The AHM Coalition wishes to clarify that a statement made during the April 29, 2026
virtual town hall, indicating that the acupuncture and herbal medicine profession “has
not had a clear charitable mechanism for the benefit of the field,” was not intended to
suggest that no qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations exist in the profession or to
disparage, minimize, or misrepresent the Acupuncture Now Foundation (ANF) or any
other such organization. We recognize and acknowledge that ANF has, since 2014,
operated as a 501(c)(3) public charity and has served as a clear charitable mechanism
for the benefit of the field by conducting public education initiatives and responding to
major developments affecting institutions, students, and the future workforce. The
original comment was meant to describe the absence of a widely recognized,
professionwide charitable mechanism formally embedded within or structurally
connected to the AHM Coalition’s organizational framework, and we regret that the
language used did not clearly convey this distinction and understandably caused
concern regarding ANF’s reputation and fundraising efforts. The AHM Coalition values
the work that ANF and other existing 501(c)(3) organizations have done and continue to
do, and we remain committed to using more precise language in future communications
and to exploring opportunities for respectful, accurate, and collaborative engagement
across the profession.