WHY GIVE & THE IMPACT
Your donation matters because your gift supports programs that help improve epilepsy care, connect people affected by epilepsy to information and each other, increase awareness about epilepsy, advocate for rights, prevent epilepsy and early death, educate about seizure first aid, and support research.
Epilepsy affects you or someone you love or someone you know.
Epilepsies affect men and women of all ages and all races and ethnic groups, and is far more common than most people realize. The epilepsies affect 160,000 families in our 3-county region, almost 3.4 million in the USA, and 65 million in the world.
Epilepsies affect the entire family and can change lives, impede development, affect learning, cause accidents, impact livelihoods, cause injury and even result in early death.
A few example of programs that your gift may support:
PLANNED GIVING
Planned giving, also known as legacy planning or giving, is a form of charitable donation of one’s estate or assets that an individual makes to a nonprofit organization by way of will or other designation. These gifts are typically made by an individual to a cause that is important to them with the assistance of a financial planner. Learn more below about the smart ways to make a difference and leave a legacy.
Contact Rebekkah Halliwell at rhalliwell@epilepsylosangeles.org to learn more.
HOST AN EVENT
Host an independent, do-it-yourself event created by you — using your talent in your way and in the place and time of your choosing — to raise funds for the fight to End Epilepsy Together led by the Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles.
We can offer a free online fundraising platform, established by the Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles, to make it as easy as possible for you to promote your event and raise funds.
Here are a few common events and activities that others use to raise funds.
BIRTHDAY
Why not give up your gifts and ask for donations instead? Make this year special. Celebrate your birthday and a great cause at the same time.
IN HONOR OR MEMORY
Honor someone you admire or celebrate the memory of someone you loved by raising money for a cause they cared about.
BE CREATIVE
Use YOUR unique talents to create an experience for your friends and family and neighborhood! Have fun while raising support for the cause.
SPORTS
Use any sporting event -- from running a 5K to bike riding to swimming -- to raise funds and awareness for this cause you care about.
THE HOLIDAYS
33% of all donations are made during the holiday months. Try giving up a gift or two and ask for donations instead!
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE
It’s a great way to remember someone and make your gift extra special. Indicate if your gift is in memory or honor of someone so we can inform the correct person of your donation. You may also recognize a special event, such as a birthday or anniversary, by inviting friends to make a gift to Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles.
Does your company have a Matching Gift Program? If yes, please send us their matching gift form with your donation or at year-end, as directed by your company. We will complete and return form to your company. It’s a great way to double your gift! We love to recognize companies that are active in matching employee gifts, so make sure your company is recognized.
Some companies have employee giving or payroll deduction programs for charity. Please encourage your company to add the Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles to their list of charities and designate us in your own giving. We recognize companies with employee giving programs that support the fight to End Epilepsy Together, so help get your company added.
Our annual special events promote awareness and provide vital support for our mission. Support a special event by becoming a corporate sponsor, selling tickets, inviting friends, donating to a charity auction, and more. Sponsor a direct service/program.
Please consider donating your old car, boat or RV to support this cause. Proceeds benefit both the national and your local Epilepsy Foundation. Please call the Epilepsy Foundation at 1.877.332.2777 and indicate you want proceeds from your donated vehicle to help the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. Please also let us know so we can track it and keep you informed of services and programs that your donation helps to support.
We welcome in-kind donations to the programs and services we operate year-round. Our wish list includes but is not limited to:
– food and beverages for our family programs
– children’s gifts and prizes for our family programs
– donate printing of T-shirts or printed materials
– gifts and prizes for our raffles and silent auctions
– children’s safety helmets
– electronics and office supplies
– picnic supplies and other paper goods
For more information, contact us at help@epilepsylosangeles.org
Note: As of 1/1/2024, Savers is benefitting American Red Cross. Thank you to our past donors for dropping off your gently-used clothing and household goods, funding our local programs and services.
Savers Thrift Stores previously partnered with the Epilepsy Foundation to help turn gently-used clothing and household goods into money for research, programs and awareness. The Epilepsy Foundation received funding from your donations for local programs and services.
- Donate directly Savers thrift store at Lomita, La Mirada, Lakewood, or Arcadia Savers thrift store.
DONOR FAQs
The Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles relies primarily on the generosity of individual donors who give in response to special appeals or events. In addition, we receive funds in response to grant requests to corporations and foundations.
The Board of Trustees reviews and approves the budget each year and approves the salary of the Executive Director.
We do not receive federal or state funds to deliver our programs and services. The Regional Centers get most of the available state funding to help individuals with epilepsy, under the Lanterman Act which established Regional Centers to serve individuals with developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. However, usually only those with severe forms of epilepsy and/or with dual diagnosis are accepted as Regional Center clients. Many individuals with a sole diagnosis of epilepsy fall through the cracks and do not get services from the Regional Center — and look to us for help.
Currently 87% of donations go to support programs and services. In addition, our regional Epilepsy Foundation is fortunate to benefit from the Garnier Trust Fund which was established many years ago by the generosity of Mrs. Audette Garnier. The interest our Foundation gets from this trust fund each year is almost 10% percent of our budget, so it covers a good portion of our administrative costs and some of our fundraising costs. Thus, each year, over 90% of your donation goes to support programs and services offered by the Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles.
The Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles does not share or sell our donor list with anyone. The donor list is kept confidential. We ask each donor whether they want to be recognized or not on our lists, but in any case we do not allow the contact information to be made public.
The Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which chooses to affiliate with the national Epilepsy Foundation in Maryland. Working with the national office and the affiliate network, across the country, provides a stronger, unified voice on behalf of people with epilepsy. As an affiliate, we are on the front lines of providing programs and services to families affected by epilepsy in Los Angeles and surrounding counties of Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura. As a founding member of Epilepsy California, we also spearhead statewide advocacy that benefits families with epilepsy throughout California.
The Board of Trustees welcomes designated gifts for activities that are already part of our programs and services and that help fulfill our mission. If you wish to support an existing program through a restricted gift which requires special reporting, please talk to the Executive Director so that your generous wishes and expectations can be discussed and considered more carefully in advance.
If you wish to give a restricted gift for a new program, please talk to the Executive Director. Together with you, the Executive Director and a trustee will discuss the proposed program and come to an understanding of whether and how the Foundation can meaningfully fulfill your wishes to establish a new program.
In addition to your faithful giving, there are other ways that you can get more involved with the Foundation. We invite you to be part of our special fundraising events as a committee member, a volunteer for the day, or as a participant. We also invite you to attend our camps and conferences and meet people served by your gift. We would like to meet with you to find out more about your interests and how you would like to be involved with us.
We can provide you with another copy of the receipt for your donation for tax purposes. For such requests and any other questions, please contact us at Email or 310.670.2870.