About Aquatic Therapy Foundation
Aquatic Therapy Foundation holds Candid’s 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency, a distinction earned by fewer than 1% of U.S. nonprofits and reserved for organizations that share detailed, up‑to‑date information on their mission, programs, leadership, and results.
WHY ATF EXISTS
Access to aquatic rehabilitation is not evenly distributed. While aquatic environments are widely used in clinical, community, and educational settings across the United States, the workforce infrastructure needed to support safe, effective, and evidence-informed aquatic programming remains inconsistent. Many clinicians, students, and organizations lack access to high-quality training, clear professional standards, or the institutional support needed to build and sustain aquatic programs over time.
Aquatic Therapy Foundation was established to close that gap — not by delivering clinical care, but by building the educational systems, workforce pathways, and institutional partnerships that make safe, inclusive aquatic rehabilitation possible in the communities that need it most.
WHAT WE DO
ATF operates at the systems level. We develop workforce training programs, educational frameworks, professional standards resources, and research translation tools that help rehabilitation professionals, instructors, students, and organizations deliver high-quality aquatic programming with consistency and integrity.
Our work is:
Public-benefit oriented — with a sustained emphasis on access, safety, and workforce readiness for underserved populations
Educational — supporting learning, training, and professional development across clinical and community settings
Evidence-informed — grounded in peer-reviewed rehabilitation science and aquatic principles
Scalable — designed for academic, clinical, and community-based contexts of all sizes
OUR APPROACH
ATF does not operate clinics or provide direct patient care. This is a deliberate design choice. By investing in workforce preparation and educational infrastructure rather than individual service delivery, ATF achieves reach that direct-service models cannot. One well-prepared professional can reach hundreds of patients over a career. One well-equipped organization can anchor aquatic access for an entire region.
OUR LEADERSHIP
ATF is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with expertise spanning aquatic physical therapy, legal and technology systems, clinical education, and military training design. The Foundation is led by Andrea Salzman, MS, PT, a licensed physical therapist with more than 30 years of experience in aquatic rehabilitation, workforce development, and clinical education.
→ Meet Our Board of Directors
→ Meet Our Advisory Council
ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS
Aquatic Therapy Foundation, Inc. is a Tennessee nonprofit corporation recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. EIN: 41-3326981.
The Foundation operates under an independent Board of Directors and maintains governance and conflict-of-interest policies consistent with nonprofit best practices and IRS guidance.
View our Candid/GuideStar transparency profile: www.guidestar.org/profile/41-3326981
CONTACT US
EIN: 41-3326981