Mission & History

The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States with chapters in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

CLF was founded on June 14, 2007, by Chris Nowinski, PhD and Robert Cantu, MD in reaction to new medical research indicating that brain trauma in sports had become a public health crisis. Post-mortem analysis of the brain tissue of former contact sports athletes revealed that repeated brain injuries, from both concussive and subconcussive blows, could lead to a neurodegenerative disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The absence of awareness, education, and poor concussion diagnosis and management allowed the disease to proliferate.

CLF Canada was founded in December of 2012 by four-time Grey Cup champion, Tim Fleiszer, to help solve the concussion crisis in Canada. Since that time, CLF Canada has operated prevention, education and awareness events across the country, reaching more than 27,000 Canadians in-person and millions of Canadians digitally. CLF Canada received its charitable status in 2014. 

In 2021, CLF Canada officially partnered with Dr. Neil Vasdev at the Brain Health Imaging Centre at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Today, CLF Canada is dedicated to “solving the concussion crisis” by advancing the study, treatment, and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes, Veterans, and other at-risk groups. CLF Canada achieves this mission through advocacy, education, policy development, and medical research.