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About Kessler Foundation

Our Vision

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. 

 

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Kessler Foundation leads the way in linking science

and grantsmanship so that people with disabilities can lead more productive, independent, and fulfilling lives.

 

The mission of Kessler Foundation is to improve

quality of life for people with disabilities through

discovery, innovation, demonstration, application,

and dissemination.

 

Our Mission

Dear Friend,

 

In 2014, Kessler Foundation celebrated a record-breaking year. We now have the

capacity to change more lives than ever before, because of the overwhelming generosity

of our donors and funders.

 

Our scientists earned $14.7 million in research grants from federal, state, and private

organizations, more than in any past year.  Networks and collaborations further enhance

the influence of Kessler Foundation’s research. As the site of federal model systems in both

brain injury and spinal cord injury, we connect with centers across the nation to improve care

for people with these catastrophic injuries. 

 

The Foundation is now home to the new MS Collaborative Center of New Jersey. Funded by a generous grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, this is the only such center dedicated to rehabilitation research in MS. Through our recent collaboration with Children’s Specialized Hospital, we are applying our expertise in a new direction—to improve the lives of children and adolescents with disabilities. 

 

At the Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center at Kessler Foundation, our scientists continue to explore innovative ways to treat disabilities caused by MS, stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury and the effects of chemotherapy. Their objective evidence supports reimbursement for new treatments, accelerating the translation of scientific advances from theory to practice. 

 

At Kessler Foundation, we view employment as a major indicator of quality of life for people with disabilities.  That’s why we awarded $2.1 million in grants to expand options for this underemployed population—bringing our investment in employment initiatives to $32 million since 2005. 

 

To maximize impact, we support approaches like public/private partnerships and social enterprise businesses, which can provide jobs for large numbers of people.  We also fund faith-based initiatives that connect people with disabilities with job opportunities in their communities.   

 

Our mission drives us to make strategic investments that help our employees work efficiently and effectively. Thanks to the talent and dedication of our staff and Board of Trustees, Kessler Foundation was again named one of the Best US Nonprofit Organizations to Work For and one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey. 

 

Thank you for working with us to change the lives of people with disabilities. We encourage you to visit KesslerFoundation.org and follow our social media for daily updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rodger DeRose

CEO and President

WHAT WE DO

Positive steps are being taken in the federal, private, and public sectors to boost employment for the millions of Americans with disabilities, but more needs to be done. While we strive to create opportunities, it is critical to share methods for success across the nation. As more individuals with disabilities join the workforce, they feel the satisfaction of earning a paycheck and more taxpayers contribute to the economy.

In 2014, Kessler Foundation’s researchers secured more than $14 million in external grant funding, the most in the history of the Foundation, from federal and private organizations as well as corporations and donors. Researchers shared results through publications and presentations around the world. New collaborations and technology accelerated the pace of discoveries. Findings in multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) led to new advancements in patient care and identified new research avenues.

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