People are often surprised to learn that Brian Andrew, one of the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation’s most stalwart supporters, has no personal tie to bleeding disorders himself. After 25 years of involvement, though, he feels he is part of the community now. His involvement is driven by simple human bonds.
“We all have a connection to other people who are less fortunate than we are,” says Andrew, chief investment officer at Merit Financial Advisors. “It’s very simple from my perspective. If we’re fortunate, we need to give back to those who are less fortunate. For me that means those who are struggling with having a child who lives with these diseases,” Andrew says. “We all have an opportunity to share our time and talents with those in need.”
From Financial Adviser to Lifelong Advocate
Andrew has been committed to the bleeding disorders community since the late 1990s, when he worked with the Blood Center of Southeast Wisconsin. That experience led to helping a local chapter of NBDF with its financial goals.
“I learned more about the mission and what they were doing at that time, and one of the main focuses was camp for kids to help them learn how to infuse,” Andrew says. “That’s what got me hooked.” His involvement with the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation led to an introduction to the national organization.
“I came to realize that the disease consumes people’s lives. I’ve been to national conferences, and you’ll meet a family who’s there for the first time and watch them light up as they realize, ‘I’m not on this journey by myself,’” he says.
Andrew has held several roles with NBDF over the years. He served as chair, treasurer, and member of the board of directors at large from 2007 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2021. He is also a member of the Lee Ferguson Henry Society, NBDF’s planned giving program.
In 2024, Andrew was the honoree at NBDF’s Red Tie Soiree, and in August, he received the Philanthropist of the Year award at the 2025 Bleeding Disorders Conference.
A Vision for the Future
Since 2022, Andrew has been founding chair of NBDF’s Pathway to Cures Investment Committee. This venture philanthropy fund invests in emerging biotech companies developing therapies for inheritable bleeding disorders.
It’s a role that Andrew relishes. “We’re at an amazing time in health care and bioscience, where the advances that we’re making are really significant and are resulting in therapies that no one could have envisioned 30 years ago,” he says.
“When people ask me how or why I have managed to stay involved with the organization as long as I have, the No. 1 reason is that I get a lot more back from doing it than I feel like I give,” he says.
“Every time you meet a family that has just learned that their child has hemophilia but then that burden gets lifted by this community, you can’t help but want to be involved.”
Your gift helps NBDF make sure that no one has to face their diagnosis alone.