Advancing the Dietetics Profession through the Foundation’s Philanthropy

Abstract

Statement of Potential Conflict of Interest: The author has no potential conflict of interest to disclose. This article is reprinted from the June 2013 issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2013;113(6):834-855).Editor’s Note: This is the fourth article in a series on the Academy’s history from 1990-present. Other articles appear in the November 2012 and February 2013 issues of the Journal.Without charities, the United States would not be able to operate, says Charity Navigator, the most widely used, independent evaluator of US philanthropic organizations. 1 Charity NavigatorOverview. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=628 Google Scholar Can the same be said of professional member associations? That is, would dietetics be able to operate without the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ∗ Until January 2012, the Academy was known was the American Dietetic Association; throughout this document, it will be called the Academy. ∗Until January 2012, the Academy was known was the American Dietetic Association; throughout this document, it will be called the Academy. Foundation? Although a philanthropic organization that supports an allied health profession may not be essential to the delivery of practice, it certainly is vital in furthering an association’s goals and making an impact on the country—on the world—through endowed initiatives that fulfill some of the most pressing issues of the time. The Academy’s Foundation has certainly exemplified this in the past several decades. Statement of Potential Conflict of Interest: The author has no potential conflict of interest to disclose.