I just gave away my life savings

scooter · 12-08-2015, 13:58

I haven't been active here for a while. Last year my son was diagnosed with Autism. Being a good military guy, I enrolled him in EFMP and set about getting him the help he needed. Tricare paid for a variety of therapy.

It sucked. None of it helped my son. The disparate therapists were disjointed and did not work together or even in the same direction. It was like trying to teach someone to play football by having a throwing coach, strength coach, teamwork advisor, and a rule book, but no practice. It was going nowhere.

In desperation I found a place calls the Brown Center for Autism in Nashville, TN. For lack of a better analogy, they taught football. Everyone worked together on a common plan, with one person managing each child's overall plan.

It produced miracles. My son had no eye contact and wasn't talking when he started; Six months later he won't stop talking. I wondered at the time why there weren't more places like it. It was expensive, but nowhere produced results like this.

Yesterday I found out why. Brown announced they are closing due to lack of funding. It costs 50,000 per child to provide the services they give, and tuition only covers a fraction of that. The rest comes from donations, and several funding sources have dried up.

I donated the bulk of my life savings to keep them open until roughly April. I had saved 120,000 over six OIF and OEF rotations and the assorted JCETs. They don't know it was my personal donation, I told them I raised it. I am working on bringing in new funding so that wasn't much of a stretch...

I am not looking for a pat on the back or publicity. What I am asking is that anyone who can reach out to others and see if anyone can give, even a little, to keep the Center open. The work they do is the difference in Autistic children ending up like Sheldon cooper vs rain man. I've included the link to the gofundme page below for small scale donations, as well as the link to the Center's web page for those interested.

Again, I don't want them to know the money to stay open came from me. But, any additional funds or introductions are welcome.

De Opresso Liber

http://e.gofund.me/zvdvr796

http://www.thebrowncenter.org

Sdiver · 12-08-2015, 14:12

Donation made.
Wish it could have been more.

Will share on FB, if it's cool with you Scooter?

scooter · 12-08-2015, 14:26

Please share, on Facebook and elsewhere. I'm trying to avoid any public fanfare of "green beret", but otherwise distro far and wide. Pennies make dollars, everything helps. Thanks for the help brother.

SittingElf · 12-08-2015, 14:34

I'd tell the same story you just did while setting up fund me campaigns on multiple sites.

You might also consider contacting Glenn Beck. He has gotten involved in stories like yours repeatedly, and successfully brought attention and $$ to those causes.

Glad your child has improved with help. Mine has severe ADHD, but thankfully is functional.

Frank

JJ_BPK · 12-08-2015, 15:32

Done..

SouthernDZ · 12-08-2015, 15:49

Done, I wish it could have been more.

I wish you would consider Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, she has done much for the American family and the military. Not all agree with her politics, but none dispute her heart is pure. I know you're a QP, but toot the Green Beret horn if it will garner publicity for this fine organization.

scooter · 12-08-2015, 16:16

It's not quiet professionalism that's keeping me from tooting my horn on this. My pride is irrelevant. A fear of an ISIS inspired security threat to the school haunts me if I link the two. There is no security there to speak of. I've strongly considered going the "Green Beret gives life savings, donate now!" route, just struggling with the wisdom of doing so.

CDRODA396 · 12-08-2015, 16:33

Anyone know how to get this added to CFC? I'd rather give to something like this than just pick something I think is doing good work.

scooter · 12-08-2015, 16:46

I'm going to look at getting it added to CFC as a long term benefit. The school's short term problem is making up for lost donations that backed out unexpectedly. I dropped the money I "raised" to shore up confidence amongst the staff, parents, and partially the director.

The director is now fighting to keep the school alive. I'm trying to get the mindset of the staff in particular from "I'm on a sinking ship" to ""start patching the ship". Some have handily grabbed buckets. Others are eyeing the life rafts.

I have the place afloat until Spring, just need A) more money, and B) long term fixes. I'm open to leveraging the "feel guilty the army is doing more than my wealthy butt" angle if I can figure out how do it safely.

Fundraising isn't my thing, I'm making this up as I go along.

scooter · 12-08-2015, 18:23

On a secondary note, if anyone has a line into people or organizations that are looking to donate money this Christmas as a tax write-off, publicity stunt, or just to feel better about themselves.....drop me a line.

I pitched a Mason treasurer today. Still working on my pitch, but "I gave away all my money now I need yours" seems to get people's attention.

Matsonian · 12-09-2015, 19:36

I have a line to Hanity if you want to try him'

DanHeller88 · 12-10-2015, 03:08

Every year for the holidays my family and I donate to charities instead of giving gifts. I can assure you that every single one of us will be donating to this.

scooter · 12-10-2015, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matsonian

I have a line to Hanity if you want to try him'

We are going to try the local news first, keeping the GB line out of it. I have also found out over the past 24 hours that people are hesitant to donate to a cause they think is failing. We have had to reign in the "sky is falling" rhetoric... It's this weird fine line between "I'm throwing money into a lost cause" and "you don't need my money, you're doing fine".

Nonprofit fundraising is an odd beast.

scooter · 12-10-2015, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanHeller88

Every year for the holidays my family and I donate to charities instead of giving gifts. I can assure you that every single one of us will be donating to this.

Dan I can't tell you how much that means to me.

Pro tip, you can donate on the Brown Center webpage directly instead of the GoFundMe page. Look at the top banner, there is a DONATE tab. The GoFundMe site is great, but they take a cut off he top.

I really appreciate all the offers of support, this place needs to remain open.

Javadrinker · 12-10-2015, 21:07

Done and with pleasure, I wish it could have been more.