Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation
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| Formation | 1996 (Jacksonville) |
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| Founder | Tom Coughlin, Dr. Mike Joyce |
| Type | Non-Profit |
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Area served
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Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area New York metropolitan area |
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Key people
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Keli Coughlin, Executive Director |
| Slogan | Supporting Families with Children suffering from Cancer |
| Website | http://www.tcjayfund.org/ |
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.
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.
The Jay Fund offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that simply make a child’s life brighter and create happy memories. The organization hosts special, fun events so families and children can come together with others facing the same challenges. This enables families battling childhood cancer to BE THERE for each other with emotional support, love and friendship. These events include Valentine's Day parties, Remembrance Weekend, NY Giants Tour and Sundae Blitz, Fall Festival and more.
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.
In some cases, Cord Blood Donor Units are needed so a child who doesn’t have a match within their own family can have a needed bone marrow transplant. Often, this treatment is not covered by insurance. It is a big expense that most families cannot take on. The Jay Fund can BE THERE to provide payment for the donor unit to give a child a fighting chance.
During Coughlin’s first year coaching football at Boston College, one of his players, Jay McGillis, contracted Leukemia. During Jay’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. Jay died on July 3, 1992, but his indomitable spirit, courage and compassion inspired Tom 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.
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