Mike Schwager was told by
philanthropist/entrepreneur Robert Klein that he
wanted to give half a million dollars to the
Clinton-Bush Katrina Relief Fund. Mike
counseled giving to a different charity, because
he felt that while the Clinton-Bush Fund was
doing good work, the contribution would be "lost
in the shuffle" of thousands of other
contributions. Instead, Mike's advice was to
focus on some "unsung hero" - a charity that had
a very specific niche - that was involved with
Katrina relief - and a group that needed the
money and yet had fallen under the radar
screen.
Mike's research led him to The National Spinal
Cord Injury Association, which was in the
process of identifying and helping people with
severe disabilities who survived Hurricane
Katrina. The NSCIA agreed to create a special
restricted fund that would focus exclusively on
Katrina survivors who were severely disabled.
The Klein gift turned out to be the NSCIA's
largest gift in its 57 year history. Moreover,
the creation of the fund may well become a
magnet for an influx of gifts from additional
donors, allowing the fund to grow.
The client is very pleased that his donation was
able to make a real difference among real people
in this very specific way; and the NSCIA is
grateful for a gift that will make a huge
difference in helping people with spinal cord
injuries and other severe disabilities who
survived Katrina.
