COTA

GIVE HOPE

MAKE A MIRACLE

How to Refer a Patient to COTA

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association is pleased to speak to your families about fundraising options.  The best time to speak to transplant families about fundraising is during an initial evaluation.  Most families are overwhelmed with all of the details you present.  However, giving your families a COTA brochure and encouraging them to call COTA for more information is a great first step.

Even though it’s to their advantage to start exploring fundraising options early in the transplant process, many families wait until they are well into the transplant process before realizing that they are going to experience (or are experiencing) financial issues.  This is another good time for you to encourage families to call COTA.  Remember, COTA can work with families before being listed, after listing but before the transplant and after the transplant.

When a family calls COTA, our professional staff will ask for preliminary information about the family and the transplant patient.  We will then send a packet of information to the family.  Two weeks later, a COTA staff member will call the family to answer questions about the COTA program.

Should a family choose to sign a patient agreement, COTA works with the family to identify fundraising campaign volunteers.  When volunteers are named, COTA begins to orientate and train the volunteer group immediately.  A financial goal is set for every patient campaign based on the family’s situation.  A website is provided to each campaign, and is used for communications and fundraising purposes.  Meanwhile, we continue working with the family to identify their specific financial and support needs.

Should a family not be able to identify volunteers, COTA will work on the family’s behalf to recruit volunteers and find funding sources.

Children’s Organ Transplant Association offers:

• Free services…no fee charged or percentage taken from funds raised.
• Challenge Grant program with up to $10,000 available to each patient campaign.
• Comprehensive orientation and training program including professional staff visit to the family’s location.
• No cost, customizable Website for fundraising and communications purposes.
•  On-going fundraising advice before, during and after the fundraising campaign.
• Reimbursement payments processed weekly.
• Trustee of the funds – funds are not taxable income and won’t jeopardize any assistance program.
• Funds available for patients’ lifetime for almost any transplant-related expense.

Other services include:

• Credit card donations accepted – no merchant fees charged
• Web based communications and fundraising resources available
• Experienced volunteers available for support and advice
• Participation in the United Way and Combined Federal Campaigns
• 501(c)(3) status, so tax deductions are available to contributors
• Acknowledgement of contributions
• Detailed information about contributions and disbursements
• Fiscal accountability to families and contributors
• Referrals to other support resources
• List of contributors sent upon request
• Monitoring of all financial contributions by a staff certified public accountant

COTA has an unwavering commitment to ensuring that no child or young adult is denied a transplant or excluded from a transplant waiting list due to lack of funds.

If you would like to refer a family to COTA, please ask a parent or your adult patient to contact COTA via phone at 800.366.2682 or via email at cota@cota.org.