Medals4Mettle Incorporated

M4M is setting a benchmark for charities to objectively prove the benefit of what they do. M4M is a pay it forward concept that permits a donation of goodwill and support that does not require the donor to be of substantial needs, and yet permits them to pay it forward to another individual. M4M offers people of diverse ethnicity, religions, nationalities, cultures etc... the opportunity to communicate a shared human compassion anonymously or personally. Our three year plan is to acquire a dedicated office and location; hire at least one full-time employee; further develop medal gifting programs with hospitals and outpatient facilities in the US and abroad; expand our successful programs within elementary, secondary, collegiate, medical, dental, nursing and other education programs; expand into veteran's programs and continue to research and publish and verify scientific data about the benefit of M4M for recipients, students, and volunteers
In 2024 and beyond we plan to extend our focus to strategic alliances with both sides of our mission including running groups and organizations as well as healthcare and non profits focused on children.

Since 2005 M4M has awarded over 60,000 medals in over 80 hospitals globally. Our 70 national and international volunteer coordinators enlist volunteers locally, raise funds and buy branded ribbons to award donated medals. M4M has grown without paid employees since inception. Our mission is accepted internationally and has been adopted by prestigious medical schools to teach humanism to medical students, award medals to Special Olympians and encourage frightened children to endure blood draws, imaging studies and chemotherapy. Funding will allow us to spread and expand our mission to unite humanity in a mission of shared compassion and kindness regardless of race, religion, nationality, culture, gender, politics etc. Funding will allow us to research the benefits of M4M for both donors and recipients and use the results to expand our mission to study benefits of participation for veterans with PTSD and others who are struggling.M4M awards medals to children at Ronald MacDonald houses, burn camps, inpatient and outpatient facilities, physical therapy and rehabilitation facilities etc. and encourages our website visitors to direct us to send a medal to designated heroes around the world. During COVID, M4M awarded medals to thousands of frontline heroes.

We have been in contact with established non profits like us. These include an international charity focused on children and a running organization that services large marathons across the globe.

M4M can be scaled with our existing 70 national and international locations and our outreach to educational facilities around the world. The combination of millions of endurance athletes and the overwhelming volunteerism M4M has experienced provides a framework for unlimited growth. Dr. Isenberg has published extensively on community-based outcomes measurements and has connections with several teaching hospitals across the United States. Our diverse network of volunteers reaches into many segments of business and life. Our costs are low...medals are free, ribbons are around $2.00 and volunteers are free! Simple Gesture. Global Reach. Profound Impact.

In 2024 we have already been working with strategic partners.

M4M is a 501c3 non-profit organization that arranges for endurance race participants to award their finishers medals to suffering children and adults in recognition of their mettle; encouraging them to persevere. Medals4Mettle has established over seventy chapters globally and awarded over 60,000 medals in over 80 hospitals worldwide. Medals4Mettle has received the Grand Prize of the Human Race from Runners World magazine (2008), the first Arnold P Gold National Humanism in Medicine Award (2009) and the National Jefferson Award (2013). M4M has been integrated into medical student education at the University Of Louisville School Of Medicine since 2008. M4M's scientific peer-reviewed research has been published (McKenzie Vater MS31*, Pradip D. Patel MD2, Kanyalakshmi Ayyanar, MD3, Autumn Marks, RN BSN CPHON4, Craig Ziegler, PhD5, Karen Hughes Miller, PhD6 Medals4Mettle: A Program to Enhance the Medical Student-Patient Bond, Medical Student Research Journal (2016). doi: 10.15404/msrj.

M4M has partnered with industry ( RUNINK, Mitsui Corporation, etc. ) and other nonprofits such as the World Pediatric Project, Ronald MacDonald Houses etc.
We have successful with fund raising, social media, strategic partnerships and increased impact based on medals awarded and partners reaching out to us.