The Skin of Color Society Foundation (SOCSF) is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
A 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, the SOCSF was established in 2015 by the Skin of Color Society (SOCS). The SOCSF works to advance patient care and health equity by supporting several signature programs and groundbreaking initiatives which have reached record-level benchmarks this year in terms of participation, engagement, and impact.
Tax-deductible donations to the SOCSF support the continued expansion of the following key priorities:
- Increasing research to expand skin of color dermatology knowledge and insights;
- Providing leadership training and more mentorship and observership opportunities to medical students, dermatology residents, and junior dermatologists who are passionate about skin of color, with an exciting new scholarship program for medical students and residents coming in 2025;
- Broadening physician and public educationon dermatologic diseases and conditions in skin of color;
- Collaborating with regional, national, and international partners to advocate for skin of color patients.
A newer public-facing initiative known as My Best Winter Skin (MBWS) was established in 2023. Now in its second year of community outreach and public education, the winter skincare-themed campaign is built around the annual health awareness holiday, My Best Winter Skin Day, created by the SOCS Foundation and celebrated every October 24.
This holiday marks the beginning of a season of giving, education, and volunteerism for SOCS members. Through a dynamic series of events presented at universities and public venues throughout the United States and Canada, SOCS members and health advocates distribute dermatologist-developed educational tips for managing winter skin and donated product samples to raise awareness about optimal winter skin care and generate donations to the SOCSF. This year’s MBWS campaign is supported by Clinique with additional valuable support from Eli Lilly and Company.
2024 SOCSF Fundraising Campaign
Themed, “Celebrate and Grow with Us,” the 2024fundraising campaign encourages donors to help reach the annual goal by making a one-time gift or committing to a monthly amount in any sum. Suggested giving levels include:
- Susan C. Taylor Society ($2500 and above)
- Benefactor ($800-2499)
- Sustainer ($300-799)
- Advocate ($50-299)
- Patron ($1-49)
Corporate benefactors who have donated to the SOCSF in 2024 include:
- AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, Pfizer, Clinique, and Sanofi-Genzyme/Regeneron ($125,000+)
- Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Eli Lilly and Company, Incyte Dermatology, Vaseline, and EltaMD ($60,000+)
- SkinCeuticals and UCB ($30,000+)
- AVITA Medical, Beiersdorf, Dermavant Sciences, Ortho Dermatologics, and Novartis (15,000+)
- Google Health and P & G (Special recognition).
The SOCSF gratefully recognizes the generous contributions of highly esteemed individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to advancing equity in dermatology by supporting the mission-driven work of SOCS, including:
Donors who have joined the Dr. Susan C. Taylor Society in 2024 and contributed $10,000 and above: Dr. Dhaval G. Bhanusali, and Dr. David and Nina Harvey.
Donors who have joined the Dr. Susan C. Taylor Society in 2024 by giving $2,500 and above: Drs. Murad Alam, Donald Glass II, Chere Lucas Anthony, Lynn McKinley-Grant, Alexis Stephens, and Susan C. Taylor.
“The most valuable aspect of the work of SOCS, in my opinion, is mentoring and supporting junior members to help guide their future careers and successes,” says Murad Alam, MD, SOCS Board Member and Dr. Susan C. Taylor Society donor, in a news release. “We are all fortunate to be in dermatology, a wonderful profession with kind and supportive colleagues and patients we are privileged to meet. Many, if not most of us, would not be in dermatology without the mentorship, encouragement, and gentle nudges of teachers and leaders who helped us along the way. So, it is only fair to try to provide the same opportunities for the next generation by supporting SOCS and its Foundation.”
To support the SOCSF and the work of SOCS, visit here.
