MAD Foundation
The MAD Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people living with disability and facing significant hardship. Our purpose is to enhance the well-being of these people and their families by securing the funding needed for transformative support equipment and services that would otherwise remain inaccessible.
When MAD was first conceived almost 24 years ago, our goal was to Make A Difference in the wider community, with compassion and connection at the heart of our purpose. As the years have rolled on, the WHY we do this has never changed, but who MAD contributes to and how that happens has, in a way that none of us ever envisaged.
MAD’s longevity comes down to a simple formula that is embedded in our tagline “Inspire, Connect, Make a Difference”. As a volunteer run organisation, MAD leads by example and encourages other people and groups to make a difference in their community by coming together to help those less fortunate.
We trust that the commitment and voluntary contribution of the members of the MAD family inspires generosity and participation in others. We see how MAD brings people together and collaborates closely with an inclusive and expanding network of sponsors, supporters and partners to raise funds in support of its objective. And of course MAD exists to make a difference in the lives of children and young people living with disability and facing significant hardship, and we do this by funding life-changing support equipment and services they otherwise could not afford.
MAD has raised in excess of $2.3 Million since 2001 and has helped many children and young people, their carers and families across Australia. MAD has funded programs through TLC for Kids, Reach, Whitelion and Western Chances. In recent years the majority of funding has been directed to specific cases identified through the Department of Neurodevelopment and Disability at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, plus Monash Children's Hospital, Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS), Very Special Kids and other disability programs and charities.
The Department of Neurodevelopment and Disability provides care for children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, autism spectrum disorders, acquired neurological disabilities, developmental delay and other developmental disabilities. These children require numerous pieces of equipment, therapy and respite over the course of their life. Over the years MAD has funded the purchase of wheelchairs, hoists and slings, therapeutic beds, bathroom modifications, car seats and home seating systems, walking frames, communication and voice output devices, second skin garments and rehabilitation sessions. MAD has also funded iPads, orthoses and therapy toys, and paid for personal care attendants.
These long-term relationships with a trusted referral network are a key enabler for MAD to achieve its purpose. MAD simply can’t do what it does without the expertise and wisdom of this magnificent team. Without you, we would be slow, bureaucratic and cumbersome! With you, we are direct and timely.
MAD will continue to operate on 100% voluntary basis, with no salaries, no paid offices, no overheads and lowest admin costs possible. To achieve that MAD depends on the goodwill and support of many and we are lucky to have such amazing people alongside us. Only with you by our side is MAD able to do what is does the WAY it needs to be done.