Every 90 minutes, another person is diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's Disease). ALS, which typically attacks both the upper and lower motor neurons and causes degeneration of the brain and the spinal cord, is currently incurable. However, scientific advances have allowed researchers to make more progress in the past decade than had been made since the disease was first identified. If you donate to ALS, you can help treat affected patients and sustain the hope that a cure will soon be found.
Instructions
Donate to ALS
1. Make a general or a specific donation. Donate to one of various ALS research organizations. Alternately, you choose to help fund a specific effort. For example, if you donate through a nonprofit program such as ALS Worldwide, you can make donations to specific opportunities, including stem cell treatment evaluation, patient advocacy, individual support to patients, scientific research interpretation and seminars for the neurological medical establishment.
2. Donate to honor another person. Some ALS organizations allow you to make a donation in memory of, as a tribute to, or in celebration of another person. The ALS Association and ALS Worldwide are just two organizations that allow you to create such an honorarium to be viewed by others. ALS Worldwide requires a minimum $100 donation, but your words of praise and love will be shown (with an optional photograph) to everyone who visits the website.
3. Send recurring donations. Some organizations give you the opportunity to be a loyal donor by taking automatic monthly payments of your choice from your credit card. Like the one-time honorarium donations, organizations may allow you to attach a tribute to your monthly donation. Monthly donations can be canceled or changed at any time.
4. Set up a planned gift. The term "planned giving" typically refers to giving vehicles that give you the chance to donate to charity in your lifetime or after you die, while you meet your current income necessities and continue to provide for your heirs. Organizations such as the Center for ALS Research and the ALS Society of Canada allow you to arrange a special planned gift. Gifts of bequests, life insurance, annuities, real estate and retirement assets are just a few examples of planned gifts.
5. Seek donation assistance. If you are currently unable to donate as much as you would like to, some vehicles exist to help. For example, some employers have what is known as a "matching gift" program, which is a corporate gift that equals or exceeds what you choose to donate to a charity. You can also purchase items that contribute a portion of proceeds to ALS, or be part of a fundraising group that earns money on behalf of ALS. For example, you may organize a walk, hike, or run for ALS, or join in on an already existing one.
Tags: another person, donate charity, organizations allow, planned gift, Some organizations
