Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
A United States nonprofit that funds mesothelioma research, supports patients and families, educates the public, and advocates for public investment in research.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, commonly known as the Meso Foundation and formerly abbreviated MARF, is a United States nonprofit organization focused on mesothelioma, a serious cancer most often associated with asbestos exposure. Its stated mission is to help transform mesothelioma from a life-ending disease into a survivable condition by supporting research, strengthening patient and family resources, improving public understanding, and advocating for governmental funding. Founded in 1999 and granted tax-exempt status in 2000, the foundation operates through charitable support rather than as a publicly listed company. Its work combines research funding with direct community and policy activities. The organization funds clinical and other research intended to improve the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and eventual eradication of mesothelioma. According to information reported for 2023, it had provided more than $11.5 million for clinical research. The foundation also convenes researchers, clinicians, patients, advocates, and other participants through its annual International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma, creating a forum for discussion of scientific progress and patient needs. Patient and family support is another central part of the organization’s role. The foundation provides information and support services intended to help people affected by mesothelioma navigate a complex illness and connect with relevant medical and advocacy resources. Its educational activities address the disease, its relationship to asbestos exposure, available research, and the broader public-health implications of asbestos-related disease. The foundation also advocates in Washington, DC, for increased governmental support for mesothelioma research. This policy role distinguishes it from a purely grant-making charity: it seeks both to fund research directly and to encourage public institutions to sustain research capacity. Its donor base reflects the wider mesothelioma community and its surrounding institutions. In the source material, approximately 65 percent of donors were individuals personally affected by mesothelioma, while the remaining donors included pharmaceutical companies, labor unions, plaintiff and defense attorneys, and companies associated with asbestos products. The organization’s identity is therefore built around a disease-specific nonprofit model: research funding, patient support, public education, and advocacy are treated as connected activities. It is not a consumer product brand or commercial healthcare provider. Instead, the Meso Foundation serves as a convening and funding organization for people affected by mesothelioma and for the medical, scientific, legal, labor, and policy communities involved in asbestos-related disease.
History
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation was established in 1999 as a disease-focused nonprofit devoted to mesothelioma. The organization was formerly known as MARF and is now commonly referred to as the Meso Foundation. It obtained tax-exempt status in 2000, enabling it to operate as a charitable organization supported by donations. From its beginning, the foundation developed a multi-part mission rather than limiting itself to a single form of charitable activity. It funds research intended to improve the outlook for people with mesothelioma, provides support services for patients and families, educates the public about the disease, and advocates in Washington, DC, for government funding of mesothelioma research. This combination reflects the disease’s close association with asbestos exposure and the need for progress in clinical science, patient care, public awareness, and public policy. The foundation’s donor base includes people directly connected to mesothelioma as well as organizations involved in healthcare, labor, legal services, and asbestos-related industries. Reported donor information indicates that individuals personally affected by mesothelioma account for about 65 percent of donations, while the balance comes from pharmaceutical companies, labor unions, plaintiff and defense attorneys, and companies that manufactured asbestos products. This composition connects the organization to both the patient community and the broader institutions shaped by asbestos disease. Research funding became a measurable part of the foundation’s long-term contribution. By 2023, the organization reported more than $11.5 million in clinical research funding. The foundation also established itself as a convener by hosting the annual International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma. The symposium provides a recurring setting for researchers, clinicians, advocates, and affected families to exchange information about the disease. The organization’s later structure continued to combine grant-making, education, support, and advocacy. Its board included physicians associated with major academic and medical institutions, as well as legal and community representatives. The foundation remains an active nonprofit brand rather than a commercial company, with its public identity centered on the goal of eliminating mesothelioma as a life-ending disease.
- 2023
Clinical research funding surpassed $11.5 million
[1]The foundation was reported to have funded more than $11.5 million in clinical research.
- 2000
Tax-exempt status obtained
[1]The foundation became tax-exempt, formalizing its status as a charitable nonprofit organization.
- 1999
Organization founded
[1]The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation was established to support research and broader advocacy for people affected by mesothelioma.
Products and positioning
A disease-specific nonprofit positioned at the intersection of mesothelioma research funding, patient support, public education, and advocacy for government investment in research.
Research philanthropy · 1999
Clinical mesothelioma research funding
The foundation directs charitable resources toward clinical research related to mesothelioma. Its research role is intended to support advances in understanding and treating a cancer strongly associated with asbestos exposure. By 2023, the organization reported more than $11.5 million in funded clinical research.
Patient support · 1999
Patient and family support services
Support services help people living with mesothelioma and their families find information and navigate the medical, emotional, and advocacy dimensions of the disease. The source material identifies patient support as one of the foundation’s core activities, but does not provide a detailed service catalogue.
Public education · 1999
Mesothelioma education
The foundation educates patients, families, professionals, and the public about mesothelioma, including the disease’s relationship to asbestos exposure and the importance of research. Education complements the organization’s research and support programs.
Scientific conference
International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma
The annual International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma is the foundation’s principal convening program. It brings together members of the mesothelioma research, clinical, patient, and advocacy communities to discuss scientific progress and issues affecting people with the disease.
Brand decisions
2000
Formalized charitable nonprofit structureStrategyBackground
The organization was founded in 1999 and subsequently became tax-exempt in 2000.
Action taken
It adopted a charitable operating structure through which donations could support research, patient services, education, and advocacy.
Aftermath
The tax-exempt structure provided the foundation for its continuing nonprofit activities.
Recent events
- 2023
Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation reported more than $11.5 million in clinical research funding[1]
Other
Information reported for 2023 stated that the foundation had funded more than $11.5 million in clinical research since its establishment.
- 2023
Annual International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma remains a central foundation activity[1]
Other
The foundation was identified as the host of an annual symposium bringing attention to malignant mesothelioma research and related patient and professional concerns.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/mesothelioma-applied-research-foundation · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled