Read about our grant programs

2009 Worldwide Grant Recipients

The MDRT Foundation is pleased to announce the following Worldwide Grant winners for 2009. This year, the MDRT Foundation awarded $354,000 in Worldwide Grants to 74 charities serving people in need in 10 countries and 26 U.S. states.

Alex's Team Foundation

Andover, Mass.

$5,000 partially funds the cost of a researcher in the Expose-Inspire-Launch (EIL) program, which teaches multidisciplinary cancer research to medical and undergraduate school students

Sponsor: Brent R. Kimball, CFP, ChFC

ALS Association-Los Angeles Chapter

Agoura Hills, Calif.

$1,500 provides medical treatment, support services, research education, medical equipment, case management and medical specialists for people with ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease

Sponsor: David R. Davis, CLU, ChFC

Anne Arundel County Public Library

Annapolis, Md.

$5,000 funds the cost of upgrading the children's reading department

Sponsor: Walton W. Rogers, CLU, ChFC

Apna Ghar

Chicago, Ill.

$5,000 funds program and marketing costs to expand services that serve women and children from South Asia who are victims of domestic abuse

Sponsor: Amrit Mittal

Arpana Research & Charities Trust

Haryana, India

$5,000 upgrades existing maternal and child health care services at Arpana Base Hospital serving people in 41 impoverished villages of Karnal District, Haryana, India

Sponsor: Jogesh C. Ahuja

Asoiacion Internacional de Salud Publica de Rio Bravo

Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico

$5,000 funds the cost of medical equipment, patient examinations, medicine treatments, office equipment and field expenses to provide free health care for children in need in Mexico

Sponsor: Aurora Saenz

Asset Builders of America

Madison, Wis.

$1,500 partially funds Madison Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl (FICB), a semester-long study program for high school and middle school students from low- to moderate-income households

Sponsor: Nan M. Zimdars, CFP, CLU

Bayside Medical Missions and Educational Outreach Inc.

Fairhope, Ala.

$5,000 provides corrective surgeries, patient screening and juvenile wheelchairs for children with orthopaedic conditions

Sponsor: Alfred C. Corina, CLU, ChFC

Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County

Everett, Wash.

$1,500 funds the Kids Café, a food program that provides nutritious meals and snacks for children from low-income households

Sponsor: Rollin G. Radwick, CLU

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Diablo Valley

Martinez, Calif.

$1,500 funds the Educational Enhancement Program, an academic program that encourages high school graduation and post-secondary education

Sponsor: Erika James, LUTCF

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan

Farmington Hills, Mich.

$1,500 funds the Power Hour Program, which provides homework help, tutoring and educational enhancement activities for at-risk youth

Sponsor: Abe A. Karam

Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois

Wilmette, Ill.

$5,000 funds a tutoring program for at-risk youth

Sponsor: William T. O'Donnell, MSFS

Brain Tumor Foundation for Children

Atlanta, Ga.

$10,000 supports the Butterfly Fund, which provides temporary, emergency financial assistance to families with children with brain and spinal cord tumors for general living expenses and items not covered by insurance while parents care for their ill child

Sponsor: E. Bruce Shaw, CLU, ChFC

Bubel/Aiken Foundation

Raleigh, N.C.

$8,000 funds the Let’s ALL Play program, a summer camp for children with developmental disabilities

Sponsor: Kenneth R. Cassis, CFP, CLU

Care for Kids (Toronto)

North York, Ontario, Canada

$5,000 funds the music therapy program, which provides palliative care for children who are terminal

Sponsor: Sonny Goldstein, CLU, CFP

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Chicago, Ill.

$1,500 funds the Forever Free Program, which provides child care assistance, parenting classes and counseling services for young mothers recovering from alcohol or substance abuse

Sponsor: John E. O'Neill

Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School

Waltham, Ma.

$1,500 supports The Learning Center, which provides a central resource for underserved students to strengthen their study skills and organizational abilities

Sponsor: William F. Ryan Jr., CLU, ChFC

Children of The World

Anchorage, Alaska

$5,000 provides school uniforms and supplies, medical care and counseling services for orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopa

Sponsor: Digby H. Cook, CLU, ChFC

Children's Harbor

Pembroke Pines, Fla.

