While most drug treatment programs are paid for by insurance companies, there are a vast number of patients with no insurance who are treated for free through state, federal and local tax funding and community donations. Nonprofit drug rehab centers, such as Hazelden and Fellowship Hall rely on alumni and other interested parties for donations to provide scholarships for indigent clients, add programs and make capital improvements. There are a number of ways you can support a drug rehab center.
Step 1
Make a direct cash donation to a rehab center. Organizations such as Fellowship Hall have an online service that accepts credit cards. You also can write a check to a group. Find out if the nonprofit is a 501(c)3 in order to take a tax deduction for the donation.
Step 2
Shop in the center's store, if it has one. Hazelden, for example, has a bookstore where profits help fund the center. It also sells videos for professionals working in the field of addiction.
Step 3
Participate in fund-raisers the organizations put on. The Chemical Dependency and Dual Diagnosis Treatment facility at Brighton Hospital in Michigan has an annual golf tournament. Entrance fees raise money for rehab programs.
Step 4
Volunteer to help out in the office or to bring patients out to meetings. Drug rehabilitation centers such Austin Recovery in Texas recruit volunteers who are in 12-step recovery programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, to come in and work with clients to enhance the treatment experience. Volunteers there also perform administrative duties and help with special events and fund-raisers.
Step 5
Leave donations to a drug rehab program in your will. Many nonprofit organizations are set up to receive stock transfers and trust monies from former patients and interested third parties.
Step 6
Become an online partner by setting up a link on your personal or commercial website. Hazelden, for example, has a program that earns it recurring revenue while allowing the partners to earn up to 12 percent in commissions for Internet clicks.
Tips and Warnings
- Support drug treatment in general by becoming an advocate for drug treatment by getting involved in an advocacy group that supports treatment, such as Physicians and Lawyers for Drug Advocacy or Partnership for a Drug-Free America. You can volunteer or donate to those causes that fund drug treatment and promote the issues that drug rehab facilities face.
- If you set up a regular donation account, make sure the organization is stable and check the center regularly to ensure that it's still in business. Most rehab facilities, such as Fellowship Hall, put donors on a mailing list to receive a monthly or quarterly newsletter. Request some type of communication to stay informed of how the center is using your donation.
