American Liver Foundation

“A draft of the form 990 is sent to the finance committee for review and comments in the monthly meeting prior to filing. In addition, a draft of the form 990 is also sent to each board member for discussion. After questions and comments are addressed and the form 990 is approved, it is ready for filing.”

“Annually, our conflict of interest form is completed by officers and directors. The form must indicate any possible conflicts of interest and is signed by all officers and directors. When any such conflict of interest is relevant to a matter requiring action by the board, the interested person shall call it to the attention of the board and such person shall not vote on the matter. Moreover, the person having a conflict shall retire from the room in which the board is meeting and shall not participate in the final deliberation or decision regarding the matter under consideration. However, that person shall provide the board with any and all relevant information. The minutes of the meeting of the board, shall reflect that the conflict of interest was disclosed and that the interested person was not present during the final discussion or vote and did not vote. When there is a doubt as to whether a conflict of interest exists, the matter shall be resolved by a vote of the board.”

“Ceo compensation is determined by the national board of director's executive committee and approved by the board members. In determining salary levels, the executive committee reviews an annual salary survey of national voluntary health organizations prepared for the national health council and reviews prior year performance. Current market conditions and the financial condition of the american liver foundation are also considered in setting compensation. This review was last conducted in 2024.”

“The salary of officers and key employees are determined by the ceo and cfo based on performance, market conditions and the financial condition of the american liver foundation.”

“The annual audit report and form 990 are available via www.liverfoundation.org and form 1023 and conflict of interest policy are available upon request.”

“PUBLIC AND PATIENT EDUCATION: * Through ALF's signature public outreach campaign, Think Liver Think Life, ALF made great strides in raising awareness about fatty liver disease and screening at-risk individuals for fatty liver. The online Liver Health Quiz was completed by nearly 13,000 people interested in understanding their risk for fatty liver disease. Additionally, more than 1.425 million people learned more about their liver health. The quiz is currently available in Spanish as well as English. Over 60 Memorandums of Understanding have been signed by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and community clinics to conduct fatty liver testing. To date, 2,305 people participated in screenings to test for the prevalence of fatty liver and distributed 2,375 Rapid tests for Hepatitis C. Those who were screened were connected to care through calls and text messages. ALF TLTL staff became certified Project ECHO providers offering fatty liver education to the community clinicians, FQHC personnel and front-line healthcare providers on this respected platform. The ALF Project ECHO MASLD series launched in August 2024 and featured live presentations and case studies using the Project ECHO model. All sessions were recorded as enduring material for future on demand viewing. Another series is planned for 2025. ALF continues to evaluate non-invasive elastography testing equipment and engage new technology for Think Liver Think Life screening events. ALF established a volunteer fatty liver healthcare expert mentor group to provide expertise to support the clinicians who are identifying and treating newly diagnosed patients across the US. * ALF's Programs Team recruited 30 liver healthcare medical experts from 19 different institutions to share their knowledge resulting in enduring educational programming for patients/caregivers on the topics of liver cancer, Covid 19 update, 30-day menu for healthier living, hepatitis B & C, Hepatorenal Syndrome, clinical trials, the patient registry, and a Life with Pediatric Liver Disease Series. Priorities also included partnering with Hispanic Networks to educate their providers about the high prevalence of MASLD, diagnosis, and treatment therapies. As a result, ALF presented an inaugural educational program in Spanish accompanied by patient materials in Spanish. These materials were translated from English by volunteer bilingual liver healthcare experts. * Liver Health Today, ALF's monthly e-newsletter for patients and caregivers, was distributed monthly to 255,000 patients, supporters, and volunteers in 2023. New web content was updated and created on a variety of liver disease topics. The website was visited by more than 2.2 million unique visitors in 2023. Additionally, ALF reviews and updates existing content to reflect new discoveries. All ALF website content is vetted by a liver medical expert prior to launch.”

“PATIENT SUPPORT: These three areas of work have resulted in fulfillment of mission-related goals in 2024. Significant examples of ALF accomplishments are featured below. * Responded to 3,388 Helpline calls, live chats and emails from patients, caregivers and the public. * Hosted Facebook support groups for people with Primary Biliary Cholangitis, Liver Cancer, NASH (now known as MASH), Pediatric Liver Diseases and launched an Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease support group as well as an innovative Peer to Peer Patient Mentor Program (50 slots). In 2024, the cumulative total of participating Facebook support group members was 12,379. * Expanded our patient diversity through partnerships with organizations such as the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists, Blackdocotor.org, Migrant Clinicians Network, and Latinx Physicians of CA. * Served as the patient voice on Community Advisory Boards for 16 grant funded studies at the invitation of the medical grant lead investigators. * Held our first-ever Capitol Hill briefing on Obesity: The Leading Cause of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and the Most Urgent Threat to Public Health Today in May 2024. This event addressed the growing concerns regarding obesity and its correlation with the increasing prevalence of liver disease nationwide.”

