Brain Support Networks helps 200 families each year with brain donation arrangements. We offer grants to about 20 families each year.
Brain Support Network is honored to assist your family with brain donation arrangements.
Most likely you’ve been given this webpage as you have a family member coping with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), early onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD), or AD caused by a genetic mutation. Or perhaps dementia seems to be running in your family.
Brain Support Network offers grants to some families
Brain Support Network has several generous donors who allow us to provide grants to families with a financial need. We recognize that not all families are able to afford the cost of brain donation.
On average, brain donation in the US costs $1,000. These “brain donation costs” include the fee paid to a pathology resource, facility‐use fee from a funeral home, and fee associated with transporting the donor, as necessary, to a facility for the brain recovery.
Our grant amounts are based on the costs of a particular brain donation and a financial donor’s requirements. We typically offer grants of 50% of the total cost. Or we may offer to cover the pathology fee in full. On some occasions, we offer to cover the entire cost. We will commit upfront to a specific grant amount or percentage once we have learned what the costs are.
When are grants paid?
The grant is paid to the family after the brain is donated and the brain bank — usually the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida — confirms receipt of neurological medical records. The grant is non-taxable income to your family as the grant is within Brain Support Network’s mission.
If the brain bank has confirmed receipt of neurological medical records in advance of the family member’s passing, then Brain Support Network will pay the grant amount directly to the pathology resource.
Eligibility
Families meeting the following criteria are eligible for a grant:
1. Loved one has a clinical diagnosis, made by a neurologist or psychiatrist, of any of the following disorders: Parkinson’s Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson’s Disease Dementia, early onset Alzheimer’s Disease, or Alzheimer’s caused by a genetic mutation. We also consider cases where the family member has a non-specific dementia diagnosis and several related family members have or have had dementia.
2. Family indicates it has a financial need such that the family would not be able to proceed with brain donation were it not for the grant.
3. Family has ordered neurological and/or psychiatric medical records to be sent to the brain bank, and has confirmed that the records have been received by the brain bank. (Brain Support Network confirms that the records have been received.) See our detailed instructions on ordering specialist medical records.
4. Family has utilized Brain Support Network for brain donation arrangements, and intends to request memorial donations in lieu of flowers to Brain Support Network to support our efforts to assist other families.
To Apply
Please contact Brain Support Network (cell 650-814-0848).