Give Healing. Give Hope.
Our Hope is a non-profit, registered 501(c)3 charitable organization and all contributions are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
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Please send mail donations to 324 Lyon St Ne, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. If you would prefer to donate online, please click Donate.
Our Hope Funds
Many of our donors ask whether there are any special needs within the many facets of Our Hope that they might contribute to rather than giving a general donation. We’ve always been glad to discuss how each donor’s wishes and Our Hope’s needs might match, but want to let you know that Our Hope has set up four funds, each with very different specific needs, for you to consider as you make your personal donation decisions. In addition to the General Fund, we offer the Financial Assistance Fund, the Mueller Wellness Fund and the Nelson Fund. More about each follows…
General Fund
This fund is open to all unspecified donations and its funds are used wherever they are most needed to best serve the women who walk through Our Hope’s doors. For example, they may be used to help one of our Master’s level Clinical Therapists continue her relevant education, enable the organization to stay current in the area of technology, help pay monthly expenses or address needs in any number of other areas that are not specifically covered by the other funds. Donations to this fund are always appreciated because of the obvious flexibility provided. Trust that any expenditure is made with the needs of the women served as the most important consideration.
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Financial Assistance Fund (FAF)
This fund was established in 2010 by a generous anonymous donor and is used to help make treatment at Our Hope more affordable to women with demonstrated financial need. Its continued funding is our most pressing need. With the recent economic downturn and resulting reductions in public funding, Our Hope’s traditional practice of accepting women into treatment regardless of their ability to pay was severely limited.
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The Financial Assistance Fund has truly helped bridge the gap between public and private funding for many women. Any woman interested in benefiting from the FAF must fill out a detailed application that is reviewed by Our Hope’s Executive Director to ensure funds are applied to those with proven need. We encourage all donors interested in supporting Our Hope’s work to consider the FAF as an important part of their charitable giving.
Donate to the Financial Assistance Fund.
Mueller Wellness Fund
Our newest fund was established in 2011 in memory of Executive Director Emeritus, Nancy Palmer Mueller, by her daughters. Nancy served Our Hope tirelessly from 1974 until her retirement in 1996. Among her many significant contributions to the organization was instilling a focus on the importance of mind and body well being for women in recovery.
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From her early childhood in Depression-era Grand Rapids, Nancy was an enthusiastic participant in and supporter of physical activities and the arts. She was especially passionate about dancing. This love grew into a strong belief in the importance of a holistic approach to recovery, emphasizing physical activity like dance and aerobics, as well as encouraging sound nutrition and an appreciation of outdoor activities—she loved taking the women on camping trips!
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Contributions to the Mueller Wellness Fund are directed toward helping women develop and maintain healthy lifestyles through such activities as engaging in dance, fitness, yoga and aerobic exercise classes. Funds are also used to establish/maintain memberships at local cultural institutions like Frederic Meijer Garden & Sculpture Park and the Grand Rapids Art Museum for the women to enjoy while in residence at Our Hope. We also apply these funds to healthy eating/nutrition/menu planning classes and weekly trips to the Fulton Street Farmers’ Market to purchase fresh produce. Nancy’s daughters and our Executive Director review all expenditures to ensure they are consistent with Nancy’s interests and are very open to discussing additional opportunities to enhance the wellness of the women we serve. Please consider a gift to this new fund if this area interests you.
Nelson Fund
The Nelson Fund is named for one of Our Hope’s founders, Willis Nelson, and was established in 2001 by his children in honor of their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Mr. Nelson’s personal mission was to help recovering women become employable and return to society as contributing members. Helping women achieve financial independence is at the heart of this fund, making a lot of sense, given Mr. Nelson’s career as a Financial Advisor and his service as the first Treasurer of Our Hope Association.
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Please send mail donations to 324 Lyon St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. If you would prefer to donate online, please click Donate.
Did you know that Our Hope is able to accept securities as donations in addition to cash and credit cards?
If you are interested in making a donation of long term appreciated property to Our Hope, like marketable securities, we are able to accept these into a special account. In fact, you may realize greater tax benefits by donating securities directly to Our Hope in addition to or in lieu of your cash/credit card donations. For example, you may not have to pay capital gains tax on the appreciated value of the directly donated securities and their donation value is the fair market value on the date of your gift, which may be deductible on your individual return. We recommend that you consult a tax professional for guidance in your specific situation, but would be glad to discuss this opportunity with you. For more information, please contact us at Contact@OurHopeAssociation.org or 616-451-2039.
We’d love to discuss sustaining gifts with you
If you have an interest in helping Our Hope on a sustaining basis by setting up an endowment or a perpetual annual gift, we’d love to discuss this with you. Perhaps most beneficial to the women we serve would be sponsorship of one or more of our thirteen beds or an entire single, double or triple guestroom. Please call 616-451-2039 to set up an appointment to discuss long-term gifts.
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Our Hope Association is an independent 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and relies on charitable contributions to supplement earned income and public funding. All gifts are tax deductible.