Giving Tuesday is December 2, and every donation made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) will be matched up to $4 million. This means your donation will be doubled for twice the impact on research. Here’s everything you need to know about how the match works, and more importantly, how it will impact Parkinson’s research.
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday is a global effort to encourage individuals and businesses to support the charitable organizations and causes they care about most. An annual event, it falls on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, directly following two major shopping days — Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
How can I take advantage of the match?
This match is made possible through the generosity of five families and donors who, like you, want to help end Parkinson’s for good. These five families and donors came together and made it possible for all donations to MJFF to be matched, up to $4 million, from now until Giving Tuesday. With the match, whether you donate online, through the mail or by phone, your Giving Tuesday gift will be doubled and deployed as quickly as possible. MJFF is grateful to these donors for raising the bar on what we can achieve as a community, and grateful to you for your support this giving season.
What do donor dollars do for Parkinson's research?
Parkinson’s research covers all aspects of the disease — from basic biology to symptom management to the search for a cure. Because of our generous supporters who give at key moments like Giving Tuesday, we can make significant advancements in research that will ultimately lead to a cure. Research will be the reason that Parkinson’s ends, but only with your support. Here is the impact of Giving Tuesday in 2024. With donations on that day, we invested in the following projects:
- Expanding our Groundbreaking Clinical Study: Our landmark Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) continues to grow. This year, the study began enrolling at-risk individuals as young as 40, helping us learn how Parkinson’s begins and changes over time. PPMI has built an unparalleled collection of clinical, imaging and biospecimen data from more than 4,000 volunteers who have completed visits at more than 50 medical centers worldwide. More than 46,000 people have shared information online and nearly 100,000 have completed smell tests through our remote screening system. Together, these contributions have made PPMI the largest and most comprehensive Parkinson’s study of its kind — an open-access resource downloaded over 40 million times, cited in more than 400 publications and already informing more than 20 clinical trials.
In 2023, PPMI helped validate the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay (SAA), a groundbreaking biomarker test that detects Parkinson’s before symptoms appear. Scientists are now working to adapt this test for blood or skin samples, which could make early detection faster and more accessible for everyone.
- Finding Solution for Walking and Balance: Many people with Parkinson’s face challenges with walking, balance or freezing of gait — sudden stops that increase fall risk. Effective treatments remain limited, so we are investing in bold new ideas, such as studies around wearable robotics and advanced brain stimulations. We’re also creating global tools like smartwatch data collection and shared measurement libraries to speed the path to better therapies.
- Driving Stem Cell Breakthroughs: Stem cells offer potential to replace brain cells lost to Parkinson’s. Early MJFF funding helped launch today’s leading trials and now we’re focused on making sure these therapies reflect the needs and voices of people living with the disease. With your support, we’re backing studies that explore patient experiences and accelerate trials including a current effort testing stem cell replacement in certain genetic forms of Parkinson’s.
- Gathering Real-World Insights from Clinicians: Early this year, MJFF launched the Clinician Advisory Community (CAC), bringing together a network of eligible clinicians across the United States who care for people with Parkinson’s every day. Through short surveys, these frontline experts share real-world insights on care challenges and treatment approaches, including research referrals and mobility issues. Their feedback helps guide our Foundation’s research priorities, shape policy and strengthen education. With donor support, we’re ensuring the voices of those treating Parkinson’s are driving progress alongside patients and families.
Read more about the studies we fund through our research news.
All of this was made possible because our community came together at key moments, like Giving Tuesday. Without the dedication of our supporters, none of the research or steps forward listed above would have been possible. This Giving Tuesday we can take it even further. Research will make Parkinson’s a thing of the past. Every gift, dollar and action is part of making that story happen, faster.
Join us on December 2 to help us maximize that $4 million match and fund the next research breakthrough. Mark your calendar for December 2 or get ahead with your giving by donating now.