About
Overview
At Transplant Alliance, we understand the financial burden that a family endures due to major medical expenses, such as those associated with an organ transplant. During our personal transplant journey, we met numerous others who were on their own transplant journeys. Common discussions often center on being listed, receiving the call about a donor match, medication requirements, and life progression. Sadly, some people have another story: the financial toll that surgery and post-operative care take. The complaint is always the same: the co-pay and out-of-pocket expenses.
We believe it is our responsibility to assist those in need by fundraising, conducting charitable gaming, and granting funds to alleviate these expenses. After all, someone said YES to being an organ donor, and that selfless decision saved our family. That act of generosity inspires us to help others.
Goals
Our accomplishments are measured by the success of our program. Since we have one program, we also have one main goal: to help as many people as possible cover transplant-related expenses. Our medical grant fund was created exclusively for this purpose.
For us, it is not about numbers or how much revenue we can generate. Instead, it is about the families we can assist and the meaningful difference we can make in their lives.
Strategies
Our primary strategy is charitable gaming. Specifically, we allocate funds raised through our Bingo Hall directly to our medical grant fund. Over the years, we have been able to help countless individuals through these efforts.
However, we believe we can do more. While we are a small organization in the larger sphere of charitable giving, we strive to stand out by keeping our expenses as low as possible. We actively seek corporate sponsorships and individual donors who share our mission and vision.
Our secondary strategy involves fundraising through charitable entertainment. Utilizing our large hall, we host events such as dinner shows, comedy performances, dance recitals, and theatrical plays. All profits generated from these events are funneled directly into our medical grant fund to further our mission.
Capabilities
Our journey began in 1998 when our founder and president, Mary Jo Lovely, received the life-altering news that her husband had passed away. Shortly afterward, she received a call from the Gift of Life, asking if she wished to honor her husband’s wish to be an organ donor. This profound experience set Mary on a path of advocacy for organ donation.
A few years later, Mary herself fell ill and required supplemental oxygen to breathe. She was told she would not survive without a lung transplant. Two years after being placed on the transplant waiting list, she received the call that would save her life: “We have a donor.” This life-saving gift inspired Mary to establish Transplant Alliance, combining her experiences as both a donor family member and a transplant recipient to assist others facing similar challenges.
Mary’s journey did not end there. Three years after her transplant, she experienced organ rejection, and five years later, she underwent a second lung transplant. Her resilience and passion drive our organization, reminding us daily of the importance of helping others and promoting organ donation.
In addition to Mary, our team includes Danielle, our executive director, who brings over 10 years of fundraising management experience and more than 20 years of personal experience as a donor family member. Danielle is responsible for overseeing all our operations and serves as the primary contact for our activities.
Another vital team member is Ken, a board member and business professional who ensures our financial overhead is efficiently managed. Ken’s expertise in business management helps us implement best practices and maintain robust systems for charitable giving.
Together, our board is united by a single mission: to assist as many people as possible through our medical grant fund.
Indicators
We measure our progress through continuous self-evaluation. We set high standards for ourselves and consistently challenge our organization to improve.
For donors, the best way to evaluate our charity is to examine how we operate: the dedication we bring to every endeavor, our transparency in allocating funds, and our relentless drive to achieve our mission. We believe our results speak for themselves in the lives we touch and the communities we support.
Progress
Before formally establishing Transplant Alliance, Mary, Ken, and Danielle devoted themselves to charitable giving on a personal level. Danielle played a key role in helping individuals reach their fundraising goals through Help Hope Live, while Mary and Ken volunteered with the Gift of Life. The trio also donated to the Gift of Life Family House and Help Hope Live and organized various fundraisers to support these organizations.
Shortly after founding Transplant Alliance, we began generating sufficient revenue to expand our private charitable giving. Despite our growth, we have continued to donate to the Gift of Life and Help Hope Live, staying true to the values that inspired us to begin this journey.
