Compassionate Crowdfunding Blog

YouCaring

  • Home
  • Tips & Ideas
  • Stories
  • Partners
  • YouCaring Reviews
  • FAQ

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® Stands Up to Childhood Cancer

November 27, 2017 by Paige Kutilek

child with cancer posing in a park with flower crown

Every year, thousands of families receive the devastating news that their child has cancer. Only a few decades ago, mortality rates for pediatric cancer were at an all-time high and a diagnosis left little room for hope. Thankfully, the landscape of childhood cancer has changed due to the groundbreaking research led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital  

St. Jude history and mission

The first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated by the National Cancer Institute as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, St. Jude has a history of innovation and compassion.

Treatments invented at St. Jude helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent when the hospital first opened in 1962 to more than 80 percent today. Since then, their research increased the survival rates for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) from 4 percent to 94 percent. But their work doesn’t stop there.

Leading the way in clinical research

With so few treatment options available on the market, pediatric cancer is notoriously underfunded. Only two out of 57 cancer therapies for children were approved from 2009 to 2015. Worse yet, only 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s 5 billion dollar budget goes to childhood cancer, while prostate cancer receives more funding from the NCI than all childhood cancers combined.

St. Jude works to bridge this gap in clinical research. The hospital creates and administers more clinical trials for cancer than any other children’s hospital and turns laboratory discoveries into lifesaving treatments. Last year alone, the medical and scientific staff published 860 articles in academic journals and are published and cited more often in high impact publications than any other private pediatric oncology institution in America.

Treatment is free — as it should be

In a political climate where healthcare isn’t universally guaranteed, research reveals the average cost of a hospital stay for a child who has cancer can be as much as $40,000. Cancer hospitalizations for children cost five times more than pediatric hospitalizations. The good news is, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. Everyone is looked after, regardless of his or her economic situation.

Supporting childhood cancer research

With so little government funding going towards pediatric cancer research, organizations fighting for the cure need help from people like us. There are plenty of ways to support childhood cancer, like wearing gold in September or volunteering at a pediatric hospital. If you’re planning on raising money to give to a nonprofit like St. Jude, crowdfunding is a powerful tool. It makes it easy to collect donations in one place. And online giving makes supporting your favorite causes easier than ever. For example, if you’re planning on running the St. Jude Memphis Marathon (one of St. Jude’s largest fundraising events of the year), you can raise the registration fees with an online fundraiser. Start your free fundraiser today.

If you’re looking for more ways to get involved, check out these other 12 ways you can support childhood cancer awareness.

Related Reading

Twelve Ways You Can Support Childhood Cancer Awareness September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Started by President Obama in 2011, its goals are simple—to increase awareness, rally supp...
Clinical Trials for Cancer Patients Until we find a cure for cancer, patients fighting the disease will turn to clinical trials for cutting-edge treatments. What are clinical trial...
Finding Resources and Financial Assistance for Mesothelioma Guest blog by Emily Walsh from Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Mesothelioma is a diagnosis that some may be familiar with, but few people really k...

Filed Under: Partners, Tips & Ideas Tagged With: Cancer, Family and Kids, Medical

Finding Financial Help for Single Parents

November 20, 2017 by YouCaring Team

mom and son touching noses

Parents in the US are under tremendous financial pressure from all sides. Without key resources available to parents in first-world countries—such as paid maternity leave, universal health care, and free preschool—raising children can quickly become untenable for a single working parent.

According to a 2013 report from the USDA, raising a newborn to adulthood currently costs an average of $245,340. Add in decades of wage stagnation, and it should come as no surprise that single parents need financial help with both emergencies and everyday living expenses.

We’ve put together the following list of resources offering financial help for single parents. Find your financial lifeline. 

