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.
FUNDER
GSF has been 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 Glaser Foundation will support 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, assessment, and implementation of the PGR tool over a 12-month period.
FUNDER
GSF has been 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 is collaborating 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 is actively being funded with a grant period of July 1, 2024 until the end of June 2024.
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.
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 is helping GSF conduct provider outreach and expand our no-cost and subsidized genetic counseling services in the state of Wisconsin. Through this initiative, our goal is 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 is actively funding this project with a grant period of January 2024 until the end of December 2024, and has granted continued funding for this project through the 2025 calendar year.
FUNDER
GSF has 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 is helping GSF improve access to equitable genetic services in the King County area. As a part of this project, we are meeting with community-based health clinics in King county to better understand their specific genetic healthcare needs. Information gathered from this outreach allows 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 with a grant period of 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 supports GSF’s outreach efforts to community and rural health clinics in Washington and Oregon. The goal of this project is 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 Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation funding for this project 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.