Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, Inc.

MSAA's mission is to serve as a leading resource for the entire MS community, improving lives today through vital services and support. MSAA strives to increase our reach, awareness and impact to the people living with multiple sclerosis, their families and care partners, and to the healthcare professionals who help manage their disease.
To help accomplish this vision, MSAA will focus on growth and development in four specific areas:
• Resource Augmentation and Diversification, including:
- Corporate Relationship Development
- Major Donor and Planned Giving Strategies
- Special Event Development
- Donor Acquisition
- Financial Coordination and Management

• Mission Expansion, including a focus on:
- Wellness Approaches
- Advocacy and Healthcare Policies
- Underserved MS Populations
- Increased Direct Impact Services
- Medical Community Engagement
- Shared Decision Making Interventions

• Communication and Outreach Augmentation, including:
- Increased Awareness and Branding of MSAA
- Engaging and Timely MS content
- Expanded Digital Partnerships

• Professional Resource Development, addressing:
- Board of Director Committees
- Medical Advisory Leadership
- Volunteer Engagement

MSAA has a robust history of programmatic and service excellence in the MS landscape spanning nearly 50 years of experience. We are seen as a leader in providing direct, tangible and impactful programs that improve the quality of life for the MS population. Also, our Board of Directors is extremely dedicated to our mission and has considerable spheres of influence that can be engaged to grow MSAA.
Over the next five years, MSAA will invest in staffing, Board leadership, current and new partnerships, expanded national awareness and increased donor relationships to achieve the organization’s growth and development as detailed in the previous section. Additional key strategic opportunities include:
• Converting visitors to MSAA's website and social media platforms to “active" MSAA clients and donors
• Educating healthcare practitioners on the variety of ways MSAA's services can benefit their MS patients
• Conducting an MS landscape assessment to determine direct impact gap areas and innovative methods of providing and delivering national programs and services
• Designing new initiatives that delivers psycho-educational services via online group interventions
• Coordinating with funding partners to determine areas of need for regional programming and collaborate on fulfilling this need through cooperative efforts

• MSAA maintains a highly regarded staff of experienced professionals, including many long-term employees who have dedicated over a decade to the MS space, with tenures of up to 25 years with MSAA specifically

• MSAA continues to grow its funding base and effectively manage its portfolio as an income generator and is therefore able to expand our investment in areas of technology, marketing and program development and expansion


• MSAA enjoys strong relationships with our funding partners, MS Centers, and other MS organizations around the country
ions around the country.

Progress measures are reviewed on a monthly basis by Executive staff and are reported to the Board of Directors three times annually. To date MSAA has:
• Conducted a Comprehensive Needs Assessment in early 2018. The 109-question survey was sent via email and mail to a random sample of 2,505 MS patients with a 25.1% response rate. Initial data review focused on examining the needs of MS patients at risk of being underserved. Subjects were group into three classifications of risk (low, moderate, high vulnerability) based on demographics, income, race, and perceived access to care. In evaluating significant statistical differences, the most vulnerable patients reported the greatest number of unmet needs with respect to accessing care, making treatment decisions, treatment adherence, day-to-day life with MS, and psychosocial support

• Held our second Navigating MS summit where 35 participants, including leading MS neurologists, nurse practitioners and patient advocates from the United States, European Union, and Australia met in Amsterdam for a two day meeting. The meeting focused on: 1) work done to date by the group; 2) results from a barriers survey; 3) an overview of existing shared-decision making tools; and 4) next steps on developing interventions to improve patient health outcomes through shared-decision making

• Joined a coalition whose aim is to address the growing issue of co-pay accumulators within employer provided/self-funded health plans. Representation within this coalition includes organizations representing the hemophilia, HIV/AIDS, and arthritis communities

• Developed a partnership with a healthcare technology company to develop the linkage between the patient and healthcare professional platforms