Our Projects
Genetic Support Foundation (GSF) is a non-profit with the mission to increase patient and provider access to genetic healthcare through community-focused services.
Much of the great work we do is supported by funding through local and national grants. This funding allows us to conduct community outreach and better understand how we can address gaps in genetic healthcare, develop new resources for patients and providers across a variety of specialties, provide no-cost and subsidized genetic counseling to help reduce financial barriers, and more.
Read more about the grant funding that supports our mission below.
Current Projects
FUNDER
GSF was granted a subaward from the Case Western University School of Medicine Bioethics department to develop a prenatal screening educational tool for their project: “Supporting Just-in-Time Consent for Prenatal Screening in Diverse Populations” funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute.
PROJECT
To address the growing need for resources that support meaningful understanding and truly informed consent for prenatal genetic screening, this project will develop and pilot a community-informed educational tool. As a contractor, GSF will lead the writing and design of the tool, drawing on patient and provider interview data, validated educational materials, and expert review from professionals in genetic counseling, disability advocacy, and public health.
Once developed, the tool will be piloted at three diverse clinical sites. GSF will refine and tailor the tool through iterative revisions based on community and clinical feedback. At the conclusion of the project, the finalized tool will be made freely available for public use.
TIMELINE
The grant period of this project is September 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028.
FUNDER
GSF has been awarded funding through the Nisqually Charitable Funds to expand our outreach, education, and service delivery efforts in partnership with tribal health and community organizations. The Nisqually people have lived in the south Puget Sound watershed for thousands of years. Learn more about Nisqually heritage here. The Nisqually Indian Tribe provides tribal services and resources to its community, and provides charitable funding to non-profit organizations to improve community health, increase access to healthcare services, and reduce disparities.
PROJECT
Funding awarded through the Nisqually Tribe will directly support the delivery of no-cost and subsidized genetic counseling, the creation of accessible educational materials, and the development of partnerships with tribal and community health systems to ensure more equitable access to genetics-informed healthcare.
TIMELINE
The Nisqually Tribe is actively funding this project through 2026.
FUNDER
GSF was awarded funding from the Trisomy 13 and 18 Collaborative as a sub-awardee of the Support Organization for Trisomy (SOFT). The Trisomy 13 and 18 Collaborative (“The Collaborative”) envisions a health care environment where families impacted by trisomy 13 and 18 are supported by multidisciplinary healthcare team, who provide accurate and balanced information, facilitate shared decision-making, and promote access to quality clinical care. SOFT is a network of families and professionals dedicated to providing support and understanding to families involved in the issues and decisions surrounding the diagnosis and care in Trisomy 18, 13 and other related chromosomal disorders.
PROJECT
Funding through the Trisomy 13 and 18 Collaborative supports the development and piloting of a Parent-to-Parent Support Program (P2P). This project will develop curriculum, training, and infrastructure for parent mentors to support families receiving a T13/18 diagnosis both prenatally and postnatally. The aims of this project are to 1) identify the key features and framework of a T13/18 Parent-to-Parent Support Program, 2) develop and pilot a T13/18 Parent-to-Parent Support Program with a cohort of 10 parent mentors, and 3) revise and customize the T13/18 Parent-to-Parent Support Program to prepare for future implementation and dissemination. As a sub-awardee of this grant, GSF will support P2P curriculum development, training, and dissemination.
TIMELINE
The Trisomy 13 and 18 Collaborative is actively supporting this project with a grant period of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.
FUNDER
GSF was awarded funding from the Trisomy 13 and 18 Collaborative as a sub-awardee of the Courageous Parent Network. The Trisomy 13 and 18 Collaborative (“The Collaborative”) envisions a health care environment where families impacted by trisomy 13 and 18 are supported by multidisciplinary healthcare team, who provide accurate and balanced information, facilitate shared decision-making, and promote access to quality clinical care. The Courageous Parent Network presents educational resources in an array of formats to orient, equip and empower families and others caring for a child with a serious medical condition.
PROJECT
Funding from the Trisomy 13 and 18 Collaborative supports a comprehensive assessment of family-facing trisomy 13 and 18 educational resources. In collaboration with the Courageous Parent Network, GSF will 1) perform literature review to systematically identify existing family-facing resources, 2) conduct and analyze qualitative interviews to assess family information needs and barriers to accessing and utilizing resources, 3) develop and apply a grading rubric to evaluate existing resources in meeting community needs, and 4) disseminate study results to relevant communities.
