Letter from the President

Thanksgiving heralded the start of the giving season. People began purchasing their Christmas or Hanukkah gifts or planning as to how they will be spreading holiday cheer to support their favorite charities.

Members of the ALS community generously gave to The ALS Association this past year to help advance our vision of creating a world without ALS. Thanks in large part to your support, The ALS Association continues to lead the fight against Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Individuals can again support The Association and those living with Lou Gehrig’s Disease this month by making a tax-deductible donation.

We will be accepting year-end contributions through December 31. You still have time to make a tax-deductible donation to fund global ALS research, chapter care services programs that benefit people with the disease and their families, and public policy endeavors to keep ALS a legislative priority.

To show our appreciation for everything you have done for those living with ALS, we have created a special thank-you video. We couldn't do it without your unwavering support. Thank you and happy holidays!

Sincerely,

Jane H. Gilbert
President & CEO

Advocacy & Public Policy

The ALS Association encourages people with ALS who are enrolled in Medicare to take advantage of the annual Open Enrollment period to make sure they have the best coverage available to meet their prescription drug and health care needs in 2014. The open enrollment period takes place October 15 to December 7, 2013.

The ALS Association once again is pleased to provide a guide to assist people with ALS, families and ALS Association chapters as they review options for 2014. The Guide is available on our website.

Research updates

The Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience is the largest gathering of neuroscientists in the world with more than 29,000 scientists who attended this year's meeting in San Diego, Calif., November 9-13. The meeting featured more than 100 new discoveries about ALS, generated in scores of laboratories around the world. Many of the investigators who presented are either funded by The ALS Association or received prior research awards supporting earlier work leading to their current findings. Read summaries of SFN presentations full story.

The ALS Association Investigator-Initiated Research Grant Program is now inviting abstracts for it's spring funding cycle.  Abstracts are due January 13, 2014.  View details.

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How You Can Help

As the year end approaches, please consider a charitable gift to support our chapter. Here are a few giving opportunities to consider... 

Maximize Tax Savings

• Gifts of Cash:

  Most charitable gifts are made in the form of cash or a check. Gifts of cash qualify for tax deductibility in 2013 and can help eliminate or reduce your income tax.  

• Giving Securities: Rather than using cash to make a gift, securities can be used to make a gift that provides you with an income tax charitable deduction and avoids capital gains on the appreciation a double benefit. 

• The ALS Association Charitable Gift Annuity: Give a Gift and Receive a Guaranteed Income: One of the most popular gift arrangements is the charitable gift annuity, which allows our supporters to make a gift while receiving an income at the same time. A gift annuity may be ideal for you if you are looking to benefit our chapter and would like the comfort of fixed income payments.

Looking to the Future

• Remembering our chapter in your Will or Living Trust:
  Many people will make a gift of lasting significance through their will or living trust. All gifts made through your will, trust or other type of estate plan can be a meaningful way to celebrate the life of a love one.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

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