I had the opportunity to participate in a study regarding making large contributions to non-profits and foundations. During the study, I found out that a lot of donors feel the same way I do...they just want to know that what they give is making an impact and is used for how it was intended. From that study, I received a call from the New York Times for an interview. During the interview, I …
How to Get Special Needs Children Started in Investing
As a father of a son on the autism spectrum, I was always looking for ways to interact with my son outside of his ongoing speech therapy sessions. Like many children on the spectrum, my son was fascinated with toys like LEGO bricks, but also with numbers. Since I had a passion for investing myself, I believed that would be a perfect area to bond, as well as learn, with my special needs’ …
We Made It Through the Rain
14th Annual Golf for Autism Four months ago, I didn’t think our annual Orange Effect Foundation Golf for Autism was going to happen. At that time, at least in Ohio, golf courses were closed and we were all on lockdown. As we made it through May, we believed we could hold a modified event. One that would be safe for everyone. What did that mean? Instead of our normal morning and …
The Day I Almost Gave Up on Orange Effect Foundation
When the lockdowns started in March of this year, I thought it would be the end of Orange Effect Foundation. Like many not-for-profits, OEF relies on corporations and individuals who generously donate to the cause. Much of that stopped in March. At the same time, we weren’t sure if our biggest annual fundraiser, the Golf for Autism, could even happen. If it was cancelled, the majority of our …
How Many Kids Can We Help on August 3rd?
Announcing the 14th Annual OEF Golf for Autism I remember the day my wife and I walked into the clinic to get the results on our oldest boy. He was two-years-old. He couldn’t talk yet and rarely made eye contact. We were young parents without a clue of what to do. The therapist at the clinic was going to tell us what to do with our son. We were thankful for that. Unfortunately, what we …
Leaning into Being Different: How One University Got My Autistic Son’s Attention
My son Joshua recently turned 18 and is now formally applying to colleges and universities. It’s hard to believe. He (and his mother) worked so hard to get him to this point. I remember when he was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age two. The doctor said that Joshua would never go to a regular school. We are all so excited for him to begin his college experience. Like most high …
13th Annual OEF Golf for Autism Amazing Success
It was the first Monday in August, 2007. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year, hitting 96 degrees with 90% humidity. It was also the first ever Golf for Autism, where 88 golfers and dozens of sponsors helped us donate $7,419 to Easter Seals. Now 12 years later, Orange Effect Foundation (OEF), which became its own 501(c)3 in 2014, has generated well over $300,000 through the OEF Golf …
Orange Effect Golf for Autism
I’m beyond excited to announce the 13th Annual Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) Golf for Autism on August 5, 2019 at Elyria Country Club in Elyria, Ohio. The Golf for Autism is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Over the past dozen years, people like you have helped us raise over a quarter of a million dollars to help children with speech delays and developmental issues get the speech therapy and …
#GivingTuesday – Ways to Give to Fight Speech Disorders
This year the #GivingTuesday movement is expected to deliver almost $500 million in funding to amazing charities all over the world. At Orange Effect Foundation, we’ve been surprised how critical #GivingTuesday has become for our little organization. Even a donation of $50 has a major impact on a child dealing with a speech disorder (in general, one hour of speech therapy is between a $50 and …
A Serious Speech Therapy Funding Problem (and what we are doing about it)
It’s hard to believe that (with your help) we are funding speech therapy services for over 100 children in 25 states. Now, before we start congratulating ourselves, we have a serious problem. In our last Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) board meeting, we granted just over $50,000 in speech therapy services to children and families. While this is great, it was about 50% of what we needed to …
Get Ready to Golf!
As the Orange Effect Foundation (OEF) continues to grow, we are now fundraising full time to meet the demand of children and families with need. That said, our golf outing is still our biggest fundraiser. Registration is now open for the 12th Annual OEF Golf for Autism. It's hard to believe that this amazing event started all the way back in 2007. It's wonderful to see the support of so many as …
Raising Funds for Those Who Cannot (OEF Golf for Autism Raises Over $30,000)
It’s hard to believe, but this year was our 11th year holding the Orange Effect Foundation Golf for Autism. This year was our biggest ever, with over 160 golfers participating, and major support from our premier sponsor Petco, and our gold sponsors GIE Media and Aon (as well as a number of others). This year we were able to raise over $30,000. That money will be used immediately to make sure …