TIMELINE
The Trisomy 13 and 18 Collaborative is actively supporting this project with a grant period of February 1, 2026 through April 31, 2026.
FUNDER
GSF was awarded funding through the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to support our new Development Director position. The Trust’s mission is to “serve individuals, families and communities across the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, through grantmaking, enrichment programs and convenings that strengthen the region’s educational, social, spiritual, and cultural base in ways that are innovative and sustainable.”
PROJECT
Funding through this grant supports our new Development Director position at GSF in order to expand GSF’s fundraising and development efforts. Our Development Director plays a crucial role in driving GSF’s sustainability and growth, allowing us to increase access to no-cost/subsidized genetic counseling for low-income populations in the Pacific Northwest, develop and disseminate new community-designed educational materials, and carry out greater outreach to patient communities and community health centers. The Development Director role was filled by Dr. Stephanie Meredith, who began her position with GSF in October of 2024. Dr. Meredith has a Doctorate in Public Health and extensive experience in non-profit fundraising and development as the founder of the Lettercase National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Resources. Dr. Meredith also brings her expertise in community-engaged research, disability advocacy, and development of nationally-recommended patient and provider resources to further GSF’s mission.
TIMELINE
Funding from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust will support the Development Director position for a 3-year grant period.
FUNDER
GSF has been awarded grant funding for a 5-year project through the Healthy Tomorrow Partnership for Children Program (HTPCP). This is a HRSA-funded program and partnership between the Maternal Child Health Bureau and American Academy of Pediatrics. The HTPCP “supports innovative, community-based initiatives to improve the health status of infants, children, adolescents and families in rural and other underserved communities by increasing their access to preventive care and services.”
PROJECT
Funding awarded through the HTPCP is supporting the expansion of our outreach and genetic counseling services throughout the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska). Specifically, this project is funding community outreach, provider education, resource development, and no-cost genetic counseling in these states. Through these initiatives, we are aiming to increase access to genetic counseling services and resources in the Pacific Northwest with a focus on care for children and their families, pregnant individuals, and individuals planning to become pregnant.
TIMELINE
The HTPCP is actively funding this project with a grant period of March 2023 to February 2028.
Past Projects
FUNDER
GSF was awarded grant funding through the Catherine Holmes Wilkins Charitable Foundation to support the development of an innovative Personal Genetic Resource (PGR) tool. The Catherine Holmes Wilkins Charitable Foundation provides charitable grant funding to medical research and social service agencies in the Puget Sound region.
PROJECT
The Catherine Holmes Wilkins Charitable Foundation generously provided funding to support the development and testing of a Personal Genetic Resource (PGR) tool. This digital tool is designed for patients who have undergone genetic testing for hereditary cancer risks, allowing them to stay informed about ongoing advancements in the understanding of their gene changes and related health implications. It will monitor updates in cancer-related gene research, changes in variant classifications, evolving medical guidelines, and ongoing clinical trials, and deliver this information to patients in an easy-to-understand format. The PGR tool will be piloted with patients through Puget Sound Region community-based clinic partners, and the final tool will be freely accessible to patients worldwide. As a result, the development and testing of this PGR tool will benefit patients in the Puget Sound region and beyond.
TIMELINE
The Catherine Holmes Wilkins Charitable Foundation funded this project from December 2024 until December 2025.
FUNDER
GSF was awarded grant funding through The Glaser Foundation to support the development of an innovative Personal Genetic Resource (PGR) tool. The Glaser Foundation contributes to programs in King county and adjoining areas that provide “services to children, the elderly, the disabled, and to agencies involved in education, community services, medical services, medical research, and the arts.”
PROJECT
Funding from the The Glaser Foundation supported the development and piloting of a Personal Genetic Resource (PGR) tool. The digital PGR tool will enable patients who have received genetic testing for hereditary cancer risks to stay up-to-date on our constantly evolving knowledge of their gene changes and health associations. The tool will track changes in the latest research on cancer-related genes, variant classifications, medical recommendations, and clinical research trials, and update patients on new information relevant to their specific gene change using patient-friendly language. This tool will ultimately empower patients to proactively stay abreast of the latest medical knowledge about their gene change and recommendations for their care.
TIMELINE
Funding from The Glaser Foundation was received in December of 2024 to support the development of the PGR tool over a 12-month period.
