In this post, I am going to talk about why I think we should donate to The Crissy Fox Foundation. This organization was founded in 2014 by my high school friend, Billy Fox. When we were juniors in high school, Billy lost his mother to breast cancer in stage four. Rather than allowing this tragedy to crush him, Billy was determined to find a proactive way to carry on her legacy. After pondering on how he could do it, the idea of creating a foundation popped into his head. Although he was a little doubtful that people would take an organization run by a sixteen year old seriously, he did not let the thought stop him: he decided to name the organization in memory of his mother, The Crissy Fox Foundation. After the name, he created a clear mission statement for the organization: to “donate to families that have a parent battling breast cancer, in memory of my [Billy’s] mother who passed away from stage four.”
Whereas many breast cancer charities traditionally donate to research, The Crissy Fox Foundation instead looks to help out with the little things, such as cooking meals for the families and giving them large checks. Billy told me that this idea came from how grateful he was when he got help with making dinner and carrying out chores around the house when both of his parents would constantly be out of the house for chemo/radiation therapies. Billy did not have his driver’s license at the time and has two younger siblings, so he always appreciated how much of a difference any help made.
This organization is important to me because I can connect with it on a personal level. When I was much younger, my parents would always be with my grandmother during her chemo/radiation sessions, and they would sometimes stay in the hospital overnight when she had to be hospitalized. My sister and I were fortunate enough to have neighbors and other family members who were willing to take care of us when my parents had to be with my grandmother, so I understand that every bit of help makes a difference for families going through the same struggle.
The foundation originally started raising money by selling pink bracelets that said “The Crissy Fox Foundation” on one side and “He always has a plan” on the other. When Billy wasn’t doing schoolwork, he dedicated his time to seeking out families who were eligible for the money. Fast forward four years, The Crissy Fox Foundation has raised over $20,000 and has donated all of the money to families from New York to Chicago. The foundation now raises money mainly through various fundraisers such as Sip, Dine, and Paint events, bake sales, and spin classes. On his website, Billy talks about his experience giving one of his foundation’s first checks to a family with three kids who lost their mother to breast cancer. The husband was given $1000 check, which he used to pay off the final medical bills he had been struggling with. The husband told Billy that because of the foundation’s help, he could spend money on proper funeral services. In addition to checks, The Crissy Fox Foundation also provides meals to families and presents during Christmas.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I really hope the class has a desire as strong as mine to donate the money to The Crissy Fox Foundation!
For more information about the organization:
https://www.facebook.com/crissyfoxfoundation/
https://thecrissyfoxfoundation.wordpress.com/about-2/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkbQLt6KcpA
For statistics on cancer in America:
https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2016/cancer-facts-and-figures-2016.pdf
Michael,
ReplyDeleteThis is very much an organization that targets the heart aspect of philanthropic giving. Just like you, I too share a very personal connection to this story. In 2015, my mother passed away from metastasized breast cancer that had spread to her brain. Throughout the seven years that she battled her disease it was not only detrimental to her, but to our family as well. It’s hard in tough times to keep the hope that makes life so worthwhile, so in a way the cancer grew within us all. I sympathize with your friend Billy, and I am so grateful that there are people like him in the world starting organizations like this.
These kinds of organizations are not unfamiliar to me. Although far and few between, I have experienced first-hand the kindness and caring that they are willing to give to families like mine. The organization that helped us relieved the stresses of everyday life and thus allowed for my father and I to make the most out of the time we had left with my mom. They made it so that we could once again experience the subtle nuances that had all but disappeared when we received that terrible news.
Before this class, I would have jumped on board to donate to any organization like the Crissy Fox Foundation, but now I have my reservations. After going through the websites you provided, I can see that the foundation has a steady flow of charitable intake and output, however I cannot seem to find any solid financial data such as an annual report or an IRS form 990. Also, is there someplace where the foundation shows a statistical measure of their impact? I understand that sometimes smaller organizations like this and the John Crimmins Foundation don’t have the means to compile such data seeing as how they are still in the fairly early stages of development. Is there any way you could address these issues of the “head”?
Thank you for sharing this organization with the class and I’ll be sure to keep the Crissy Cox Foundation in mind.
If anyone would like to explore Broome County organizations that target cancer I’ve attached a link here: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/cancer/services/community_resources/broome.htm
Also as a reference of my own situation I’ve attached a story written about my mother in the local paper: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/ph-cc-emily-jew-20141220-story.html
Jaclyn,
DeleteThank you for sharing your deep and personal story, and explaining how this organization relates to you. As I was making this post, I knew people would have reservations because there doesn't seem to be a 'head' aspect to my pitch. To answer your question about any financial data or an IRS form 990, The Crissy Fox Foundation does not have that information because it is still a small and relatively new organization. In fact, it is not officially classified as a 501(c)3 organization yet. Billy told me he applied for a 501(c)3, and that his foundation will be certified in one month. I asked Mr. Campbell if a pending certification would still allow the class to donate, and he said yes. The Crissy Fox Foundation is run by someone who is also a full time student at Notre Dame, so information about the foundation is limited compared to big organizations run by executives. However, I do not think we should let this fact shy us away from wanting to donate. I think one big advantage this organization has is that ALL the money donated goes to a family--no administrative wages/salaries have to be paid, no electricity bills and other fixed costs have to be paid, etc. Everyone who helps out Billy with the foundation acts as volunteers, and no profit in any way is made from any of his fund raisers. Every single cent goes to an eligible family, and I believe if the class votes on The Crissy Fox Foundation and makes a $100 contribution, that donation would be used more effectively than in most other organizations.
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ReplyDeleteThank you Michael for sharing this post that is clearly from the heart. Just like many people in our class, I also know many people and families that have suffered from breast cancer. When I was growing up, my one of my best friends mother was diagnosed with the disease and while I was very young, I vividly remember my mom and other families in the neighborhood cooking meals for my friends family and trying to do anything they can to make the experience easier. Thank god that my friends mother beat the cancer. Foundations like this are incredibly important. Cancer is incredibly expensive on the wallet and on the heart and families really can use all the support they can get. Today, during your presentation, what made me vote for it was how despite not receiving millions of dollars like other organizations, every single cent is used for a singular purpose and every cent goes a very long way for an organization like this. Thank you so much for sharing this organization with us
ReplyDeleteAnother organization close to my heart, and one that I raised money for, is Sharsheret which is similar to the Crissy Fox foundation on a larger scale. Sharsheret is a Jewish organization but caters to people of all backgrounds and religions. They offer support to communities and to families and were very helpful when my friend's mom was diagnosed. I haven't thought much about this organization since I was raising money for them and our pitch really reminded me of Sharsheret. Thank you very much for sharing.
http://sharsheret.org/who-we-are/mission-statement/