#GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people to transform their communities.

“Building Evidence Together To Improve Practice & Health"
Even when we have to be physically apart we can be philanthropically together.

Thank You to All our Donors Who Made GivingTuesday A Success! 

AOTF is so grateful to the dozens of donors who made OT Research and OT Scholarships a priority for their philanthropy.

• Almost $10,000 was raised to support Intervention Research Grants, OT Scholarships and the Kielhofner Doctoral Scholarship.
• Illinois, New York, Florida and Ohio will have an extra $500 added to their state’s 2021 scholarships.
• There is still time to make a gift before the end of the year. Support your alma mater in the St. Catherine’s Challenge, use AmazonSmile to make AOTF your charity of choice or visit our Support page to help build new evidence for occupational therapy.  

We believe that occupational therapists should have the best and most current evidence available so they can deliver the highest quality care to their clients. Will you join us to build new evidence in occupational therapy? Every day the demand for evidence is rising and AOTF is leading the effort to meet this demand. More evidence means better quality of care, reduced costs, and increase efficacy. In addition to the dozens of specialty areas in which OTs work there is now a need for OT to build evidence for COVID-19, address social injustices and support underserved populations so they can receive equitable and accessible health care services . The only way AOTF can make investments into new OT research and the future OT workforce is with your philanthropic support. Please make a gift to help us fund essential grants, scholarships and research programs.

Priority Funds for 2020-2021:

• Intervention Research Grants- This seed-funding fills a critical gap in early-stage OT research and helps OT researchers build proof of concept and publish initial findings.
• Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Student Scholarship- Honors the life and legacy of one of the most influential and transformational figures in occupational therapy by providing financial aid to an Occupational Therapist enrolled in a doctoral degree program.  
• Nedra Gillette Research Fellowship- Honors the first Director of Research at AOTF who was instrumental raising awareness of the need for evidence-based practice. This 1-year award supports an OT postdoctoral fellow engaged in cross-cultural research into the human condition as it is influenced by health, participation in valued roles, and social justice. 
• Scholarships- Help future occupational therapists obtain their degree and lower the burden of student debt. AOTF has over 55 scholarships including two-dozen state specific scholarships.

Match Contests to Make Your Contribution Go Further Thanks to Our Sponsors:

• Unlock the Match- Once $2,000 has been donated to AOTF, Anthem, Inc will make a gift of $1,000 to support new OT research.
• Scholarship Boost- Win $500 for the scholarship of your state! The 4 states with the greatest number of donors will receive an extra $500 for their 2021 scholarship thanks to EBS Healthcare.
• Share Your Support- Share your support of AOTF on social media, such as an #Unselfie, and the 2 donors with the most likes will have their gifts matched by Anthem Inc. Double your gift and celebrate your passion for OT. Be sure to use @AOTFoundation, #OTResearch, and #GivingTuesday (#AOTFSCC if St. Catherine Challenge contribution).
• First and Foremost- The first donor to make a gift of $500 and the first donor to make a gift of $250 will have their gifts matched by Anthem, Inc.

Thank You Contest Sponsors:

Anthem is a leading health benefits company dedicated to improving lives and communities, and making healthcare simpler. Through its affiliated companies, Anthem serves more than 106 million people, including more than 42 million within its family of health plans. We aim to be the most innovative, valuable and inclusive partner. We do so by supporting all eligible people regardless of age, sex, race or disability. Our goal is to foster healthy, inclusive communities through addressing  drivers of health and reducing health disparities so  people have the opportunity to live their best lives.  For more information, please visit www.antheminc.com

EBS is a unique company that began as a non-profit organization founded by speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and special education directors more than 30 years ago. We are dedicated to empowering clinicians to become leaders in their fields, while providing the highest-quality pediatric services for families and communities around the world.  We are proud to support AOTF because we share a common mission, develop new, evidence-based interventions and empower therapists to deliver the highest quality care. For more information, please visit https://www.ebshealthcare.com/

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Congratulations to all the 2020 AOTA Award Recipients! We certainly recognize a few that have supported us over the years... 

• Virginia C. Stoffel- As Prior AOTA President she we worked with us on key joint projects, Non-Voting Board Member,  2000 AOTF Leadership Commendation Award Recipient, 2019 PTE Speed Mentoring Session Mentor
• Sharon A. Gutman- Planning Committee and Participant in first PGC-Mental Health
• Karen Atler- Intervention Research Grant Recipient
• Robin Newman- Planning Committee Member and Participant in first PGC-Mental Health
• Juleen Rodakowski- Intervention Research Grant Recipient, Chair of Planning Committee for PGC-Aging in Place
• Karen Jacobs- Development Council, PGC-Telehealth Participant, PTE Faculty Advisor (BU), AOTF partners with the MA OT Association and gives out a scholarship in her honor/name, Past AOTF Voting Board Member, Non-voting Board Member as Past AOTA President
• Elizabeth Pyatak- OTJR Associate Editor, 2020-21 State of the Science Symposium Speaker
• Juleen Rodakowski- OTJR Associate Editor, PTE Faculty Advisor (University of Pittsburgh)
• Anna Wallisch- Nedra Gillette Endowed Research Fellowship Awardee, PGC-Telehealth Participant
• Lauren Little- PGC-Telehealth Planning Committee; Intervention Research Grant Recipient, AOTF VIP Reception Mission Speaker
• Marjorie Vogeley – As Past MD OT Association President – worked with us to administer past MD OTA scholarship

As a stand-alone non-profit exclusively building OT evidence to improve practice and health, we rely on our volunteer partners and leaders from all areas of occupational therapy and the public to deliver the programs that make an impact.

Learn how to become a volunteer and more!

AOTF is proud to announce that 100% of our past Intervention Research Grant winners made a philanthropic gift to support the next round of these unique grants! This unprecedented level of giving demonstrates the outstanding commitment of our OT community to advance the science of occupational therapy.  Thank you to all our IRG winners for investing in the future of this exceptional research program. Stay tuned for the winners of the 2021 IRGs!

See how you can support OT Research.