$2,000 funds the residential expansion program, which will provide foster care services for children with medical conditions

Sponsor: William E. Mahoney Jr.

Childserve Foundation

Johnston, Iowa

$5,000 builds an accessible playground for children with disabilities in Iowa

Sponsor: Jan L. Maltby, CLU, CLTC

Colorado Neurological Institute

Englewood, Colo.

$5,000 funds the operating costs of the Cochlear Kids Camp, a program of the Colorado Neurological Institute that serves children with cochlear implants

Sponsor: Robert L. Avery II, CLU, ChFC

Communities Improvement Association

Millbrook, Ala.

$1,500 funds the Kids Journey Tutorial and Mentoring Program, which provides alcohol and drug assistance, medical materials, videos, tutorials, group counseling and mentoring sessions for children K-9

Sponsor: Jeffrey L. Battles Sr., LUTCF, RFC

Day Trippers Children's Charity

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

$15,000 funds the Daytrippers Adventurous Minds Project, which provides science-related school trips for underprivileged children throughout Canada

Sponsor: Richard J. Cooper, BA, RHU

Diabetes Research Institute

Hollywood, Fla.

$5,000 provides funding for a Type 1 diabetes research project

Sponsor: Juan Elias Calles, CLU, ChFC

Dream Factory

Louisville, Ky.

$15,000 grants dreams of children who are critically or chronically ill

Sponsor: Robert H. Quaife, CLU, ChFC

Eisenhower Center, Inc

Milwaukee, Wis.

$1,500 funds the cost of much-needed maintenance and repairs to Eisenhower Center's building to continue to provide job training and therapy services for adults with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders

Sponsor: James D. Thorsen

Family Service of Morris County

Morristown, N.J.

$1,500 funds the Adult and Family Treatment Program, which provides mental health and addiction services on a sliding scale to children, families and seniors in need

Sponsor: Mark M. Byron, CLU, ChFC

Fidai Girls' Educational Institute-Fidai Institutions

Mumbai, India

$5,000 funds the Linguaphone Language Lab, which provides language skills to underserved children in Mumbai, India

Sponsor: Kamal N. Daya, CLU, ChFC

Garden Academy

West Orange, N.J.

$1,500 supports the education program, which serves students with autism ages three to 21

Sponsor: Brian G. Tarpey

Global Health Ministries

Minneapolis, Minn.

$5,000 supports the financial infrastructure of their flagship hospital, which serves thousands of people in the Adamaoua province of Cameroon, West Africa

Sponsor: Roger A. Seim, MSFS, CLU

Haitian Health Foundation

Norwich, Conn.

$10,000 funds the Emergency Feeding Program for Malnourished Children and Pregnant Women, which provides food and health care to villagers in need in rural southwestern Haiti

Sponsor: John Marshall Lee, CLU, RHU

Hannah's Hope for Giant Axonal Neuropathy Inc.

Morrisonville, N.Y.

$5,000 funds medical research to find treatment options and a cure for Giant Axonal Neuropathy, a rare neurological disease

Sponsor: David P. Vanderzee, CLU, ChFC

HELPS International

Addison, Texas

$5,000 funds the ONIL Stove Project, which provides inexpensive concrete stoves to families in rural Guatemala

Sponsor: Karin L. Godfrey

HHCR Foundation

Lewisville, Texas

$10,000 funds the Child Rescue Project, a collaborative effort with the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development to prevent child trafficking and prostitution

Sponsor: Ronald M.S. Park, CLU, ChFC

Hope Community Center

Adrian, Mich.

$1,500 provides recreational, social and cultural programs for adults with physical or mental disabilities

Sponsor: Richard A. Gurdjian, CLU, ChFC

Hope Haven International Ministries

Rock Valley, Iowa

$5,000 funds the Free Wheelchairs for the Poor in Guatemala program, which provides wheelchairs for people with disabilities living in poverty

Sponsor: Charlene K. Granstra, CLU, ChFC

Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond

Richmond, Va.

