Epilepsy Foundation Earns Highest Rating from Charity Navigator

LANDOVER, Md., June 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Epilepsy Foundation today announced it has earned 4 out of 4 stars from Charity Navigator for its strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. This is the first time the Foundation has received this top distinction from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator. This recognition makes the Epilepsy Foundation the only epilepsy advocacy organization with local offices in communities throughout the U.S. with a 4-star Charity Navigator rating.

"It is an honor to have received this coveted 4-star rating, which is awarded to only the most fiscally responsible organizations in the country," said Robert W. Smith, chair of the Epilepsy Foundation's Board of Directors. "Our mission is funded through the generous gifts of individual donors and many partner organizations, so it is important that our donors trust us to use their dollars wisely to fund research into new therapies, education and awareness, and advocacy efforts. This recognition is a testament to our steadfast commitment to good stewardship and transparency and evidence of how we are investing those dollars in the fight to END EPILEPSY®."

Established in 1968, the Epilepsy Foundation has led the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives. Thanks to the support of its donors and partners over the years, the Foundation has:

• Funded more than $65 million in research, including grants to many of today's top epilepsy experts to help improve access to specialty care and bring to market new innovative therapies and technologies for people with epilepsy.
• Trained more than 500,000 school and community personnel in how to recognize seizures and administer Seizure First Aid.
• Increased public understanding of epilepsy and seizures through public service announcements, community outreach events, and collaborative work with a network of more than 50 local partners across the country and epilepsy field.
• Established the largest and most comprehensive digital hub in the world for seizure information and education (epilepsy.com).

"We exist to support and advocate for the more than 3.4 million people living with epilepsy in the U.S.," said Bradley P. Boyer, chair-elect of the Epilepsy Foundation's Board of Directors. "This year alone, we have served more than 14,000 people through our 24/7 Helpline; helped passed Seizure Safe School legislation in Indiana, Texas and Illinois; and provided more than $1.7 million in research awards to support the next generation of scientists and advance innovative therapies and devices getting them to market faster. This is all thanks to the continued support of our donors and partners."

To make a donation to the Epilepsy Foundation or become a corporate partner, please visit epilepsy.com/ways-give. 

About the Charity Navigator Ranking
Since 2002, using objective analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology. These Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity's overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders. The Epilepsy Foundation's rating and other information are available free of charge on charitynavigator.org. 

About Epilepsy
According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by epilepsy. It is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions.

About the Epilepsy Foundation
With a network of nearly 50 partners throughout the United States, the Foundation connects people to treatment, support and resources; leads advocacy efforts; funds innovative research and the training of specialists; and educates the public about epilepsy and seizure first aid. For more than five decades, the Epilepsy Foundation has shone a light on epilepsy to promote awareness and understanding, and to advocate for laws that matter to people with epilepsy, while also funding $65 million for epilepsy research and supporting 3,076 epilepsy investigators and specialists in their early careers. Over the past 17 years, in partnership with the CDC, the Epilepsy Foundation has helped to improve access to care for people with epilepsy, expanded its digital reach and online resources in homes across the country, and trained more than 500,000 school and community personnel in how to recognize seizures and administer Seizure First Aid. The Foundation has also assisted more than 108,000 people through its 24/7 Helpline in the past five years, and continues to focus on innovation, new therapies, community services, advocacy and education as key priorities. To learn more visit epilepsy.com or call 1.800.332.1000. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Epilepsy Foundation