Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation
The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, also known simply as the Jay Fund, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1996 and "helps families tackle childhood cancer by providing comprehensive financial, emotional and practical support", according to the foundation's mission statement. Charity Navigator currently rates The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation as a 4-star organization, its highest rating.
Mission
Financial assistance and game planning
As the cornerstone of the foundation's assistance mission, financial assistance is critical to every family tackling childhood cancer. The financial burden created when a child is hospitalized or requires home care, combined with medical expenses, can become overwhelming for parents. Jay Fund grants pay for such things as mortgages, rent, car, electric, water, phone, food and other household expense payments during a time of crisis. Each family also receives "Jay's Financial Playbook" containing helpful financial tools, access to quarterly financial seminars and individual financial planning meetings with the organization's "Financial Coach". The Jay Fund also offers scholarships to cancer patients and survivors who wish to continue their education.Making a Child's Life Brighter
The Jay Fund offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that simply make a child's life brighter and create happy memories. The organization hosts events so families and children can come together with others facing the same challenges. This enables families battling childhood cancer to share emotional support, love and friendship. These events include Valentine's Day parties, Remembrance Weekend, NY Giants Tour and Sundae Blitz, Fall Festival and more.Quality of life
The Jay Fund additionally supports treatment facilities that help improve quality of life for the patient and families. Their grants support child psychology services, Child Life programs, Art with a Heart program funding, survivorship programs, special medical equipment, entertainment, games and more at outpatient and inpatient centers.Medical treatments
In some cases, Cord Blood Donor Units are needed so a child who does not have a match within their own family can have a needed bone marrow transplant. Often, this treatment is not covered by insurance. The Jay Fund helps provide payment for donor units.History
1990s
During Coughlin's first year coaching football at Boston College, one of his players, Jay McGillis, contracted leukemia. During McGillis's seven-month fight with the disease, Coughlin visited the young man often and observed the financial and emotional toll inflicted on the McGillis family. McGillis died on July 3, 1992, but his indomitable spirit, courage and compassion inspired Coughlin to create an organization to assist families with a child suffering from leukemia. After Coughlin moved to Jacksonville in 1994 as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, he began talking with people and making plans to create a foundation.2002
When Coughlin was dismissed by the Jaguars after the 2002 season, there was concern for the future of the Jay Fund by several physicians at Wolfson Children's Hospital and Nemours Children's Clinic. They worried that with the departure of the high profile coach, corporate sponsors might shift their support to other causes. After he was hired as head coach of the New York Giants, Coughlin allayed those fears by pledging continued support for the fund and promising to keep the foundation in Jacksonville. Contributions actually increased in Jacksonville.2004
In October 2004, the coach created a Jay Fund branch in New York City. The initial "Pigskin Ball" was held September 9, 2005, and the first three such events provided a total of over $1 million to the charity.2008
As of early 2008, the fund had disbursed in excess of $2 million while assisting over 1,000 families of children with cancer. A capital campaign, "Now and Forever", was begun in March 2008. The goal was a $5 million endowment for the fund, which would provide $250,000 per year in perpetual funding to ensure the future of the charity. Keli Coughlin, executive director of the foundation, who happens to be Tom's oldest child, stated:This campaign for the endowment is an insurance policy of sorts. It's a backup plan to make sure there will always be funds to help these families. We are providing them with things no one else is doing and quite frankly, these families would be left without a safety net.