$5,000 funds the Family Assistance Program, which provides lodging services, food, bedding and toiletries to families during a medical crisis

Sponsor: James A. Jacobs, CLU, ChFC

House of Isaiah-Athletes For A Drug Free America Inc

Mabank, Texas

$10,000 funds the Run to Win educational series, a program that utilizes athlete speakers to teach high school students about the devastating effects of drugs and alcohol

Sponsor: Melvin P. Meyers, CLU, ChFC

Inspire the Children

Rockford, Ill.

$1,500 partially funds construction costs for a new playground for children in need

Sponsor: Jerry D. Sletten

International Book Project

Lexington, Ky.

$5,000 ships donated books to underserved communities worldwide

Sponsor: Dennis Pike Jr., CLU, ChFC

It Happened to Alexa Foundation

Lewiston, N.Y.

$20,000 supports victims of sexual assault overseas by helping them and their families with the financial burden of a criminal trial process

Sponsor: Thomas W. Branchini, CLU, ChFC

Junior Blind of America

Los Angeles, Calif.

$2,000 provides individual therapy and training, parent education and intervention services for young people who are blind or visually impaired

Sponsor: Mark L. La Vine, CLU, ChFC

Kids Against Hunger

New Hope, Minn.

$15,000 provides nutritious food for children with malnutrition in Haiti

Sponsor: Milt Edgren, ChFC, MSFS

Kids Breakfree

New South Wales, Australia

$5,000 supports Camp Breakfree, an early intervention program which provides a challenging outdoor adventure experience for troubled children

Sponsor: Bruce G. Gale, CFP

Kids Wish Network

Holiday, Fla.

$5,000 funds the Hero of the Month program, which provides gift cards, T-shirts and certificates for children who are terminally ill

Sponsor: Lawrence F. Kolasa, CLU, ChFC

Lainie's Angels

Metuchen, N.J.

$10,000 funds Lainie’s Angels Parent Advocate Program, which provides support and care to parents of children with cancer or blood disorders

Sponsor: Lynne S. Crow, CLU, ChFC

Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota

Rapid City, S.D.

$1,500 funds suicide counseling programs that serve Rapid City area residents who have lost a loved one as a result of suicide

Sponsor: Richard J. Rathert, CLU, CASL

Malachi House

Cleveland, Ohio

$5,000 provides home-cooked meals, private rooms and support staff for people who are terminally ill and have limited or no financial resources

Sponsor: Daniel B. Cotter

Mark Wandall Foundation

Bradenton, Fla.

$1,500 funds the Safety Saves Lives program, which educates and raises community awareness regarding traffic safety and compliance

Sponsor: Peter R. Magni, LUTCF

Maternal and Child Health Consortium of Chester County

West Chester, Pa.

$1,500 supports the Kennett Square Family Center, which provides home visiting and parent education to families with young children in underserved communities throughout southern Chester County, Pennsylvania

Sponsor: Bronwyn L. Martin, Ph.D., MBA

Mercy Ships

Lindale, Texas

$5,000 funds biomedical equipment to provide health care for the underserved people in Benin, West Africa

Sponsor: Virginia Lind, LUTCF, ChFC

Mohonk Preserve

New Paltz, N.Y.

$1,500 funds the Accessible Parks and Nature Center Project, which helps nature centers and parks provide increased access to the outdoors for people with disabilities

Sponsor: Paul L. De Lisio, CLU, MSFS

National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association

Itasca, Ill.

$5,000 provides educational materials for graduate students researching spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological voice disorder

Sponsor: Robert K. Drake, CLU, ChFC

North Shore Medical Center Foundation

Salem, Mass.

$1,500 funds cutting-edge cancer research

Sponsor: Mike S. Temkin

North Shore Senior Center

Northfield, Ill.

$1,500 funds services for abused seniors, to prevent and create awareness of elder abuse

Sponsor: John W. Cruikshank III, CLU

On My Own of Michigan

Troy, Mich.

