American Sleep Apnea Association

[Dave Hargett]

Looks like a money pit to me. What do I get . An ID charm..A wise man once told me.. Follow the money it never lies.. Web site is a bit dated also.


Cheers,

Chris

Chris,

You apparently missed the line about the newsletter that we publish, which is also a benefit of membership. We hope to add other benefits in the future..

Your membership also helps support our awareness efforts at educating physicians and persons who might have apnea, helps fund our office, etc.

What did you get the last time you gave to the Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, etc? As with all these organizations, much of the membership cost is aimed at advancing the mission of the organization and is not all returned in personal value to an individual member. No non-profit can operate that way unless they have Bill Gates funding them behind the scenes.

All of my time is donated and a lot of personal expense is donated as well. All our board members are volunteers and pay their own expenses.

I can tell you we are not a "money pit". Check out guidestar.org if you want more information. But perhaps you aren't inclined to donate to any non-profit?

Please tell me what you think the benefits of a basic $25 membership to the ASAA SHOULD be, in your opinion. Please don't just make snide comments, give me some constructive criticism and we'll take that into account as we continue to move the ASAA forward.

Others feel free to tell me what you think the benefits of membership should be. I can't guarantee that we can do what you each want, but I'll certainly tally up the responses and review them with the board and our Executive Director down the road.

Dave

[Clownshow]

Whats this?

A proud participant in the federal government's Combined Federal Campaign.

[Dave Hargett]

The Combined Federal Campaign is essentially a United Way campaign for federal workers.

Federal workers are able to donate through payroll deduction to the American Sleep Apnea Association or to other groups who participate in the CFC. This is the same voluntary type of donation that many people make through their workplace to help fund non-profit groups in their city or metropolitan area.

Groups who participate with the CFC are eligible to display that logo on their websites, so that persons viewing the site can know that this is a way that they can donate when they make their annual pledges through the CFC.

It's much harder for a smaller national non-profit to get listed on the donation options of major United Way campaigns or as an option in a more local workplace giving program. I tried that once, from my Chicago area workplace and the ASAA never got the full amount of the donation that I made. It wound up being used somewhere in the Chicago area.

[Clownshow]

All of my time is donated and a lot of personal expense is donated as well. All our board members are volunteers and pay their own expenses.

So like, what kind of tax deductable donations do you make to the ASAA each year... being the president and all? Do you draw a salary from it?or donate one?

[jmraines359@msn.com]

I'm probably not doing this right ,but here goes; I have gone so far as not sleeping for three days just so I wouldn't disturb people. It was great in Vegas-for the casino- but unfortunate for my aisle mates on the plane from Hawaii. I'm really sick of it all and I need help. I have gone from a 107 body builder to a 170 sedentary housewife and one thing hasn't changed: I still wake myself up with dreams of Harley Davidsons- 30 or 40- reving up underneath my window. Imagine my chagrin when it's me not the Hells Angels there. There are no emoticons that fit this message. I hope and pray Pillar will help. I don't want to go the way of Reggie White. I had a stroke at 21 and now am47. My 27 yr. old son and my 11 year old son have sleep apnea, my oldest has the snoring also. They await my results with Pillar procedure. What do you know about it? Much ZZZZ's Ma

[jmraines359@msn.com]

I thought this was about sleep problems. I have enough to do with politics in the town I'm in. Good Lord, write a letter to your congressman or an editor of a publication. See ya'll I'm going to read a book and try not to disturb my family

[Dave Hargett]

So like, what kind of tax deductable donations do you make to the ASAA each year... being the president and all? Do you draw a salary from it?or donate one?

This should probably have been a private message to me rather than a post on the board, but in the interest of full disclosure:

When I say my time as chairman of the ASAA is donated, I mean that I volunteer and work for NO PAY. I draw NO SALARY. That is the meaning of volunteer. The association has a small paid staff in our Washington DC offices. I probably spend 20-30 hours a week on sleep apnea activities.

I pay my own expenses for myself for travel to meetings, airfare, hotels, food, etc. So do all of our board members. On rare occasions, some of those expenses are reimbursed, but mostly not. The exact amount is between me and the IRS.

Have you considered making a donation to the American Sleep Apnea Association? We'd be happy to have you support us.

[Clownshow]

[rested gal]

Dave,

I think you're doing a great service, volunteering your time to the ASAA. It's good to see you on this board too... along with so many others.... all volunteering to help each other as much as any of us can. A kind word here, a bit of encouragement there, a suggestion now and then. It helps.

[Janelle]

JMRaines, there has been a lot of feedback on the talkaboutsleep forum from those who have had the pillar procedure. Seems it is not the cure-all it is touted to be. Reactions to the pillars, resulting in them having to be removed, and many who have received no benefit from them. Seems like CPAP is still the best solution. Other surgical procedures work for a year or so and then it is back on CPAP.