Posted on December 7, 2004

Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation

Founded: 1999

Contact: Megan P. Sandow, Vice President of Operations

Address:
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
500 Morris Avenue
Springfield, NJ 07081

Phone: (973) 379-2690 or (800) 225-0292
Fax: (973) 912-9433
E-mail: info@CRPF.org
URL: http://www.christopherreeve.org/

Mission:
To fund research that develops treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders; and to improve the quality of life for people living with disabilities through grants, advocacy, and the paralysis resource center.

About the Organization:
Actor Christopher Reeve put a human face on spinal cord injury in 1995 after being paralyzed from the neck down in an accident in an equestrian competition. Reeve created a foundation and used his celebrity to advocate for increased federal and state funding for biomedical research. In 1999, the Christopher Reeve Foundation joined forces with the American Paralysis Association, which was founded in 1982, to leverage the strengths of both institutions and form the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, with Reeve as chairperson. Since 1982, the grantmaking public charity has awarded $48 million in research grants to neuroscientists. In addition, it has awarded 617 quality of life grants totaling $5.6 million to nonprofit organizations that help to improve the daily lives of people living with paralysis. In October 2004, Christopher Reeve, 52, died of heart failure, and in November, the board of directors appointed his wife, Dana Reeve, the new chairperson. Since 1999, she has served on the organization's board and has chaired the Quality of Life Grants Committee, which she will continue to do.

Current Programs:
CRPF funds the Individual Grants Program and the Research Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury, an international network of neuroscientists; though different in approach, both programs support cutting-edge science, recruit top scientists, and foster collaborative thinking. CRPF's Quality of Life Grants Program provides people with spinal cord injuries with services and programs that enable them to participate in all areas of life. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, formed in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and assisted by the Paralysis Task Force, supports those who are recently paralyzed, living with paralysis, or caring for someone who is paralyzed.

Web Site:
The CRPF Web site contains information on the organization's research and grants programs, recent research papers, a spinal-cord tutorial, and a biography of Christopher Reeve.

Funding:
CRPF is supported primarily by individual donations. It also receives foundation grants, corporate contributions, and revenue from special events. Many donations come from small foundations started by the families of spinal-cord-injured individuals that funnel their local fundraising to CRPF.