Government support for single-parent families

  1. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a nutrition program run by the USDA. Eligibility is limited to low-income mothers and/or their children. To qualify, a mother must be pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding. Children are eligible up to age five.
  2. The National School Lunch Program provides free and reduced-cost meals to children. Applications are handed out to every child at the beginning of the school year, but parents can apply at any time.
  3. The Summer Food Service Program ensures that low-income children continue to eat nutritious meals when school is out. Over a summer, the USDA serves more than 200 million free meals to children 18 years and under at approved SFSP sites.
  4. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) delivers what were once called food stamps via a debit card system. Participants are sent a SNAP card to use at grocery stores that accept SNAP
  5. The Emergency Food Assistance Program offers free food assistance to low-income single parents, families, and individuals. To be eligible, a family’s income cannot exceed the USDA’s federal guidelines. This can be a great resource for emergency help for single moms and dads.
  6. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is what used to be known as “welfare.” Today, to receive any benefits, recipients must demonstrate that they’re actively taking specific actions.
  7. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) provides affordable child care to families with low incomes. Parents must be working or, if they’re under the age of 18, seeking a high school degree. Those not in high school or not receiving TANF must be pursuing some other form of education.
  8. Medicare is a health insurance program for people 65 and older, but it’s available to people under 65 in certain circumstances. To check whether you’re eligible for any one of its programs, use the Medicare Eligibility Checker Tool.
  9. Medicaid is a medical assistance program for low-income families. Medicaid eligibility guidelines differ by state, and the program is administered by your state of residence.
  10. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offers energy grants and assistance to single parents and others who qualify under its eligibility criteria
  11. The Federal Government Pro Bono Program helps low-income single parents, individuals, and families in need of legal assistance.
  12. Head Start helps provide access to preschool for children five and under. Many Head Start programs also offer Early Head Start support for pregnant women, toddlers, and infants.
  13. The Child Care Tax Credit allows parents to deduct funds spent on childcare (for children 13 or under) from their taxable income.
  14. Insure Kids Now helps children and teens receive low-cost health insurance. Parents can also receive assistance. Funds come from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Single parents must prove they are unable to afford health insurance.
single mom with son
YouCaring fundraiser Help Reina Carino Recover and Care for Baby Micah

Scholarships and grants for single moms and dads

  1. Pell Grants are given to low-income individuals attending college. Grants of up to $5,920 are awarded, with about 72% of recipients having family incomes of less than $30,000. This grant is one-way single parents can go back to school—and as a grant, it doesn’t have to be repaid. The deadline for submission is June 30 each year, but applications can be sent as early as October 1.
  2. Teach Grants helps people get the education they need to become a teacher. After completing a teaching program, recipients must teach in a high-need field at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency for low-income families for at least four years (otherwise the grant retroactively turns into a loan). You can receive up to $4,000 a year to cover education costs.
  3. PeaChic Grants are for women running their own businesses, or those intending to start a business. Awardees receive $500 to $1000 to help with marketing, supplies, and other expenses that come with growing or starting a business.
  4. The Huggies Mominspired Grant Program encourages mothers to share their innovative product ideas with Huggies. Mothers can win up to $15,000 in grant money.
  5. The Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISC) from the Sunshine Lady Foundation helps victims of domestic violence by giving them money toward higher education. An applicant must be separated from the abuser for at least one year, be a US citizen, prove financial need, and be enrolled at a university or show a desire to start.
  6. The Global Fund for Women provides grants that support and strengthen women’s groups around the world, allowing women to build creative solutions to local, regional, and transnational challenges. Grantees and donors are brought together in an international network that promotes women’s actions for social change, equality, peace, and justice.

Nonprofits offering financial help for single parents

  1. One Harvest is a nonprofit, nondenominational, faith-based organization that offers affordable CSA-style food boxes. One Harvest partners with local churches as its distribution network.
  2. The Mommies Network is a nonprofit organization devoted to helping moms find support and friendship in their local communities. The network currently operates in 80 communities across the US, with more than 30,000 active members.
  3. Help a Mother Out provides free diapers for families in need. The main bank is in the San Francisco Bay Area, with sister chapters in Southern California and Arizona.

How crowdfunding can help

As a single parent, we know you often face incredible odds and difficult challenges—dealing with everything from minor medical emergencies to serious medical, financial, or employment crises. While these challenges may or may not qualify you for government or nonprofit support, their financial pressures can be alleviated through crowdfunding success.

With crowdfunding, it’s about telling your story honestly, in a way that compels people to make a donation—and gives them an opportunity to help your family in a very clear, specific, and positive way. Watch our video The Key Stages of Successful Crowdfunding for more help.

Why YouCaring?

We call it the compassionate crowdfunding platform for a reason. Unlike other crowdfunding sites, at YouCaring we never take a penny of the funds people raise. Our site is entirely free to you. Plus, you can begin withdrawing funds as soon as you start receiving donations.

