The American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand was founded by the Council of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand in February of 1986. The purposes for creating the Foundation were to address the rising expense of providing Continuing Medical Education (CME) and allow the Hand Society to remain committed to its mission of providing continuing education. The mission of the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand is to advance the care of hand and upper extremity disorders by supporting education, research and outreach through the efficient collection of donations and administration of grants.