The ideas listed below have proven helpful to other parents/caregivers faced with this situation. If you truly believe that your child or youth would benefit from a particular practice that is beyond your financial means, the following information on ways to raise money may prove useful.

Parents and caregivers are often disturbed by the high out-of-pocket cost of some practices, and the high costs of getting help for children & youth with problems should deeply concern us all. Every child & youth’s unique gifts and talents are needed in the world. As more and more people begin to realize this, getting the best help for each child & youth will become a priority.

So far, insurance companies and most government programs rarely pay for many of the healing practices we have suggested. It is the rare parent today who finds the money they need for treatments easily available. What is often overlooked are the extremely high costs, both in money and anguish, of children & youth continuing to have unsolved problems. Methods of raising money are discussed below. Meanwhile, keep in mind that the money, time and heart that you invest today could save even more money, time and heartache in the future.

Some practitioners charge what seems like a lot of money for their services. Parents and caregivers should “shop around” for practitioners to find the best quality that can be had for the money you can pay. But remember, sometimes the best help your child or youth needs is only available from the more expensive practitioner. And some of these practices take quite a lot of time and energy with your child or youth on the practitioner’s part before results are visible. Directness and commitment to a practitioner’s services may produce some creativity about getting that help. A passionate appeal from you can sometimes lower a practitioner’s fee to one that works for both of you and for your child or youth. If your practitioner gives you and your youth/child homework, you can often speed recovery and save money by doing it diligently.

If insurance coverage is not an option, and if parents really can’t afford practitioners, you should speak with practitioners about other modes of payment. Although practitioners may not volunteer information about occasionally offering reduced fees, some will provide special rates to a limited number of clients each month. A child or youth may have to be on a waiting list for these less expensive vacancies to become available. Parents and practitioners have to determine whether waiting is advisable and what can be done in the meantime. Phone consultations are a good possibility. Even though some practitioners charge for telephone calls, it is usually less than a visit in person.

Parents may also seek the practitioner’s help in finding donors. Practitioners often know of helpful foundations, individual donors, and other sources that may assist people who are seeking alternative therapies. Parents must be direct. Every child is worth the effort it takes to get help! You must have faith that the money will come.

When Asking For Financial Assistance

Ask for a specific dollar amount. Have a specific plan. Your planning and research demonstrates your commitment to helping your child. Be as specific as you can. Include when you would like the Healing Practice to begin. Include the name and address of the practitioner you have chosen.

Prayer and Visualization

Prayer and visualization, have helped many people a great deal. If these words don’t resonate with you, it is helpful to find words that do: manifestation, focus, positivity, attentiveness, gratitude, and hope are all good substitutes. These have sometimes miraculously produced the money needed for alternative treatments. Worry, feeling poor and harboring a sense of lack, tend to bring even more of the same. Feeling grateful for what you have and expecting even better things to happen tends to bring good results.

Consider seeking out groups of people who pray. Prayer circles often produce amazing results. Expect miracles: they do happen.

Brainstorming Sessions with Family and Friends

Desire to raise money to help your child or youth can fuel creativity. Hold brainstorming sessions with family and friends. Making lists of ideas, without judgement or criticism, can often unleash interesting results. Groups of people can generate more good plans because one person’s idea will spark another’s creativity. Solutions to money raising problems may not immediately appear, so more than one brainstorming session may be necessary.

It is important for everyone involved with the child or youth to spend some time thinking about how to raise money for helpful practices. Avoid isolating yourself or being shy about asking relatives and friends to help. Carefully explain your child’s or youth’s problem and why the money is needed. Family and friends may want to help because it feels good to help. If practitioners are able, they can be valuable in getting family support by sharing information about their practice personally. Practitioners have been known to lower their fees because they were so moved by the parents’, family’s and friends’ commitment and everyone’s willingness to help.

If you can’t see yourself leading the fund raising, perhaps a friend or relative will be willing to take the job. It is often easier to raise money for someone else.

