Wound Healing Foundation
Funding Research for Tomorrow's Innovation
Wound Healing Foundation
EIN: 33-0885475
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Although chronic wounds affect approximately 6.5 million people in the United States, relatively few clinicians and researchers focus specifically on wound healing. Even though wounds carry a heavy disease burden, specific wound research funding is low. The inability of wounds, scars and adhesions to heal normally is a major health problem in the United States and globally. As the population ages, and the prevalence of diseases such as diabetes, chronic venous insufficiency and atherosclerosis increases, the magnitude of chronic wound problems will increase. The Wound Healing Foundation (WHF) is working to address these problems by raising money for research grants based on scientific merit and for funding patient and professional education about wound healing. The WHF is also raising public awareness about the high morbidity and tremendous economic burden chronic wounds are known for to help elicit changes.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
WHF Free Online Support Community via Inspire
The WHF is excited and proud to partner with Inspire, the leading social network for health, to offer a safe place for patients and caregivers to connect and support one another on issues related to wound care, traumatic wounds, chronic wounds, amputation, scars, symptoms and much more. The Wound Healing Foundation Support Community offers peer-to-peer support in a safe and moderated environment so you can connect with people who are or have gone through similar issues like you. You can read, ask questions or respond to discussions on the community, upload photos and even search for specific topics or participate in other communities. http://www.woundhealingfoundation.org/inspire.aspx
WHF Wounded Warrior Athelete Initiative
The Wound Healing Foundation (WHF) embarked on the creation of the Wounded Warrior Athlete Initiative in 2013 to support wounded warrior athletes to promote optimal wound and skin care. Wounded, ill or injured service members and veterans compete in regional qualifiers to earn a coveted spot to participate in athletic Olympic-style games. Many of the athletes are prone to reinjuring their wounds and scars. The WHF initiative was created to provide ways to promote optimal wound management and skin care for these athletes. Since first providing supplies and Warrior Care kits to athletes competing in the 2013 Warrior Games (Colorado Springs, Colorado), WHF has expanded its support efforts for the wounded warrior athletes and their families to include the global community of servicemen and servicewomen. WHF partner Swiss-American CDMO is the provider of the Warrior Care Kits. http://www.woundhealingfoundation.org/programs/WoundedWarriorAthleteInitiative.aspx
Wound Healing Foundation Thomas K Hunt Lectureship
The Wound Healing Foundation established the Thomas K. Hunt Endowed Lecture in 2013 to honor the legacy of Dr. Hunt and to inspire and educate wound healing researchers on related research innovations. The award is not limited to those who are directly involved in wound healing research, that is, consideration will be given to researchers who demonstrate the ability to bridge scientific gaps and cross boundaries through the use of basic physiology to understand healing processes in multiple organ systems. Additional characteristics of the WHF Thomas K. Hunt Lecture awardees may include, but are not limited to:
`Major contributions to scientific inquiry that is likely to advance the field of wound healing
`Technological innovations or mechanistic insight that can quantify or improve wound healing or its research
`Academic achievement through mentoring across disciplines
`Potential impact on wound research directions or therapies
Future awardees of the Thomas K. Hunt Lectureship are selected annually by the Wound Healing Foundation. http://www.woundhealingfoundation.org/programs/TK-Hunt.aspx
Wound Healing Foundation-3M Fellowship
The purpose of this one-year, $15,000 Fellowship, is to stimulate scientific research and career development of young investigators or junior faculty who are pursuing a career in wound healing research. http://www.woundhealingfoundation.org/programs/3M-Award.aspx
WHF-Medline Research Grant Innovations Award
The purpose of the award is to stimulate innovative wound healing product development. This is a one year, $30,000 grant awarded to a young investigator doing research in wound healing in the United States. Applications should be innovative and likely have the ability to be commercialized in the future. http://www.woundhealingfoundation.org/programs/Grants.aspx
WHF Research Grants
Grants are given dependent on the availability of funds and quality of submissions. There are three specific types of grants given:
`Evidence gaps - The Wound Healing Foundation is developing grants to enhance basic and clinical research in the wound healing field. Even though wounds have been present for thousands of years, many knowledge and evidence gaps still exist. The purpose of these grants are to assist in improving the evidence base on which wound healing research is based on. Our goal for this program is to award grants that specifically address evidence and treatment gaps.
`Scientific advancement - The Foundation also provides research recognition grants to help assist outstanding researchers in other wound healing areas.The purpose of these grants are to help stimulate and recognize unique areas of wound research that are being performed to further advance the science. Our goal for this program is to award grants that are scientifically creative and can advance the science of wound healing.
`Innovative Grants Program - The Foundation is positioned to expand its research program through additional research grants, fellowships and awards. There is a continuing need to fund new and established investigators engaged in cutting edge research to generate pilot data leading to new innovations to advance the basic and clinical science of wound healing. Our goal for this program is to award grants beginning at or above $10,000.
http://www.woundhealingfoundation.org/programs/Grants.aspx
WHF Scholarships
The Wound Healing Foundation is pleased to offer recognition to deserving scientists and clinicians in the field of wound healing. The purpose of the Foundation scholarship awards is to recognize and reward deserving wound healing researchers by facilitating their attendance at meetings such as the WHS annual meeting. The WHF recognizes the importance of furthering research in the area of wound healing by assisting top researchers and by facilitating the presentation and scientific discussion of new discoveries. This monetary award is used to offset travel expenses. The goal for this program is to award scholarships between $250 and $1,000 depending on availability and research quality. http://www.woundhealingfoundation.org/programs/Scholarships.aspx
Where we work
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of academic scholarships awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Researchers, Students, Teachers, Military personnel
Related Program
WHF Scholarships
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Merit based scholarships are an important part of developing scientist's careers. Assist with offsetting the cost of a professional conference, provide networking opportunities, and recognition of sci
Number of research studies funded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Researchers
Related Program
WHF Research Grants
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Research grants range from $5,000-$30,000 and are related to wound healing research.