People use YouCaring every day to offer financial help for single parents — raising money for school and college expenses, extracurricular programs, educational travel, medical bills, and more. We’re here to help, and along with this article, we have many more free resources for kids and families on our blog. Start your free fundraiser today.

Start a Free Fundraiser

For more tips read Tips for Building a Healthy Emergency Fund.

Related Reading

Is Stem Cell Therapy Right for You? Stem cell therapy is no stranger to controversy; it’s labeled a miracle cure by many, yet receives a healthy dose of skepticism from researchers a...
Get Immediate Help During a Personal Financial Crisis Whatever the state of the economy, a personal financial crisis can strike at any time – all it takes is a job layoff, medical crisis, divorce, or ...
How to Find Surgery Assistance When You Need It Most The cost of some medical procedures can literally add insult to injury. Even if you have an insurance policy for healthcare expenses, pre-deductib...

Filed Under: Tips & Ideas Tagged With: Family and Kids

Twelve Ways You Can Support Childhood Cancer Awareness

September 13, 2017 by Paige Kutilek

childhood cancer awareness

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Started by President Obama in 2011, its goals are simple—to increase awareness, rally support, and improve America’s dismal childhood cancer survival rates.

In the US, pediatric cancer research remains underfunded. The National Cancer Institute’s budget of $5 billion allocates only 4% to childhood cancer research. With more funding, treatments could evolve and more children could be saved.

You may ask how you can help kids with cancer. While donations always help, there are many more ways to give and lend your support—especially during this special month.

We’ve compiled a list of ways you can participate in National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Pick one (or several) that resonate with you:

1. Go gold

The symbol for childhood cancer awareness is the gold ribbon. Pinning a gold ribbon to your shirt shows your dedication to the cause and encourages others to do the same, creating a chain reaction that boosts awareness and inspires social action.

2. Update your profile pictures

For the month of September, our partner the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) encourages people to apply a gold filter to their profile pictures on social media. This small symbol helps advocates like the ACCO take a stand against outdated and toxic treatments while promoting research for a cure. You can quickly and easily update your profile pictures here.

3. Shave your hair in solidarity

Kids facing cancer don’t have the luxury of choosing to shave their heads, but you do—and that’s why it’s a powerful symbol of solidarity, showing children going through treatment that they’re not alone. Or take it a step further—organize a head-shaving event and turn it into a fundraiser.

4. Donate time

To feel the direct impact of your support, dedicate time to the cause. Nonprofits can always use an extra hand, or benefit from services you and/or your employer can provide. Find volunteer opportunities—in your neighborhood or online, for you or a group of friends or coworkers—through VolunteerMatch.

5. Speak up for kids with cancer

With the aim of boosting awareness and inspiring people to action, provide a voice for kids fighting for their lives. Start a conversation on social media, write an email to your social network, tweet your congressional representative—the ways to inspire dialogue are plentiful. All you have to do is speak up.

6. Create childhood cancer gift baskets

Gift baskets are a great pick-me-up for kids spending long periods of time in the hospital. Think about things they might miss from home—perhaps a stuffed animal friend, fuzzy socks, or a coloring book—and wrap it up in a gold bow. If you have the time, find a pediatric hospital, help hand out the baskets, and see a child’s face brighten.

7. Start a fundraiser for someone facing childhood cancer

If you’re connected to a child with a cancer diagnosis, consider starting a crowdfunding campaign. The cost of cancer can put a serious dent in a family’s finances, creating barriers between a sick child and much-needed care. And in the US, high costs (even for those with insurance) force many cancer patients to skip necessary treatment. To help family members focus on the child’s recovery, launch a free fundraiser in his or her name.

8. Start a workplace fundraiser for childhood cancer research, education, or advocacy

For Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, team up with colleagues to support pediatric cancer research, education, and advocacy through a fundraiser. Crowdfunding simplifies fundraising, enabling you to collect funds from friends, family, and coworkers with ease. Call a meeting and start a free fundraiser.

9. Donate to a childhood cancer nonprofit

Whether you want to support research, education, or advocacy, nonprofits fighting childhood cancer will put your money to good use. Find out more about nonprofits fighting cancer here.

10. Get your representative involved

Did you know that the House of Representatives has a bipartisan caucus dedicated to childhood cancer awareness? The Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus works toward eliminating the threat of cancer for children. If your representative isn’t already involved, invite him or her to join.

