You Can Make a Difference With Just $5

We can’t seem to get away from the financial news these days. The price of gas, the price of food, employment difficulties, and people faced with the possibility of losing their home. Yes, times are tough, but I don’t believe it gets tougher than losing a child.

Early one morning this past July I received a phone call. The woman’s voice was gentle, comforting, kind. I soon found out that she called to let me know that the Epilepsy Therapy Project would be receiving donations given in memory of her 5-year-old son. As a mother, the news was unthinkable. I was deeply saddened and at a loss for words. This incredible woman continued to share some about her son with the big beautiful eyes and spirit. I couldn’t help admiring her strength as she spoke. I learned that Hayden was a joy and was loved by everyone. I learned that he left behind a big sister and little brother, and I learned that somehow she knew that her time with her son would be brief, and that she should treasure each moment.

The Epilepsy Therapy Project (ETP) is an organization founded by parents of kids with uncontrolled seizures. We are determined to make a difference by supporting the development of new therapies that offer better seizure control and fewer side effects in a timeframe that matters to people living today with epilepsy. 100% of every dollar raised is used to provide grants to promising research.

Time to Act

ETP has been exploring fundraising tools that can be used by all of us for a variety of events to help raise funds for research. We signed up with Firstgiving, an online system that allows people to fundraise for their favorite organization. It’s quick, easy and safe. All donations are sent to ETP, minus a small transaction fee.

Having learned how easy it is to get started, we went ahead and created the Donate $5 Event!; our first fundraising campaign through Firstgiving. Our goal is to raise a million dollars! With your help, we can do it. Here’s how: Each month, 200,000 people visit our award winning website, epilepsy.com.

If each of the 200,000 people gave just $5, we could raise $1,000,000 in one month!

Even in these tough times, $5 is a donation that most everyone can afford. Give what you can. It’s exciting, and it feels so good to know you are giving hope to many hearts. Your dedicated support makes all the difference. We can raise even more when you spread the word. Tell your friends, and we can raise millions for research!

Firstgiving for Your Fundraising Event!

You too can easily create just about any kind of fundraising event to help raise funds for epilepsy research. Organize a marathon, a walkathon, or perhaps a golf or softball tournament! If you like to bake, arrange a bake sale. Host a dinner event, or party! You can celebrate birthdays, weddings, Christenings, Bat Mitzvahs…. Your event can be in honor of, or in memory of someone special. No event is too big, or too small. Be creative, it’s your event!

Once your campaign is set up on Firstgiving, email your friends, family, and colleagues, and let them know that they can donate online and support epilepsy research. Add your event and widget to Facebook, YouTube, and raise even more.

As a member of epilepsy.com, you can also use your widget to promote your event to show how much money you’ve raised. Display your widget on your Story, Blog, Group, or Forum to share with other community members. Create a competition! See how much you can raise to help support research.

Times are tough…

. . . . but they can be tougher. The time to act is now. Give fearlessly. Your gift will help the Epilepsy Therapy Project provide more grants for research; more research for new therapies, and new therapies for better seizure control and fewer side effects. You never know whose life you will help. Imagine what we can do if we join together. It is awesome.

Check out our Forum for ideas on how you can use Firstgiving.

Technical help is available here.