Find a Foundation chapter or IBD support group

Selected Crohn's & Colitis Foundation educational content and Marks are used on IBDPal under license. This page helps you locate Crohn's and Colitis Foundation chapters and support groups near you using official Foundation locators and IBDPal community guides. The Foundation does not endorse IBDPal. Education only, not medical advice.

Using the chapter locator

Foundation websites list chapters by state and region with meeting calendars.

Virtual meetings expanded access after the pandemic. Check hybrid options. Symptom patterns tracked over several days are more useful to your clinician than a single snapshot.

Special interest groups may focus on parents, teens, or ostomy patients. Discuss how this topic applies to your current disease activity with your gastroenterologist. Logging patterns in IBDPal or a notebook helps clinicians see trends beyond a single visit. Your GI team can adjust recommendations based on labs, imaging, and symptom trends. Second opinions are reasonable when plans feel unclear or symptoms persist despite treatment. If symptoms worsen while you try these steps, contact your clinic using your flare pathway. Bring these observations to your next IBD appointment so your team can personalize advice.

What chapter meetings offer

Education speakers, walk events, advocacy training, and peer networking are common.

Volunteers share practical insurance and school navigation tips from lived experience. Write down questions for your gastroenterologist before each visit so limited appointment time is used well.

Medical advice still comes from your personal GI team. Bring these observations to your next IBD appointment so your team can personalize advice. Children, older adults, and post-surgical patients may need modified guidance from specialists. Patient education supports shared decision making; it does not replace individual medical assessment. Discuss how this topic applies to your current disease activity with your gastroenterologist. Logging patterns in IBDPal or a notebook helps clinicians see trends beyond a single visit. Your GI team can adjust recommendations based on labs, imaging, and symptom trends.

Starting if you are shy

Attend as a listener first. Introduce yourself to moderators privately.

Bring questions gathered from IBDPal guides. Medication adherence and follow-up labs are as important as diet changes for many IBD patients.

Follow up with one person contact rather than trying to meet everyone. Your GI team can adjust recommendations based on labs, imaging, and symptom trends. Second opinions are reasonable when plans feel unclear or symptoms persist despite treatment. If symptoms worsen while you try these steps, contact your clinic using your flare pathway. Bring these observations to your next IBD appointment so your team can personalize advice. Children, older adults, and post-surgical patients may need modified guidance from specialists. Patient education supports shared decision making; it does not replace individual medical assessment.

Beyond monthly meetings

Foundation walks fundraise research and build community.

Advocacy days connect patients with legislators on IBD policy. Tell your team about travel, work stress, sleep changes, and menstrual cycle timing when symptoms shift.

Camp Oasis and teen programs link to chapters seasonally. Patient education supports shared decision making; it does not replace individual medical assessment. Discuss how this topic applies to your current disease activity with your gastroenterologist. Logging patterns in IBDPal or a notebook helps clinicians see trends beyond a single visit. Your GI team can adjust recommendations based on labs, imaging, and symptom trends. Second opinions are reasonable when plans feel unclear or symptoms persist despite treatment. If symptoms worsen while you try these steps, contact your clinic using your flare pathway.

Online safety

Verify unofficial groups claiming Foundation affiliation.

Protect privacy in public posts. Bring prior colonoscopy, imaging, and pathology reports when seeing a new IBD specialist.

Report dangerous treatment advice to moderators. If symptoms worsen while you try these steps, contact your clinic using your flare pathway. Bring these observations to your next IBD appointment so your team can personalize advice. Children, older adults, and post-surgical patients may need modified guidance from specialists. Patient education supports shared decision making; it does not replace individual medical assessment. Discuss how this topic applies to your current disease activity with your gastroenterologist. Logging patterns in IBDPal or a notebook helps clinicians see trends beyond a single visit.

Practical tips

Search Foundation locator plus your city.
Try one virtual meeting before traveling.
Ask moderators about medical ground rules.
Bring a friend for your first in-person event.
Pair groups with clinic follow-up.

Common questions

Are chapter meetings free?

Most are; verify registration for special events.

Can caregivers attend?

Many groups welcome partners and parents.

Do chapters provide medical care?

No. They offer education and peer support.

Related resources

Explore the free IBDPal app →

Educational only. Not medical advice. Work with your IBD care team.

Read the full interactive version on ibdpal.org.