11. Participate in #YouCaringGoesGold

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, YouCaring will run a month-long campaign to raise awareness of the issues faced by children with cancer and their families. We’ll also donate an additional $3,000 to the childhood cancer fundraiser that receives the greatest number of donations during September. Find out more here.

12. Share your personal story

Your story could be the tipping point that inspires others to action, giving people a glimpse of what it’s like to face aggressive treatments, emotional setbacks, and an uncertain future. Take to Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, or any other social media site to share your message and inspire others to give.

When we raise our voices, others are encouraged to raise theirs. Join us in taking a stand against childhood cancer. Learn more about how research gets funded on our blog St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Stands Up to Childhood Cancer. 

Related Reading

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® Stands Up to Childhood Cancer Every year, thousands of families receive the devastating news that their child has cancer. Only a few decades ago, mortality rates for pediatric ...
Cancer Fundraising Ideas For many families facing a cancer diagnosis, running a successful fundraising campaign can truly make a difference in the life of their loved one with...
Crowdfunding for Kids With Cancer Receiving the news that a child has been diagnosed with cancer is absolutely heartbreaking for any parent as well as other family members and friends....

Filed Under: Tips & Ideas Tagged With: Cancer, Family and Kids

Mother Uses Crowdfunding to Help Those with Birth Defects

December 9, 2016 by Denise Bruce

crowdfunding for birth defects

How far would you go to support your child? A Minnesota mother has shattered the glass ceiling in order to help her son live his life without pain.

Sarah Olson’s son, Levi, was born with Spina Bifida and at only 8 days old, he received spine surgery. Recovery seemed to be going well until doctors discovered he had a Neurogenic bladder and bowel (bladder and bowel dysfunction) at 5 months old.

After undergoing 15 procedures, Levi’s only solution was to use a foley catheter. This type of catheter causes severe bladder spasms that equate to labor pain. When Levi’s doctor informed Sarah that this was his only option, an idea sparked.

“When I heard the words “what he needs doesn’t exist”, it wasn’t a question of if I was going to come up with something to help my boy,” Sarah explained. “It was a matter of how fast I could get it done.”

Sarah spent the following months teaching herself computer-aided-design (CAD) on YouTube and worked with a friend who had access to a 3D printer to invent a new catheter. She brought a prototype to Levi’s doctor and it astonishingly worked and left him pain free without bladder spasms.

Now that this new catheter has worked for her son, Sarah is on a mission to help other children and adults with birth defects who struggle with pain from a foley catheter. To accomplish this, she turned to crowdfunding with YouCaring.  

“I chose YouCaring because I found that it aligned with my vision/mission more than any other crowdfunding site I had found.” Sarah said. “I felt the company cared about people and efforts to help people more than just products and money.”

Since it’s launch, Sarah’s LECS fundraiser has raised almost $7,000 with the help of generous family, friends, and even strangers.

“It’s said that it takes a village and it truly does to accomplish something like what I’m trying to accomplish.” Sarah explained. “To watch donations come in, some from people I don’t know, is so humbling to me. It’s love in action.”

Through her fundraiser and Facebook page, Sarah has been able to reach a new audience and grow her community of people wanting to get involved.

“I love to hear all the stories of people who are looking for something different and ready for what my device offers.” she said.  I love to have the opportunity to bring awareness to Spina Bifida and all that goes with it.”

To be able to help others with birth defects, Sarah still needs to reach her goal of $25,000. Her journey has been remarkable so far and she is grateful to meet and work with the amazing people she’s met along the way.

“Throughout this whole process, I’ve worked very hard to find people and companies to work with that care about people, that have integrity, and are honest, reputable companies.” Sarah explained. “YouCaring has been one of those companies for me.”

To make a difference in the life of someone with a birth defect, launch a free fundraiser and check out our medical crowdfunding guide for best practices. Start crowdfunding for birth defects and make an impact today.

Find out more about birth defects, including symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. 

Related Reading

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® Stands Up to Childhood Cancer Every year, thousands of families receive the devastating news that their child has cancer. Only a few decades ago, mortality rates for pediatric ...
Instagram Takeover: Fifi + Mo You may recognize Fifi + Mo as the dynamic duo from their fun “mommy and me” Instagram account. With over 80,000 followers, Christina and Finley S...
Bald Ballerina: Inspiration for Those Living with Cancer Bald Ballerina Fighting Breast Cancer Maggie wasn’t always known as the ‘Bald Ballerina.’ It wasn’t until she started losing her hair due to chemot...

Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: Family and Kids, Medical

Five Easy Fundraising Ideas for Kids’ Sports Teams

August 10, 2016 by Denise Bruce

If you’re a coach or parent, you’ve come to realize that the costs associated with your kids’ sports team can add up very quickly. From uniforms and equipment to travel and tournament fees, you can feel the burden of paying these fees weighing on your shoulders throughout the entire season. Luckily, there are ways to bring those costs down and let your team enjoy playing the sport they love without worrying about the expenditures. For fundraising ideas for kids’ sports teams, try any or all of our options to help bring down the costs and let you enjoy the games throughout the season without worry.

YouCaring fundraiser Help J-Town 12U Strike Softball go to the World Series!

1. Sell snacks

This fundraising idea is one of the more popular ones we’ve seen among organizations. Selling candy bars for one dollar is a sure way to make a profit quickly for your kids’ sports teams. You could also offer a unique spin on the idea by purchasing healthier snacks in bulk at a wholesale store, such as Costco, to promote healthier lifestyles for children and adults.

2. Car wash

A great fundraising idea to spark team bonding is hosting a car wash. First, decide where you will hold the event and whether you need permission to use a space. An easy option would to use someone’s driveway for the car wash, although you will risk not being seen by as many drivers on the road. If you want the option to bring in more revenue, choose a central location, such as a grocery store – where many customers will pass by – and ask permission to use their space for your event. Get the kids involved in the planning by making large poster boards to advertise the car wash, and have them work at the actual event by washing cars. For more help planning your car wash fundraiser, visit here.

3. Restaurant night out

Hosting a restaurant event at your favorite local eatery is a great way to enjoy spending time outside of practice and games with your team, families, and the community. Choose a local restaurant that is willing to host your fundraising event for a few hours and donate a percentage of the proceeds to your team. Not only is this the perfect event to bring families and the community together for a great cause, it also serves as a fun, relaxing night off from cooking at home, as well! Soapboxie has compiled a great list of chain restaurants that are known to support these events, so you can choose the right match for your fundraising goal.

4. Pie in the face

A pie in the face fundraiser will surely get the kids excited about raising money. Gather parent or coach volunteers to be “pied” in the face with a reusable pie holder filled with whipped cream. A small donation of five dollars will give kids the opportunity to pie their favorite coach or parent in the face, which results in many laughs, good fun, and new uniforms and equipment with the proceeds.

5. Free crowdfunding

The best way to easily fundraise for your kids’ sports team without having to organize an event is to launch a free YouCaring fundraiser. Crowdfunding is is a form of peer-to-peer fundraising that harnesses the power of social networks to raise awareness and draw donations for online campaigns. Starting a fundraiser is quick and easy, and if it’s created before the season starts, it would help to kickstart the fundraising efforts to provide new equipment, uniforms, and cover travel costs.  

Now that you are aware of the many fundraising ideas for kids’ sports teams, you can enjoy your team’s games with knowing that the expenses are taken care of. These ideas take a bit of coordination but are worth the positive results. For more information on YouCaring and to create a free fundraiser, visit our website.

Check out our Fudraising Ideas for Teens. Before you plan your own event read Seven Simple Tips for Hosting a Successful Fundraising Event.

For more ideas read Sports Team Fundraising Ideas for the Win.

Related Reading

Sports Team Fundraising Ideas for the Win According to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey, more than half of students in high school participate in a sport. A team’s shared ...
Fundraising Ideas for Kids: Children Standing Up for a Cause School’s out for summer! Without the commitment of scheduled classes, this is an opportune time to teach children, teenagers and young adults heading ...
Spring Fundraising Ideas to Freshen Up Your Campaign Spring is in the air! Warmer weather plus a feeling of renewed energy means that people are once again looking to engage with the world. All of th...

Filed Under: Tips & Ideas Tagged With: Family and Kids

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Find What You Need

How to Start a Successful Fundraiser

Crowdfunding For Your Needs

Start Your Free Online Fundraiser

Copyright © 2017

Copyright © 2018 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in