Fund Raising for a Friend or Family Member

A bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT) can have many costs that are not covered by insurance. These may include lost wages, co-pays for drugs and office visits, and travel and housing costs if the transplant takes place far from home. Many patients need to raise money to help cover these costs. Fund raising is one way friends and family members may be able to help.

If you want to do fund raising, think about the following tips:

• Before you begin, make sure fund raising won't cause the transplant patient to lose benefits from other programs such as Medicaid.
• Keep good records of money raised. Keep the money in a separate account from any other personal funds.
• Find out the tax laws for donated funds.
• Look into working with a fund-raising organization. If you want donations to be tax deductible for donors, you must work with a tax-exempt organization.

For more information on fund raising and how to find a good organization to work with, see Mapping the Maze. Mapping the Maze is a guide to help bone marrow and cord blood transplant patients plan for the costs of transplant.