$5,000 supports an annual health, physical fitness and educational project for adults with mild developmental disabilities

Sponsor: Donnel M. Dickerson, CLU

Pony Bird Inc.

Mapaville, Mo.

$5,000 purchases medical therapy equipment to serve people with severe physical disabilities

Sponsor: Richard C. Hemphill, CRPS, CSA

Project Enterprise

New York, N.Y.

$1,500 provides assistance to low-income and minority entrepreneurs

Sponsor: Debra L. Franklin-Schatzki, CFP, CLU

Read It LOUD! Foundation

San Rafael, Calif.

$15,000 supports an initiative to increase children's success in school by promoting parental involvement in their children’s development through reading

Sponsor: Michael L. Weintraub, CLU

Recovery for the City International

Virginia Beach, Va.

$5,000 supports a program that helps teens struggling with substance abuse

Sponsor: Richard E. Nottingham, CLU, ChFC

Rhode Island Family Shelter

Warwick, R.I.

$4,000 provides health information materials, medical supplies and children's videos for families in need

Sponsor: Benjamin J. Hadsell Jr., CLU, ChFC

Round Rock Area Serving Center

Round Rock, Texas

$5,000 funds the food pantry program, which serves families with financial difficulties

Sponsor: Bruce P. Bessner

Salvation Army of Cedar Valley

Waterloo, Iowa

$5,000 funds Children's Voices of the Salvation Army program, which provides an opportunity for children ages six to 14 to embrace music to help them achieve higher grades and improve their self-image

Sponsor: H. Richard Dobson Jr., CFP

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee

Gray, Tenn.

$5,000 funds the Food for Kids Program, which provides nutrious food to children at risk of hunger and malnutrition

Sponsor: Wes Morris, LUTCF

Seeds of Peace

New York, N.Y.

$5,000 funds an international camp in Maine where Palestinians, Israelis, Bosnians, Serbs, Afghans and American teens gather to dispel fear, hatred and misunderstanding in order to prepare tomorrow's leaders for peace

Sponsor: W. Thomas Spencer Jr., CLU, ChFC

Sparrow Foundation

Lansing, Mich.

$1,500 provides medical equipment and patient education materials for children with severe and complex medical conditions

Sponsor: C. Richard Herrold, CLU, CFP

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Tampa, Fla.

$1,500 provides immediate cash grants to families of fallen veterans

Sponsor: William H. Black Jr., CLU, ChFC

The Posse Foundation

Chicago, Ill.

$1,500 provides full-tuition scholarships, college preparation and career development services for at-risk youth

Sponsor: Jennifer P. Mann, MBA, LUTCF

Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA)

Bayside, N.Y.

$7,500 funds the TSA-National Youth Ambassador Program, which prepares children and teens with Tourette Syndrome (TS), their siblings, friends and classmates, to speak about TS before their peers at school, sport leagues, scout troops, camps and after-school programs.

United Ministries

Greenville, S.C.

$1,500 funds the H.E.A.T. Program, which helps impoverished families pay for heating and utility costs during the winter months

Sponsor: Matthew C. Robinson, LUTCF

Villa Mornese

Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico

$3,500 provides food, clothing, health care, counseling and vocational workshops for girls in impoverished communities in Chiapas, Mexico

Sponsor: Ana Maria Alejandra Garcia Mendez

Warm Hearth Foundation

Blacksburg, Va.

$2,000 funds the residential and assisted living program and the wellness program for the elderly

Sponsor: Lee B. Brown, CLU, ChFC

Wentworth-Douglas Hospital & Health Foundation

Dover, N.H.

$2,000 funds the Palliative Care Outpatient Program, which promotes family-centered care

Sponsor: Thomas F. Levasseur, CLU, CLTC

YMCA of Greater Richmond

Richmond, Va.

$2,000 funds the Crestview After-School Care Program, which provides an English as a Second Language (ESL) program for children with learning disabilities, hearing impairments and emotional/behavioral issues

Sponsor: Barton C. Pasco, CLU, ChFC