Loans From Family and Friends

Remember that loans have to be paid back–even/especially–to family members. Not paying back money owed to family and friends can damage relationships. It is very important to make a plan of payment and to keep to the plan as much as possible. It is equally important for both lender and borrower to be in good communication about the child or youth’s progress and about the loan repayment.

A Fund for the Child & Youth

An excellent money-raising idea is to have a group of family and friends set up a fund to pay for alternative practice for your child or youth. They can send a letter or make personal contact with anyone who knows the child or youth, inviting participation in raising money for the fund.

The letter or contact should include a picture of the parent and child or youth, as well as a simple explanation of the problem and information about the practice chosen, including any pamphlets the practitioner can provide. A photocopy of the appropriate section of this book may also help. The total expected cost of the treatments should also be noted. It is a good idea to list the names of the people who will be making sure the fund is used properly. Funds can be informal or can be legally set up by lawyers and bankers.

The letter should ask people to donate a lump sum gift, or they can send postdated checks to cover a monthly amount of ten or twenty dollars for a period of six or twelve months. Checks can be made payable to the practitioner.

Some people have had fundraising parties and other social events where people can read the literature about the practice, learn about the costs, and if possible, meet the practitioner.

Insurance Companies

Occasionally, a medical insurance company will pay some or all of the costs of going to a practitioner of some of the healing practices in this book. This can often be accomplished by getting the family doctor and other medical specialists to prescribe the practice desired. Taking this book, along with research documents and books about the chosen healing practice, might help you in getting a prescription. Sometimes medical insurance companies agree to pay for some of the healing practices in this book simply because they can be less expensive than traditional methods.

Shopping around for doctors who are open to prescribing some of the healing practices is sometimes necessary. Practitioners of the healing practices in this book often know doctors who support their work and will make needed prescriptions.

Service Organizations

Service organizations such as the Rotary Club, American Legion, Kiwanis, Lions, Shriners, Chamber of Commerce, etc. can often be a big help in paying for practices that help children. They often need convincing.

If you are not comfortable making approaches, family and friends can make presentations for you. Locating a person who is already a member of the organization is a good idea because they can help with information about the best ways to approach the organization.

With some extra effort, you might find individual members of these groups who can write grant proposals to them. Taking practitioners and this book to meetings with these organizations can be useful as well.

Religious Organizations, Churches, Temples, Mosques, Meeting Halls

Churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other religious congregations have been known to raise money for healing practices –especially when the persons applying are members in good standing. Occasionally they will even help non-members.

Ask for help from these organizations in getting grants. Religious groups often have members who are skilled at writing grant proposals. Grant-giving foundations often do not give money to individuals. They do give to organizations that can then pass the money on to the practitioners. Local librarians can help locate foundations to approach.

Including this book, research papers, pictures of your child or youth, along with practitioners, can often help in getting action from both religious organizations and grant-giving foundations.

Grants

Grants of money are given by foundations. Usually each foundation has its own special interest and geographic area. You and your friends can go to a public library and look at the lists of foundations that provide various types of grants.

Foundations usually require detailed proposals, applications, and reporting at specific times of the year. Usually each foundation has its own preferred format. Keep in mind that it is wise to meet these criteria or you can become quite frustrated.

Some foundations do not give out all the money that is available because people did not ask them correctly. Contacting a professional grant writer, or taking a course in grant writing have helped other parents to receive grants in the past. Books are available about grants, grant proposals, and grant writing.

Local religious organizations can be approached for help in grant writing. Most spiritual organizations have volunteers who write grant proposals. They have the skills that are needed. Persistence is necessary.

The Free Money book series by Laurie Blum is a very good resource. Free Money is a treasure of information about where and how to apply for grants. WWW.ProgresivePubs.com is a website that lists foundations by subject.

Money may have to funneled through a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization such as a religious group, a service organization, other nonprofit social organization or club. Having their support can be a big help in acquiring a grant.

