Give Forward

Kairol Rosenthal Suggests GiveForward As a Resource for Young Cancer Patients

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a scary time, but we’ve come to accept it more at a certain point in our lives.  But what about being a twenty or thirty something who receives the unnerving diagnosis of cancer?  Being so young with such a serious condition can be an isolating time.  With her book  Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s, Kairol Rosenthal has made strides in unmasking the young people that are living with cancer.

Kairol was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 27.  Two years after her diagnosis, she realized that things such as “death, parenting, pain management, and career goals” were among the topics her twenty and thirty-something peers were unwilling to discuss.  Not willing to let the emotions and fears of young cancer patients like herself go unsaid, she set out to write her book and interview those going through similar situations as her.  Discussing topics unique to twenty and thirty year olds, Kairol has explored a side of cancer that oftentimes is ignored. 

Aside from her book, Kairol writes a blog, providing another great resource for young cancer patients.  Her honest, straightforward writing is relatable to the age group in which she writes for, making her one of the leading voices for those who get cancer in their twenties or thirties.    

On her blog, Kairol also talks about the delicate issue of money with regards to a cancer diagnosis.  We were thrilled to find out that she recently wrote about GiveForward as a financial resource for young people battling cancer.  (Read the full entry here).  As a young person, the diagnosis can be doubly scary because of the cost of treatment.  Savings are minimal or nonexistent, and then there can be the issue of student loans or a variety of other factors that inhibit saving or obtaining money.  This is where GiveForward, with the help of Kairol initiating the conversation money, can help these young patients.  Together, we can hopefully end the taboo that surrounds the discussion of medical costs.

You can read more from Kairol on her blog, Everything Changes.

Desiree Vargas Interviewed by GoodNewsBroadcast

President and co-founder Desiree Vargas was recently interviewed on GoodNewsBroadcast discussing GiveForward.  GoodNewsBroadcast strives to highlight people who have a “positive, constructive, impact on society” and we’re proud to fall into that category!  Further, they pride themselves on offering unedited, unbiased reporting. 

Click on the video below to hear all about why and how Desiree started GiveForward.  (I will warn you– the video itself is not that compelling, but the discussion certainly is!)

Barbara Talisman Highlights GiveFoward’s Achievement

Barbara Talisman, President of Talisman Associates, Inc., a consulting firm for nonprofits, highlights GiveForward’s recent million dollar mark achievement on her blog.  Barbara has vast experience in fundraising from teaching workshops to giving speeches and publishing articles.  Her articles have been featured in Fundraising Success, Fundraising Institute, and Advancing Philanthropy.  Here is an excerpt from her blog post:

“Congratulations are due to GiveForward for helping others raise more than $1,000,000 for their friends and family in need as well as nonprofit organizations! Started just 18 months ago, GiveForward has helped people raise more than a million dollars through individual, group and nonprofit causes. From helping families raise money for organ transplants or cancer treatment to teams raising money to support libraries and nonprofit organizations, GiveForward has harnessed the people give to people practice full throttle.

With GiveForward, individuals and groups can create a personal fundraising page for ANY person, cause or non-profit they care about and collect donations from friends and family all over the world. They have also formed partnerships with nonprofits like Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Colon Cancer Alliance and many others. While most nonprofit cancer organizations are not in a position to directly provide funds for each patient, they can now direct the patient or patient’s family and friends to GiveForward. Again people give to people and through a secure portal they can trust and with resources and tips to be successful.

Their work is the ultimate of people giving to people. A family in a health crisis reaches out or their friends pick up the cause for them. A nonprofit with donors who want to help use GiveForward to reach their friends, asking for their support. A cause can go viral as people pass along a message or request that touches them. GiveForward has harnessed the power of the Internet and social media to engage people in fundraising…because people give to people.

Many thanks and high-fives to Desiree Vargas and Ethan Austin for founding GiveForward, pursuing their quest and allowing people to make a difference everyday.”

Thank you Barbara for taking the time to recognize our work!  For more information about Barbara, please click here.