Dear friends,
Thank you for your interest in the BART Foundation. We encourage you to read through our yearly update of what we accomplished over the past year and what we’re looking forward to in the year ahead. With the new year upon us, we hope you will consider making a contribution in 2021.
Guidestar Gold Level Seal of Transparency
Last year, the BART Foundation was awarded the coveted Guidestar Gold Level Seal of Transparency. Guidestar is a respected leader when it comes to assessing and rating charities, and the Gold Level Seal is granted to only the top 1 percent of organizations. Savvy individuals and foundations consult Guidestar’s reviews before making decisions about donations and grants, so this is a big deal!
Over the last year, we experienced an uptick in new donors through our PayPal portal. We increased donations through the PayPal Giving Fund, AmazonSmile, and Facebook Donations. These results at least partly attributed to our Gold Level Seal of Transparency.
Website and Facebook News
The BART Foundation has updated its website again. We’re continuing to promote our mission of safe, alternative therapies for brain injuries with lots of new videos and other helpful features. I hope you find the new look attractive and genuinely useful. Please take a look and let me know what you think.
We’ve also started working with Laura Zurowski, a contractor with nonprofit web marketing expertise, to further drive our mission. Our goal has been to exponentially increase awareness of our mission among brain injury survivors, caregivers, and donors. As a result, our Facebook page increased followers and likes at five times the previous rate. We are receiving daily messages and comments from survivors and caregivers around the globe. The most popular inquiry is, “Where can I find an alternative therapist near me?” Our website’s easy to use Therapies page can often help them locate qualified, vetted practitioners. We continue to hear from providers of alternative therapies eager to link efforts with ours and contribute further to our website – our referral list is growing!
Recent website visitors wrote:
“Hi, I just found you and love your website and info. Such an important thing to be focusing on – so difficult to get good info on ways to help. Are you able to point me to someone to give a safe protocol for 4 yr old with abi for omega 3 oil. Thanks so much.”
“My son Slone has TBI. We have done some oxygen therapy, Neurofeedback, supplements, acupuncture, and more. He has slightly improved, but we are having trouble keeping him in the program. The doctors say he is long term, and Slone gets frustrated and quits. He really wants to be well. Any advice?
We reply swiftly to all inquires, often following-up with phone calls.
BART Foundation’s Barlean’s Oil Scholarship
The BART-Barlean’s scholarship puts Omega-3 oil into the hands of brain injury survivors who could not otherwise afford it – it’s a first of its kind! Barlean’s is not keeping metrics, but we continue to hear from grateful recipients, who marvel at the ease of use, flexibility, and free home delivery.
Domestic Violence, Women, and Brain Injuries
This population is a new initiative for us. Articles in the New York Times and elsewhere have pointed out the lack of studies of women who suffer TBI due to domestic violence. The NFL and Veterans get attention, but millions of women with TBI are going unreported. As this topic aligns with our mission, we will share updates on our Facebook page and website to raise awareness of this oversight.
Educational Video Series Update
Dramatic new developments in video outreach! In addition to our introductory level videos for each safe alternative therapy, Bob Fagan, BART board member, and videographer has produced two longer version videos. One features Dr. Michael Lewis discussing Omega-3 oils; the other is with Dr. Giuseppina Benincasa-Feingold, explaining HBOT. We obtained permission from Dr. Margaret Naeser, Research Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, and researcher at the Boston VA Medical Center, to host two of her first-rate videos on photobiomodulation. Dr. Naeser is a thought leader in this field, and her commitment is quite generous. We are looking forward to future collaborations.
And so it goes. Still brick by brick, but with a bit more color and flair!
We wish you all a safe and happy New Year!
Joel
As a 501(c)(3) educational charity, we hope you will consider making another tax-deductible contribution. With minuscule overhead, contributions go almost entirely to further our mission. Donations may be made by check or via credit card or PayPal: www.thebartfoundation.org. Your love and support have been a boon to us always. Thank you, and Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. Joel, Bart, and the BART Foundation team.
Guidestar Seal of Transparency
