Concussion Alliance named Semifinalist in the BECU People Helping People Awards
Concussion Alliance has been named a Semifinalist in the BECU People Helping People Awards for the second year in a row. Boeing Employees’ Credit Union (BECU) describes this awards program as “an annual celebration of exceptional work within the communities we serve. We honor members and nonprofits that drive positive changes through service to others.”
This year, 1,000 were nominated, and BECU selected 250 semifinalists. We will join the other semifinalist organizations and submit an application to be a finalist, including describing the programs the grant awards would fund. Of the 250 semifinalists, 18 organizations will be selected as finalists and receive grants at the $15,000, $30,000, and $50,000 levels.
Organizations with BECU’s service regions are eligible to apply; these include several counties in Western Washington, Eastern Washington, and South Carolina. Concussion Alliance was founded in Seattle, Washington. We regularly include students from the University of Washington in its Concussion Education & Advocacy Internship Program and guest speakers from the University of Washington.
Here's how Concussion Alliance embodies the credit union value of People Helping People
By Conor Gormally, Co-founder, Co-Executive Director, and Internship Program Director
Concussion Alliance’s mission is to support concussion patients’ recovery with educational resources, keep providers up-to-date on new research, educate the next generation of healthcare professionals, and change public perception of concussions to reflect the seriousness of this injury.
We ensure that our volunteers and interns realize that they’re not just learning about concussions and practicing accessible science writing skills. They’re also helping patients and providers by making critical information and research available and accessible.
Concussion Alliance started as the resource that Malayka and I needed as we desperately searched for help for my persistent symptoms. We’ve grown it into THE online resource that any patient or provider might need.
Concussion Alliance’s Education & Advocacy Internship Program epitomizes the People Helping People philosophy. We draw a significant portion of interns and expert guest speakers from the University of Washington. Our undergraduate interns come to us interested in research, healthcare, and public health and leave as informed concussion advocates for their peers, communities, and future careers.
We engender their growth in science writing, communication, professionalism, and advocacy through our unique concussion curriculum, weekly guided discussions, expert guest speakers, and projects. The interns’ projects allow them to directly impact concussion patients through building and updating resources for our website.
Patients use these resources to learn about their injury, treatment options, and how to find providers that can help them. We help interns develop their careers and build community advocacy skills, helping change the concussion understanding and care in their communities and institutions.
