In 1987, leadership from five (5) osteopathic-supportive foundations, including David Rianda, Marlow Garvin and Chris Beardsley, formed a national network of osteopathic-supportive foundations – naming it the National Association of Osteopathic Foundations (NAOF). A 1989 “Charter of Affiliation” was presented to and adopted by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and, Subsequently, the House of Delegates. The AOA Affiliation status is an official recognition of the NAOF within the AOA structure, yet the NAOF is an autonomous group, including governance and decision-making.

Over the years, the NAOF has hosted meetings which included educational presentations from AOA, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), and Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA). In addition to annual meetings, NAOF has provided support to advance SOMA as the premier hub for leaders in healthcare. In 2004, several NAOF members engaged in a national funding collaborative, totaling over $654,000, to support the first ever multi-center osteopathic clinical trial entitled Multi-Center Osteopathic Pneumonia Study in the Elderly (MOPSE).

Activity and membership in the NAOF heightened in the mid to late 1990s as the field of philanthropy experienced an influx of newly created or expanded health foundations – resulting primarily from the sale of hospitals, health systems and health insurance plans. With experience and continued interest in osteopathic medicine and community health grantmaking, many of these foundation leaders, many of whom had previously been associated with osteopathic training hospitals, sought counsel, comradery and support from their NAOF colleagues. At this stage in our collective history, a number of osteopathic-supportive foundations have new executive leadership and many of the pioneering executives are preparing the next generation of foundation leaders to serve as advocates and supporters of osteopathic medicine, education and research.

The NAOF seeks to serve osteopathic-supportive foundations that have funding purposes and interests related to community projects consistent with the osteopathic philosophy, osteopathic medicine, osteopathic medical education, and research. NAOF promotes the exchange of ideas and information through educational programs, publications and conferences.

Today, NAOF is positioned to reinvigorate and expand its membership to sustain a supportive network of professionals, related, but not limited to, community health grantmaking, fundraising, osteopathic medical education and research, Board development, and investment strategies.

For your convenience, the Osteopathic Founders Foundation, acting as fiscal agent for the National Association of Osteopathic Foundations (NAOF), accepts credit card payments for your organization’s annual association dues.

If you prefer to pay by check, please mail payment to:

    Osteopathic Founders Foundation
    8801 S Yale Ave Ste 400
    Tulsa, OK 74137-3539

Please make checks payable to Osteopathic Founders Foundation and include “NAOF Dues” in the memo line. A receipt will be emailed once payment is received.

We kindly ask that, even if paying by check, you complete the membership form below so we may maintain an accurate and up-to-date roster of our member foundations.

Dues are payable annually by July 31st

Dues are currently being accepted for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

2026-2027 MEMBERSHIP FORM

2025-2026 Member Organizations:

ACOFP Foundation
American Osteopathic Foundation
AOAO Foundation
Brentwood Foundation
Colorado Springs Osteopathic Foundation
Denver Osteopathic Foundation
Florida Osteopathic Medical Association Foundation
Foundation for Osteopathic Emergency Medicine
Maine Osteopathic Educational Foundation

Northwest Oklahoma Osteopathic Foundation
Northwest Osteopathic Foundation
Osteopathic Cranial Academy Foundation
Osteopathic Founders Foundation
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation
Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association Foundation
Student Osteopathic Medical Association Foundation
The Heatherington Foundation
Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation

The NAOF bylaws were revised in 2020. You may view the current bylaws through the link below.

NAOF BYLAWS

(adopted 10/01/2020)

For questions regarding the NAOF, please contact:

Rita Forden, CEO	AOF	rforden@aof.org
Sherri Wise, President/CEO	OFF	swise@osteopathicfounders.org