Charity of the week: American Federation for Aging Research

Founded in 1981 by Dr. Irving Wright, who saw an urgent need for research in geriatrics as the American population aged, the American Foundation for Aging Research (afar.org) has distributed $132 million in grants to support research into aging and to train scientists and physicians in geriatric research and medicine. AFAR grantee Brian Kennedy, of the Buck Institute for Age Research, is investigating aging in yeast, worms, and flies, and applying his findings to human biology. His work could lead to drugs that slow the aging process and treat age-related diseases. Grantee Reisa Sperling was recently featured in The New York Times for her work in developing a rapid, reliable diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s, which up to now could be conclusively diagnosed only through an autopsy.

Each charity highlighted on this page has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, the largest evaluator of charities in America. Charity Navigator ranks not-for-profit organizations on their financial strength, the effectiveness of their programs, their control of administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest ranking.