adults), caregivers and their families through one-on-one virtual counselling sessions with a mental health provider through our service delivery partner, REACH Trauma Response Consulting Ltd. To date, we have delivered over 200 sessions with very high satisfaction rates and demand increasing each month.
- To raise $6M so that we can:
- Micro-fund 1,000 new research projects
- Offer microgrants globally
- Expand our support network internationally