I don’t usually ask for money, but I got involved in a small way with fund-raising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) this year. If you make year-end contributions to charities and advocacy groups, please consider making a donation.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is the leader in setting the agenda for type 1 diabetes research worldwide, and is the world’s largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research. JDRF supports life-altering type 1 diabetes research in the lab and in human clinical trials. Typically, more than 85 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education.

JDRF is involved in some pretty exciting research now, including a viable “artificial pancreas” to close the loop between blood glucose monitors and insulin pumps. They also pour a lot of money into finding a cure to type 1 diabetes.