Fundraisers

Most parents find that in the days following their child’s brain injury or diagnosis of cerebral palsy, friends and family step in to ask how they can help. One real way in which they can contribute is by organizing fundraisers.

Even for those families with good insurance plans, catastrophic injury and illnesses can be financially devastating. Parents are left to fill in the “gaps” of where insurance and government benefits leave off, and are often left wondering how they are going to pay for the therapies and treatments that their child needs. In many cases, the fact that parents need to take time off from work to care for their critically ill children just adds to this financial burden.

Pick a responsible relative or friend who is good at organizing events, and give them the responsibility of spearheading fundraising efforts. In most cases, the community is willing to step in and help a family that has been touched by tragedy. A great place to start is with local churches and charitable organizations, which are experienced at holding fundraisers. Some of these organizations may even have finances set aside for these types of situations.

Parents of kids with special needs should also familiarize themselves with the National Transplant Assistance Fund and Catastrophic Injury Program (NTAF). The main goal of this organization is to help families develop successful fundraising campaigns to be used for uninsured medical expenses, including alternative therapies. For more information on this program, contact NATF at 1.800.642.8399 or at www.transplantfund.org.

For additional ideas and information on fundraising, log on to www.fundraiserinsight.com, www.fundable.com, or other websites that specialize in fundraising. There are tons of great ideas and tips out there, and the Internet has made it easy to reach more people than ever.