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MDA Proudly Announces 2022 Advocacy Collaboration Grants Program

MDA seeks to fund public policy and advocacy projects that will benefit the NMD community.

New York, N.Y. – August 1, 2022. As an umbrella organization serving people living with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs), the Muscular Dystrophy Association is proud to announce the opening of the 2022 Advocacy Collaboration Grants Program. These grants will promote and support key public policy and advocacy initiatives in coordination with our fellow organizations and partners to help transform the lives of the individuals living with neuromuscular diseases.

Because no individual organization can solve for every challenge or remove every barrier faced by patients and families across the NMD community, and in the spirit of MDA's commitment to collaboration, MDA will utilize this grant program to facilitate impactful and cooperative advocacy projects and initiatives. Through this innovative model we will fund activities such as:

1. Non-partisan, non-political advocacy campaigns to achieve legislative and public policy victories for the NMD community at the federal, state, local level;
2. Vital research projects to provide much-needed data to further understand the experiences of the NMD community in order to further advocacy priorities;
3. Opportunities to convene stakeholders in the NMD community through in-person and virtual meetings, conferences, and other events;
4. Programs or toolkits to build, grow, and train NMD grassroots advocates; and
5. Other innovative programs, campaigns, or initiatives that can measurably impact one or more of MDA and the collaborating organizations' common advocacy goals.

"We are thrilled to launch this year's Advocacy Collaboration Grants Program, an effort that we hope will accelerate the development and delivery of meaningful treatments, health care, and life opportunities to the neuromuscular disease community", said Paul Melmeyer, Vice President, Public Policy and Advocacy at MDA. "We invite all interested organizations with great research, public policy, and advocacy proposals to apply."

The program is open now and will accept applications until September 16th. Grant applications will be reviewed by a committee including representatives from MDA leadership, members of NMD community, and those in the research and clinician communities. Interested organizations can go to https://www.mda.org/AdvocacyGrants for more information on how to apply.

Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is the #1 voluntary health organization in the United States for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. For over 70 years, MDA has led the way in accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for the support of our families. MDA’s mission is to empower the people we serve to live longer, more independent lives. To learn more visit mda.org and follow MDA on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn.