2025 Year-in-Review: Reflecting on Impact, Growth, and the Power of Community
As we approach the end of 2025, we’re filled with gratitude for the extraordinary impact the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation has made this year. We are proud to have provided nearly $1.6 million in funding for 543 RDNs, NDTRs, and nutrition and dietetics students.
This impact is all because of our generous donors, dedicated volunteers, passionate partners, and the vibrant community of nutrition and dietetics professionals who share our mission of advancing our profession and strengthening the health of the public through the power of food and nutrition.
Together, we continued to invest in people, science, and the future of dietetics – supporting students, elevating research, advancing careers, and honoring excellence across the field.
Highlights from 2025:
Record-Breaking Support and Engagement
- We’re thrilled to have hit our Make It a Million Scholarship campaign goal of $1 million and counting, unlocking even more opportunities to support future leaders in nutrition and dietetics.
- On the Academy Foundation’s Give Day 2025, we raised more than $47,000 in support of the Make it a Million Scholarship campaign. We are excited to be planning for our 2026 Give Day, which will be held on March 19, 2026 (save the date!) during National Nutrition Month.
- Over 130 volunteers contributed their time, expertise, and energy to expand our reach and deepen our impact.
- We launched our LinkedIn page to better connect with you - our donors, recipients, and volunteers - and celebrated growing to more than 5,000 followers as we shared opportunities, stories, and impact across our network.
Investment in Professional Growth: In 2025, the Foundation awarded...
- $946,250 in scholarships to 316 students at all levels of study, investing in the next generation of food and nutrition practitioners.
- Nearly $280,000 in fellowships that focused on research, policy, and nutrition programs to 5 RDN Fellows.
- $149,120 in awards to 115 credentialed practitioners and students, recognizing professional excellence and supporting career advancement.
- $121,000 in research grants to 16 nutrition researchers, fueling studies that elevate our profession and expanding the evidence base for practice.
- $100,080 in disaster relief to 91 students and practitioners facing significant personal loss as the result of natural disasters.
Advancing Evidence and Practice: Several Academy Foundation-funded studies that are moving our field forward and demonstrating the critical role RDNs play saw exciting milestones in 2025, including:
- The Breastfeeding Registry Study provided valuable insights into how ongoing RDN engagement supports improved nutrition outcomes for breastfeeding infants. This work highlights the need for standardized outcome measures so we can continue building a stronger evidence base in this area, and we extend our gratitude to donors and partners — including the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group and the Women’s Health DPG — for making this possible.
- Through our Diabetes (DDPG) DPG Karen Goldstein Memorial Grant for Diabetes MNT, we celebrated research examining the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework for managing gestational diabetes, showing how quality improvement strategies help RDNs integrate evidence-based practice into every day care and support better outcomes for individuals with gestational diabetes.
None of this work is possible without you. Your generosity continues to open doors, elevate the profession, and improve health outcomes through nutrition and dietetics.
As we look toward 2026, we are energized by what we’ve accomplished together and excited for what’s ahead. Thank You!!
With gratitude and warm wishes for the new year,
Catherine Christie, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND
2025-2026 Academy Foundation Chair
#FoundationChairMessage #FoundationNews