Leading Boldly: Transforming Rheumatology Campaign Makes Progress

The Foundation’s Leading Boldly: Transforming Rheumatology campaign by the numbers.

In 2018, the Rheumatology Research Foundation embarked on its third and most ambitious fundraising campaign, Leading Boldly: Transforming Rheumatology, with a goal of raising $75 million over five years. The campaign supports Foundation programs to recruit the best and brightest into the field, train rheumatology professionals at all career stages and support investigators conducting research that will advance care and treatment options for people with rheumatic disease.

“The progress of the Leading Boldly campaign demonstrates the commitment rheumatology professionals have to impacting patient care through research and training,” says Mary Wheatley, IOM, CAE, the Foundation’s executive director. “We’re well on our way to achieving a monumental milestone that will serve generations to come.”

Thanks to support from more than 2,434 individual donors and corporate sponsors, the Foundation is leading the way in tackling rheumatology’s challenges and working toward discoveries that will positively affect the lives of millions of people living with rheumatic disease. As of Aug. 31, 2019, the campaign had raised more than $54.6 million, putting it at 74% of goal with 28 months to go.

The Foundation applauds every donor who has played a role in the campaign’s success. Members of the Corporate Roundtable, Pinnacle Society, Cornerstone Society, Founders Circle and Champion Circle are acknowledged for their extraordinary dedication and commitment to the specialty.

AbbVie and Amgen are among the pharmaceutical industry leaders who have joined the dynamic partnership in support of Leading Boldly. Their commitment will result in significant advancements for rheumatology research and education initiatives.

“AbbVie and the Rheumatology Research Foundation have a shared mission of transforming care for people living with rheumatic diseases,” says Jim Salanty, vice president, U.S. rheumatology, AbbVie. “Our continued commitment to the Leading Boldly campaign is critical to helping us realize this mission by supporting innovative research and training opportunities for those healthcare professionals who dedicate their lives to bettering patient care in rheumatology.”

Amgen Inc. is an integral supporter of the Foundation’s awards and grants program and the Leading Boldly campaign. “As a long-time partner of the Rheumatology Research Foundation, we are thrilled to support this campaign and continue to help drive advancements that positively affect patient outcomes,” says Helen Jordan, Amgen’s vice president and general manager of inflammation and nephrology.