Number of chronically ill patients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Chronically ill people, Older adults, Seniors, Caregivers
Related Program
WHF Free Online Support Community via Inspire
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Provide free and accurate wound education for patients and their caregivers is important so that they can be prepared to asked pertinent questions about their health and make informed decisions.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Wound Healing Foundation (WHF) is working to address wound healing problems by focusing on three pillars; education, research funding and public awareness.
Patients and caregivers do not always have access to wound healing specialists because so few exist. The Foundation, in conjunction with our partners, draft user friendly information for dissemination on-line. Successful wound care is a team effort and the patients and their families have a major role in healing their wound. The Foundation seeks to aid their efforts. Likewise, the Foundation supports education of clinicians regarding best wound healing practices.
There is a lack of research funding and a lack of dedicated wound clinicians and researchers in the wound healing field. Providing research grants based on scientific merit assists in generating quality wound data. There is also a great need for creating awards for the career development of young investigators so they may reach a point where they can obtain independent funding and continue their careers in the wound healing field.
The WHF raises public awareness and understanding about the morbidity and economic burden of non-healing wounds. Partnerships between the WHF and other stakeholders in the wound healing arena or interested organizations are collaborating and coordinating to build this public awareness. This occurs at various events, conferences and printed materials as well as social media.
There is great need for research grants, education and public awareness about this silent epidemic. The WHF is charged with the task to accomplish a vital educational and charitable mission: to advance the science and practice of wound healing in the United States and throughout the world.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
All programs and strategies must contribute to the mission by focusing on one or more of the three pillars, education, research funding and public awareness.
Because of limited funding, we often partner with other non-profits, governments or groups interested in facilitating our mission.
We leverage the use of social media and our website to both raise awareness as well as fund raising. Networking, both in person and virtual can connect us with new partners within and outside of the wound community. Participation in events such as the US Federal Government's CFC (Combined Federal Campaign) provides the Wound Healing Foundation (CFC#88674) with opportunities to raise awareness about wounds but also raise money through the federal workforce pre-tax donation as a vetted charity.
Providing cutting edge lectures and granting opportunities have increased both education and the research in the wound community. This in turn drives more people to look to the Foundation to meet their needs.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Wound Healing Foundation is made up of a board passionate about wounds and wound healing with a sole focus on meeting our mission better than the year before. Since the board is made up of people from various backgrounds in the wound community including patient, healthcare, research and industry backgrounds, our strength is from the experience and perspective from each member.
Because we are a small and cohesive group, the Wound Healing Foundation is nimble enough to address issues with experience broad enough develop solutions that might arise unexpectedly. Goals of near, mid and far range time points allows us to work on multiple issues at once while also providing regular successes to continue driving the funding mechanisms.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Wound Healing Foundation has made a lot of progress in improving the research, education and awareness about wounds and wound healing over the years. Thus far we have given approximately $500,000 in wound research grants and over $750,000 in wound and skin care supplies to the wound community. As we broaden our programs and can fund larger grants, we will make even more of an impact.
We remain committed to funding the best scientific proposals, providing the best wound education free of charge, and raising awareness about the wound healing problem.
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Financial data
Wound Healing Foundation
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
President
LAURA K. S. PARNELL
In 2012, Laura K.S. Parnell was elected to the Wound Healing Foundation Board of Directors and became President of the Foundation in 2013. Under her leadership, the Foundation updated its mission and has striven to broaden its fundraising efforts benefiting researchers and patients through awareness, education and research. Her personal goal is to see wound healing and associated problems be solved in more innovative and creative ways. Laura does not receive any payment for her activities for the Wound Healing Foundation.
Laura founded her company, Precision Consulting in 1998 and specializes in wound healing and burn research. She designs research protocols, develops scientific niche products and provides scientific knowledge, medical writing and regulatory background based on the needs and budget of her clients. She has an international clientele and has worked extensively with industry representatives and clinicians on research investigations.
Wound Healing Foundation
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Wound Healing Foundation
Board of directorsas of 08/21/2024
Board of directors data
LAURA PARNELL
Precision Consulting
Term: 2013 - 2019
Manuela Martins-Green
UC Riverside
Paul Y Liu
Rhode Island Hospital/Alpert Med School of Brown University
Mary C Crossland
Retreat Hospital Wound Healing Center
Elof Eriksson
Harvard Medical School
Kris Kieswetter
Acelity
Greg Schultz
University of Florida
Rica Tanaka
Associate Professor Juntendo University School of Medicine
Chris Fashek
MTSG
Laura Parnell
Precision Consulting
Margaret-Ann Halstead
Medline
Jim Pinkham
Yinka Olutoye
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Not applicable -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data