Team Gleason Foundation
No White Flags
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Historically, the focus for people living with ALS has been on research and finding treatments or a cure for the disease. Team Gleason chose to have the organization focus on what could not only improve the lives of those with ALS, but also empower them to continue to live purposefully. Technology for people with ALS was extremely limited. One of Team Gleason’s missions is to improve and innovate for new and expanded technology through alignments and partnerships. Early access to advanced and appropriate equipment and technology is often challenging and overlooked. Team Gleason sought to create a system to assist patients and their families through the process. When diagnosed with ALS, families often struggle financially because of the impacts of the disease. Many cannot afford or have the knowledge of how to travel with the physical limitations of the disease. Team Gleason developed a program that provides adventures when they thought traveling was impossible.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Equipment, Services and Technology
Helping deliver leading edge equipment, services and technology, The Gleason Initiative Foundation provides ALS patients with purpose and the ability to communicate, interact, and be valuable. Technology and equipment have advanced over the past decade but these services can be taken even further. With these advanced tools, we feel that ALS patients will choose to live extraordinary lives. The Gleason Initiative Foundation is working with leading technology companies like Microsoft, assistive device leaders, including Tobii, and other organizations, universities and groups to lead the effort in fostering the development of new and advanced technologies.
Adventure Forward
To raise public awareness toward ALS by providing and documenting extraordinary life adventures for individuals with muscular diseases or injuries. As an adventurer, Steve wanted to continue pursuing life adventures for himself despite his diagnosis and found that many people with ALS were choosing to accept their assumed limitations. Through Steveʼs inspiration, we have found and are finding more people with ALS (pALS) who want to experience their own life adventures. Team Gleason has made this possible for a number of people and will continue to do so. Each of these adventures is documented for the pALS as either a video mini documentary or as a blog for them or their family.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of people provided assistive technology
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with other disabilities, People with physical disabilities, Terminally ill people
Related Program
Equipment, Services and Technology
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of requests received.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Through providing and innovating for leading edge equipment and technology, expanding access and knowledge of available assistive tools, creating awareness and education of proven processes, expanding respite and care services, and also life affirming adventures, Team Gleason is filling a critical role in the lives of those living with ALS. With few organizations focused on the same missions, Team Gleason uniquely continues to drive these efforts forward so people living with ALS can live as independently and purposefully as possible.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
With Steve Gleason, who is living with ALS, as the organization’s founder and continued leader, Team Gleason’s work is driven by an authentic motivation. We believe the best course to rapidly improve our capabilities to reach the ALS community with the goals set by Steve and the entire team is to align the organization with partners and alliances that are leaders in their fields. From the world’s largest tech giants to leading equipment manufacturers to university bio-engineering departments and specialized speech language pathologists, our strategy is to focus on the needs of the community and find those who can help accomplish that goal.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Like our initial focus to fill the gaps in the ALS community that were not being met, we approached building our internal capabilities similarly. We have built strong partnerships in every area of our mission, but where we identified internal support needs, we sought uniquely experienced staff to fill that role. Additionally, we have a strong internal communication and workflow plans to ensure a seamless process throughout.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have provided or funded tens of thousands of pieces of technology to the ALS community. Additionally, we provided countless pieces of equipment, adventures, support, care, and raised the level of awareness. Our story and founders have been featured on every major network and were the subject of the critically acclaimed feature length documentary, ‘Gleason’. We have partnered with 2 of the world’s largest technology companies and developed new technology that allows a person to navigate their wheelchair with their eyes. Team Gleason led the effort to pass two US laws and Steve Gleason received the Congressional Gold Medal for his and Team Gleason’s work to improve the lives of those living with ALS.
With all that we have accomplished, we believe we are only just getting started. Until people with ALS are able to communicate at a natural pace as those who can still speak and they can move more naturally through the use of technology, we will not stop working toward those goals. Until then, we will continue to focus on our missions, but we will always strive to reach more people when diagnosed.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Team Gleason Foundation
Board of directorsas of 11/30/2022
Mr. Paul Varisco
Team Gleason Foundation
Steven Gleason
Co-Founder of Team Gleason
Michel Varisco
Co-Founder of Team Gleason
Suzanne Alford
Alford Advertising
Kyle Brechtel
Brechtel Hospitality
Tommy Capella
Accessor Jefferson Parish
Chris Casey
KPMG
Kimi Culp
Film Producer
Rick Dickson
Former Tulane Athletic Director
Clare Durrett
Advocate
Michelle Farr
Zofia Consultants
Bryan Fitzpatrick
Crescent Capital Consulting
Scott Fujita
All Saints Day School - Head of School
Dan Garske
Travis Pattern & Foundry
Kyle Gleason
Carpenter/Fisherman
Philip Green
Person living with ALS
Tony Hazel
Judge
Kathleen Holt
CMA (Center for Medicare Advocacy)
Danielle Kavanagh
Kavanagh Foundation
Jenny Lay-Flurrie
Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft
Jim Marggraff
Eyefluence / Inventor
Dave Martin
Merriman Wealth Management
Ashley McCready
Friend
Mike McCready
Guitarist, Pearl Jam
Thomas McEachin
Schonekas, Evans, McGoey & McEachin Law Firm
Cleland Powell
Iberia Bank
Steve Rehage
Rehage Production
Jim Salters
Business Consultant
Catherine Scott
ALS Advocate
Paul Varisco, Jr.
Johnson Rice Investment
Vinnie Varisco
Johnson Rice Investment
David Sherman
Chehardy Sherman Williams
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data