“RESEARCH American Liver Foundation (ALF) has a history of commitment to research funding dating back to 1979. In 2023 with the approval of ALF's National Board of Directors, ALF established a dedicated Research Department led by an experienced PhD. Growth has been exponential in terms of meaningful pilot research grant opportunities for experienced researchers and grant awards to support the pipeline of early career researchers. ALF's 2024 priorities included a focus on childhood and rare disease challenges. Grant selection integrity was gained through the establishment of a formal Grants Review Committee comprised of respected liver experts. The patient voice was integrated into the process through the newly established Patient Research Advisory Group. Key accomplishments included: * Disease-specific Pilot Grant Awards in Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH), Biliary Atresia (BA), Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC), and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC): These grants provide $50,000 funding for research projects in new areas of investigation, innovative ideas, or "high-risk, high-reward" projects that have the potential to generate breakthrough findings and significantly advance the field. Applications were submitted for all four diseases: (6 for AIH, 3 for PBC, 18 for PSC, and 6 for BA) resulting in funding 8 pilot grants in October 2024, using restricted funds from previous years to support quality applications in AIH (1), PSC (3), and BA (4) (no application was deemed meritorious for PBC). * Early Career Awards: In August 2024 the Research Department issued RFPs for Liver Scholar (LS) and Postdoctoral Fellowship (PD) Awards and received a record number of applications. A record 9 LS and 21 PD applications were identified as "high impact 2 Liver Scholar Awards were granted at $225,000 (over a 3-year period) and 6 Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards of $25,000. * American Liver Foundation Patient Registry: Launched in July 2024, this registry uniquely includes ALL liver diseases versus liver disease registries focused on one liver disease. Nearly 700 participants self-enrolled from the initial launch through the end of 2024. * Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award (DSAA): Annual recognition ceremony to promote and acknowledge the outstanding work of researchers. ALF's 2024 DSAA award recipient was Dr. Jacquelyn Maher (UCSF), selected by an independent panel of liver experts. The ALF Research Program was promoted at the annual AASLD (American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases) Liver Meeting through interactions with a variety of stakeholders, including academic researchers, industry partners, patients, and other non-profit organizations.”

“American Liver Foundation Patient Registry: Launched in July 2024, this registry uniquely includes ALL liver diseases versus liver disease registries focused on one liver disease. Nearly 700 participants self-enrolled from the initial launch through the end of 2024.”

“(Expenses $ 1,007,617 including grants of $) COMMUNITY SERVICE: ALF conducts advocacy work on behalf of the patient community throughout the year, actively raising awareness of pertinent legislation affecting the liver community among the Federal government. * Launched our National Liver Awareness Month advocacy campaign on liver disease and obesity which resulted in 108 advocates sending a total of 343 messages and toolkits to Members of Congress. Additionally, 650 emails containing our toolkit and resources were sent to Congressional staff to reinforce awareness and understanding of the direct link between obesity and MASLD/MASH (formerly known as NAFLD/NASH). * Circulated an urgent letter to the Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance committees to request action on the inclusion of anti-obesity medications for seniors transitioning into Medicare. ALF's liver healthcare provider network was activated to send letters to representatives in target states, amplifying our impact through healthcare professionals' voices. ALF National Board Members and several advocacy ambassadors residing in key Congressional districts submitted letters to the editor and op-eds on the importance of the anti-obesity medications and the link to liver disease. * Conducted a Year-End Advocacy Survey and Briefing to determine what priorities matter most to them. In 2024, 513 people responded, up from 327 last year. As in years past, the #1 most important issue to our stakeholders is Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Liver Disease, followed by Research to Help Cure and Treat Liver Disease, and Cost of Medications. Prevention of Liver Disease and Improve Access to Liver Transplantation followed closely behind with the #1 barrier to care cited as High Out-Of Pocket Costs. * Determined through survey data that Fatty Liver Disease is the #1 disease ALF's base cares most about, (last year it was Autoimmune Liver Disease). Autoimmune liver disease was #2 with Liver Cancer in the third spot.”

“(Expenses $ 521,646 including grants of $) PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION * ALF published Healthcare Connections, A Monthly Newsletter for Healthcare Professionals designed to share ALF's events, programs, and calls to action with patients/caregivers and colleagues. Nearly 3,000 medical professionals receive this publication monthly. * Liver medical experts assisted in the expansion of the healthcare professional database through introductions to their colleagues. Introductory meetings were held to create meaningful relationships leading to inclusion in ALF's database. Additionally, ALF connected with front-line provider non-liver expert healthcare professionals through partnerships with organizations such as the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, attendance at Pri-Med conferences, and the Project ECHO series. * The annual Liver Health Poster Competition was hosted. Early career liver healthcare professionals submitted patient friendly liver disease informational posters along with a brief video, resulting in expert educational content for patients. As a bonus, ALF bonds with a pipeline of future liver medical leaders. * Two Medical Student Liver Clubs partnered with ALF to educate fellow medical students and the community about the liver. These clubs serve as an opportunity to encourage medical students to choose liver as their specialty, ultimately creating a pipeline of future liver healthcare professional providers.”