In 2024, the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM) strengthened its position as a leader in natural health, guided by three strategic pillars: Education, Action and Research. Under a long-standing team of leaders, INM has refined its vision to promote “whole-person health enriched by the medicine of nature” with a mission to “bring whole-person health mainstream.” Here are some key accomplishments:
Education: Raising Awareness About Natural Medicine
Our flagship activity is education, and in 2024, INM significantly expanded its educational outreach through diverse content production, publishing 58 articles that included seven collaborative pieces featuring naturopathic doctors (NDs), and medical doctors (MDs). Our newsletter performance was exceptional, achieving a 58 percent open rate—double the nonprofit industry average of 28.59 percent.
Key education metrics:
• Content Production: 58 articles published, including six focused on supplement quality and seven featuring MD-ND collaboration.
• Newsletter Performance: 58 percent open rate (industry average: 28.59 percent)
• Digital Reach: 9.78 million organic search impressions
Digital engagement metrics further demonstrate INM’s growing influence, with 9.78 million organic search impressions and growing monthly. A comprehensive website transformation focused on user experience has nearly doubled traffic while creating more intuitive navigation and content accessibility. INM’s content is also starting to appear in leading AI search tools alongside established voices such as Cleveland Clinic and NIH (National Institutes of Health) as an authoritative source for reputable natural health information.
Our commitment to nutrition education was recognized when our childhood nutritional education program, “Naturally Well,” received a prestigious national award from the Harkin Institute, highlighting INM’s direct impact in empowering young people to take control of their well-being through food as medicine.
Action: Working Together to Improve Health
INM’s influence in the health care landscape expanded significantly in 2024, evidenced by invitations to join the NCCIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) Coalition on Whole Person Health and participation in the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Foundation’s Nutrition in Pregnancy Conference. The INM Residency Consortium (IRC) celebrated its eighth year, having graduated 79 NDs and secured a landmark financial commitment from the Richards Family Foundation (associated with NOW Foods Group)—a five-year pledge of annual six-figure donations representing the largest investment in naturopathic residency education in the profession’s history. We plan to use this generous investment to support our work to standardize naturopathic post-graduate education and help work towards federal and state funding for these programs.
The organization’s Find a Natural Doctor database grew and enjoyed remarkable engagement increases: total users grew by 234 percent to 40,000, searches increased by 242 percent to 47,693, and listing views rose by 186 percent to 200,000. Since implementing conversion tracking, the database has recorded approximately 41,000 users connecting with listed providers through website visits, phone calls or contact forms, all supporting greater patient access to qualified and licensed practitioners.
Research: Increasing the Evidence Base for Whole-person Health
Advancing the evidence base for natural medicine practices, INM secured a pilot research grant from the RAND REACH Center in partnership with Helfgott Research Center. This funding launched an innovative year-long outcomes research study using Electronic Health Records from the INM Residency Consortium clinical network to evaluate HbA1c trends in type 2 diabetes patients and assess the proportion of patient encounters that include health promotion counseling.
The research initiative represents a novel approach to understanding the value of whole-person health delivered in naturopathic primary care settings. It has the potential to significantly lower the cost barrier for obtaining quality data about the profession. Additionally, INM’s Research Committee developed improved processes for editing and preparing resident case reports for publication, enhancing the organization’s contribution to the body of natural medicine literature.
Organizational Highlights
Throughout 2024, INM refined its strategic goals, building on the expanded mission that had been developed in 2023. The organization fostered collaborative content partnerships with the Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) on co-branded materials and position statements. IRC (International Rescue Committee) graduates benefited from free lifetime access to continuing education resources, which represent significant professional value.
Government relations efforts included attending five NIH stakeholder meetings involving 94 total stakeholders, while 68 dedicated volunteers contributed their time and expertise to advance INM’s mission. The Naturopathic Medicine Collaborative, hosted by INM, delivered quarterly webinars featuring updates from organizations across the profession, from the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges to the World Naturopathy Federation.
Future Directions
Our team remains strong, with stable leadership on the staff and board, who enjoy the participation of 68 volunteers who are working alongside us to advance the INM mission. All this while the percentage of corporate philanthropic investment continues to decline.
Looking ahead, INM has outlined a five-year strategic direction based on three pillars: an expanded Campaign for Natural Medicine, a Whole Person Health Media Action Network, and an INM Center for Research and Professional Education. This strategic framework will guide INM’s continued efforts to integrate natural medicine principles into mainstream health care, expand evidence-based practices, and promote whole-person health approaches for future generations. Through these initiatives, INM aims to transform health care delivery by emphasizing the value of natural medicine as a safe, effective and cost-effective strategy for achieving comprehensive wellness outcomes.
Michelle Simon, PhD, ND President & CEO, Institute for Natural Medicine In 1992, the leadership core of naturopathic doctors established the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM) as a not for profit organization dedicated to advancing natural medicine. The purpose of the INM is to increase awareness of, broaden public access to, and encourage research about natural medicine and therapies. Among its milestones the INM counts the launch of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) as an independent organization, leading California’s efforts to obtain licensure, developing an interactive childhood education program focused on healthy eating and lifestyles called Naturally Well in 2017, and expanding residency access by establishing and funding a residency program in 2018. INM has joined forces with the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), serving as the charitable arm, to deepen access to naturopathic care, public education and research. Dr. Michelle Simon serves as president and CEO of INM, is a licensed naturopathic physician, clinician, educator and leader in many organizations dedicated to improving the quality and delivery of health care. In addition to holding a naturopathic doctorate from Bastyr University, she also holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Simon has served on the boards for the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium (IHPC), the AANP and the Naturopathic Physicians Research Institute (NPRI). Dr. Simon also served nine years on the Washington State Health Technology Clinical Committee which is part of the Health Technology Assessment program that examines the scientific evidentiary basis for efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness of health care technologies. She was also an invited participant for health care economics at “Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public” at the Institute for Medicine (IOM) in 2009. Dr. Simon was recognized as the 2018 Physician of the Year by the AANP.
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