The Epilepsy Foundation: Overview
The
Epilepsy Foundation is the national voluntary agency solely dedicated to the
welfare of the more than 3 million people with epilepsy in the
Typical
of the Foundation’s national programs are its Jeanne A. Carpenter Epilepsy
Legal Defense Fund, Epilepsy Gene Discovery Project, H.O.P.E. (Helping Other
People with Epilepsy) Mentoring Program, JobTech, Public Policy Institute,
Elderly and Women’s Health Initiatives, Kids Speak Up! and Research Grants
Program. Services commonly provided in local communities are information and
referral, counseling, patient and family advocacy, school alert, community
education, support groups and camps for children. Its Web site, www.epilepsyfoundation.org,
offers the most comprehensive, medically approved consumer information about
epilepsy and seizures on the Internet and is the trusted source for millions of
people who seek reliable information about epilepsy.
The
Epilepsy Foundation was established in 1967 as the Epilepsy Foundation of
America, merging two largely regional epilepsy organizations. It began
operating as the Epilepsy Foundation on January 1, 1998, formalizing the name
most often used by the public in referring to the organization. It is a 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt charitable organization existing under the laws of the State of
The
Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors comprising business leaders,
health care professionals and client representatives, with the advice and
counsel of a Professional Advisory Board whose more than 60 members are among
the world’s leading epilepsy physicians and health experts. Its chief staff
executive is its president and CEO, Eric R. Hargis. Former U.S. Congressman
Tony Coelho, who himself has epilepsy, chairs the organization’s national board
of directors. The Foundation’s professional advisory board is chaired by Bruce
P. Hermann, PhD, Professor of Neurology, and Director of the Charles Mathews
Laboratory of Neuropsychology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, an
expert in the psychosocial consequences of epilepsy and its pharmacological and
surgical treatment.
The
Epilepsy Foundation is funded primarily through individual donations from the
general public, and receives restricted grant support from the federal
government, foundations and private industry. The organization is a participant
in the Combined Federal Campaign and a member of the National Health Council
and of the International Bureau for Epilepsy.
For
more information visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org or contact the Foundation’s
public information staff at 301-459-3700.
Revised 4.27.07