FUNDER
GSF was awarded grant funding from the Bioethics Department at Case Western Reserve University as a sub-awardee for their NIH R01 “Prenatal Preparation: Actions and Results (PREPARE)” project. The purpose of the PREPARE grant is to better understand and improve experiences of parents receiving a prenatal diagnosis and preparing for the birth of their baby.
PROJECT
GSF collaborated with the PREPARE team to carry out cross-project analyses of data from parents who have received prenatal diagnoses, including research carried out by the PREPARE team over the past five years and complementary research by Jonathan Artal and Dr. Brian Skotko’s team and Dr. Stephanie Meredith and her team at the University of Kentucky. Results will be disseminated through outreach activities including publications, conferences, grand rounds, meetings with medical and community organizations, and publicly-available written materials. These collaborative public- and community-facing outreach efforts will ensure that results of the PREPARE project are implemented in clinical practice and used to support advocacy efforts to improve parent and family experiences.
TIMELINE
The PREPARE project was funded from July 2024 through June 2025.
FUNDER
GSF was awarded grant funding through the Gibbs Family Foundation. The mission of this foundation is to “promote healthy living and prevention strategies for complex illnesses and rare diseases.”
PROJECT
Funding provided by the Gibbs Family Foundation helped GSF conduct provider outreach and expand our no-cost and subsidized genetic counseling services in the state of Wisconsin. Through this initiative, our goal was to partner with federally qualified health centers and community health clinics in Wisconsin in order to increase access to genetic services for underserved families in these communities.
You can read more about this grant funding and goals on our blog.
TIMELINE
The Gibbs Family Foundation provided funding for this initiative from January 2024 through December 2025.
FUNDER
GSF received funding to improve health equity in King County from the Pacific Hospital Preservation & Development Authority (PHPDA). The mission of the PHPDA is to “tirelessly champion equity in health through exemplary stewardship of PHPDA’s public resources.”
PROJECT
Funding awarded by the PHPDA has helped GSF improve access to equitable genetic services in the King County area. As a part of this project, we met with community-based health clinics in King County to better understand their specific genetic healthcare needs. Information gathered from this outreach allowed GSF to develop community-specific and up-to-date resources for providers and their patients, supporting access to genetic healthcare information and awareness of GSF’s no-cost genetic counseling services.
TIMELINE
We received PHPDA funding for this project from April 2023 to March 2024.
FUNDER
GSF was awarded grant funding through the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation. The purpose of this foundation is to “support and empower nonprofits financially, creatively, strategically; facilitate and nurture human connection, learning, healing, and joy; pursue partnerships that value and empower those involved; to yield ongoing positive outcomes, alleviate human suffering, and promote thriving communities.”
PROJECT
Funding provided by the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation supported GSF’s outreach efforts to community and rural health clinics in Washington and Oregon. The goal of this project was to help expand access to genetic counseling services in underserved communities by partnering with community health centers in Washington and Oregon, providing no-cost services to low-income and marginalized patients, and developing community-specific educational resources for both providers and their patients.
TIMELINE
We received funding from the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation from 2022 to 2023.
Our Progress
Through community outreach, provider education, resource development, and no-cost genetic counseling services, GSF has made substantial progress in our grant-funded projects:
Increase in Patients Served
Our mission is to help increase access to genetic counseling through community-focused patient and provider outreach and accessible TeleHealth services.
In 2023, we saw more than a 55% increase in patients served by GSF genetic counselors in the Pacific Northwest as compared to 2022.
In 2024, we saw a 20% increase in patients seen directly through GSF as compared to 2023.
Increase in Financial Aid Distributed
We believe that everyone should have access to high-quality genetic counseling regardless of their ability to pay.
In 2023, we saw more than an 85% increase in financial aid distribution to patients in the Pacific Northwest as compared to 2022.
In 2024, about 1 in 3 patients seen for genetic counseling directly through GSF received financial assistance.
New Resources Developed
Our goal is to provide patients and providers with objective, up-to-date, and evidence-based resources tailored to their specific community needs.
With grant funding support, we have continued to develop many new resources based on community needs assessments. Examples of our provider resources and patient resources are available on our website to anyone, anywhere.
Learn More
To learn more about how we can support you and your patients through these grant-funded projects, connect with us by email at gc@geneticsupportfoundation.org. We would be happy to meet with you and your team to discuss these initiatives further.