Help Launch the CoWanda Joy Foundation

The CoWanda Joy Foundation (CJF) was created to support families facing rare genetic disorders, disabilities, complex childhood medical conditions, and the financial and emotional strain that often comes with them.

Our first major initiative is Coins for Coco (CFC).

Coins for Coco was inspired by CoWanda Joy, my sister, and our family’s continued experience with Trisomy 9 Mosaic. But CFC is not being built for one child or one diagnosis.

It is being built for the next family.

The family sitting in a hospital room hearing words they have never heard before.

The parent trying to understand a rare diagnosis, find resources, manage appointments, miss work, cover travel costs, and somehow keep the rest of the household together.

The family that simply needs someone to help point them in the right direction.

We have already formed the CoWanda Joy Foundation, obtained an EIN, and begun building the Coins for Coco website, social media presence, resource network, and family-support programs.

Now we need help crossing one very specific hurdle.

Our first fundraising goal is just $500.

The first $275 will cover the IRS Form 1023-EZ application fee, provided CJF qualifies to use the streamlined application. Approval of that application would provide federal recognition of the CoWanda Joy Foundation as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

CJF is not yet federally recognized as a 501(c)(3), and contributions made through this campaign should not currently be represented as tax-deductible charitable donations.

We are intentionally starting small.

20 people giving $25 gets us there.

10 people giving $50 gets us there.

5 people giving $100 gets us there.

And even $5 or $10 gets us closer.

Through Coins for Coco, our goal is to help families through:

Resource navigation

Emergency family assistance

Transportation and travel support

Food, clothing, and basic needs

Medical and adaptive-resource referrals

Community support

Rare-disease awareness

Connections to local and national assistance programs

This first $500 is not the finish line.

It is the starting line.

Helping us reach it means helping the CoWanda Joy Foundation take another formal step toward building Coins for Coco into a lasting resource for families who may otherwise feel like they are facing everything alone.

Coco inspired the project.

The mission is for every family that comes after her.

Thank you for helping us launch Coins for Coco, a project of the CoWanda Joy Foundation.