It does take time and energy to research and write grant proposals as well as finding an organization to administer the money. Getting relatives and friends to help with this is a good idea if you do not have time or comfort working with grants.

Loans From Banks

Parents have successfully gone to banks to get loans, even when they did not have good credit or collateral. Contacting banks is a good idea only when very dramatic improvements have already been seen. Taking this book, research papers, pictures of your child or youth, progress reports and even, when possible, the practitioner to the bank can also help. Bankers aren’t always as hardhearted as their reputations make them out to be. After all, most of them are also parents.

Schools

Schools in general are not on the list of good sources of money for alternatives. Most public schools are so financially limited they avoid any commitment that could lead to more parents wanting money, even for a worthwhile cause.

School boards are wary of lawsuits that may result from recommending or endorsing anything outside of accepted mainstream practices.

Happily for some children, a few progressive private schools will recommend some of the healing practices in this book. Since children & youth with problems tend to disrupt classroom programs, an increasing number of private schools actually share the cost of treatments. This makes excellent sense economically because the children & youth become better learners, thus requiring less teacher effort.

Making Presentations

When you are making presentations for financial support to family, friends, religious organizations, banks, service organizations, and grant-awarding foundations, pay attention to your appearance and manner. When money is being given or handled, it is important to project credibility, responsibility, reliability and sincerity. It is also important to show respect and maintain a serious attitude.

Giving help is easier when it is more personal. Unless it is too difficult or embarrassing for all concerned, whenever you talk to anyone about raising money, you should take your child or youth along, or at least bring good photos or videos. The people being approached for support will see your love and desire as well as the child or youth’s need. The child or youth or the pictures will help people better realize the value of their help.

Practicing presenting your request with a friend is a good idea. Be sure you have all the papers and documents you’ll need carefully prepared and in order. Practicing presenting these papers and documents can help you feel relaxed and at ease when you’re doing the real thing.

Remember that your appearance will help you make a good impression, so be as well groomed and dress as neatly as you can for your presentation. It also helps to have calm eyes, slow movements, quiet speech, and good eye contact. Remembering to exhale helps you stay calm. Visualizing a good outcome to your presentation helps as well. And remember, too, that you’re not asking for pity for your child’s or youth’s condition. You’re asking for help to make things better. Project your own and your child’s or youth’s great and beautiful spirits.

Records and Updates

Grants of money are given by foundations. Usually Like all people receiving donations, you are well advised to keep careful, clear records of who sent money, how much was collected, where it was spent, and what progress is being made. It is very important to also keep track of dates, appointments, and all receipts, and send a report containing this information to the people who sent money.

It makes a good impression on donors when they receive a record of how their money is being spent and what effect it is having. These records often prove useful in future fundraising efforts. The records show that the recipients are responsible and are worthy of additional contributions.

Taxes

To avoid paying taxes on donations, have them paid directly to the practitioners or to a nonprofit group that has agreed to work with you on this project.

Thank You Letters

It is very important to build and maintain a sense of community. Keeping in touch and giving updates helps maintain community. If you receive any financial support, write thank you letters and send records and progress reports, along with pictures to whoever gives you money–regardless of the amount.

Letters are usually better than phone calls because they show more intent and caring. However phone calls are better than nothing, especially from very busy parents.

The acknowledgment of assistance helps donors become a part of the process and a part of the miracle of the child’s or youth’s healing. Letters, pictures, and reports help people and organizations feel a sense of accomplishment which can help them want to continue their support of your child or youth in the future.

Ethics

If you receive any financial support for your children or youth, you are advised to ensure that the money was used for the intended practice. If you change your plans and want to spend the money on something else, you should contact the donors to get approval of the new plan. This builds trust and can encourage additional support.

Closing

Invite people and organizations to become part of your child or youth’s life. Invite people to join in and enjoy growing up easier.