The AMDA Foundation, an independent not-for-profit organization, serves as the research arm of AMDA. The Foundation's mission is: “The AMDA Foundation advances excellence in patient care through research and its translation into long term care practice to support the members and mission of the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA)." The Foundation also takes an active role in outreach to residents, fellows and young career physicians with an interest in long term care. The Foundation sponsors the following programs and services:

• The Long Term Care Research Network was established in 1999 and provides a mechanism to meet the needs of both community-based medical directors and established researchers. The Network was established to advance the research agenda for long term care and provide a way to recruit patients and facilities for long term care projects. The Research Network holds two conferences each year where researchers are able to discuss research in long term care and collaborate with colleagues on potential research projects. There are currently more than 350 members of the Long Term Care Research Network and they represent all disciplines in the long term care setting. All AMDA members are eligible and encouraged to join.
• The AMDA Foundation Futures Program is an intensive learning experience designed to expose residents and fellows to the numerous career opportunities in long term care and support their attendance at the AMDA Annual Symposium. More than 380 primary care residents and geriatric fellows have participated in the program since its inception and for many it has marked the beginning of their long term care careers.
• The AMDA Foundation/Pfizer Quality Improvement Awards is a program designed to encourage the development of innovative projects that will help make a direct impact on the quality of long term care. Projects are conducted in a long term care setting and fit into one of four categories including: Education, Quality Improvement Programs, Research Projects or Health Literacy. The program has awarded more than $221,000 in research funding.
• Created in 2007, the Evercare^® Awards provide awards for “Improving the Quality of Life for Persons Living in Nursing Homes". Awards are based on programs nursing facilities have implemented and demonstrated to improve the quality of life for their residents.