Changing our community’s consciousness will not be easy. However, with your help, we’re locally building a revival to treat addiction like the chronic disease it is and offering evidence-based resources for prevention, treatment and recovery. Our revival will foster tolerance and compassion, and dismantle the discrimination and judgment associated with this devastating disease.
Giving Circles at The Shoulder
Generous people like you can help stem the addiction crisis.
Support Circle
A monthly donation of $10 to $35.
If you are unfamiliar with a sustaining donation, it is simply a recurring monthly financial commitment to The Shoulder with a start but no specific end date. The power of a sustaining donation is stability. The stability afforded through predictable income allows us to spend more time on innovating our programs and services and raising awareness of The Shoulder’s mission and advocacy for the communities we serve. Practically speaking, monthly giving is also easier to fold into your budget than a one-time gift may be. It allows you to choose an amount that works for you and ensures you can help support The Shoulder all year long.
On average, we spend approximately $179,000 per month for general operating expenses, ranging from facilities maintenance costs to staffing, expenses related to providing our clients, transportation and meals, to the fees associated with postage and mailing, and much more. Including monthly sustaining donations, all donors are encouraged to help The Shoulder raise more than 62% toward our monthly expenses. We are grateful to generous monthly donors whose support helps ensure that The Shoulder can continue to thrive even in the most trying times.
You too can help provide this critical stability. This year, our goal is to have 200 sustaining donors whose support cover at least 4% of our monthly operating expenses by December 31, 2023. So, we invite you to be part of our challenge by making a monthly sustained donation (or increasing your current monthly donation) to The Shoulder. With your ongoing commitment, we can guarantee that we will always be here to encourage, heal and make whole!
Recovery Circle
An annual donation of $350 to $5000.
Everyone deserves recovery. It's that simple. Through your donation, we’ll raise not just money – but hope for those affected by addiction. Our goal by June 30, 2024 is to have 50 Recovery Circle donors whose annual support covers at least 8% of our operating expenses.
Every dollar given will help The Shoulder:
Act as a trusted guide to help patients and families access care and support.
Provide trustworthy, science-based information to prevent, treat and recover from alcohol use disorder in a faith-based environment.
Remove barriers to treatment so people can recover and live happy, meaningful lives.
We have the power to change things – but true change is only possible if we work together. Give a donation today to help us create better access to our addiction resources for local individuals struggling with addiction.
Leadership Circle
An annual donation of $50,000 that includes participation on The Shoulder Board of Directors.
This donation can be split over an annual period and may include fundraised donations by the individual Director. Our goal by June 30, 2024 is to have 20 Leadership Circle donors whose support covers at least 50% of our operating expenses.
All donations will be 100 percent tax deductible.
The Shoulder, The Commitment. A better life, a better future.
A five-year campaign to raise awareness and funding to stem the tide of addiction in our Lower Alabama, coastal Mississippi and panhandle Florida communities.
Committed to programs and partnerships that will decrease addiction in our communities.
Clinical-based recovery opportunities that will endure our changing world and strengthen an individual’s commitment to a better life and a better future.
Working effectively with patients to ensure a better life and a better future.
Friends of The Shoulder
How to join.
Membership in the Friends of The Shoulder is open to all past clients, families of clients, community partners, religious communities, and donors who support The Shoulder for two or more consecutive fiscal years (July 1st through June 30th), or who invest in The Shoulder with automated reoccurring contributions. As a member of the Friends, you will gain access to exclusive content and receive recognition for your contribution. To retain your membership, simply make your gift of any amount through a Giving Circle of your choice by the end of each fiscal year (June 30th). We look forward to welcoming you into the Friends of The Shoulder. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility or membership, please contact us at friends@theshoulder.org.
Employer giving options
Supporting The Shoulder of the Central Gulf Coast, Incorporated is easy and convenient through employer giving options.
Help individuals in need by doubling your donation through an employer's matching gift or participating in a workplace giving program. Regular contributions can make a big impact overtime, providing individuals in recovery a faith-based, clinically accredited program to recover, and a second chance.
Questions about workplace giving? Call 251-410-6413 or send us a message.
Request a matching donation
Did you know you can double or triple your donation to The Shoulder? Hundreds of companies will match the charitable donations made by their employees or retirees. Companies, both large and small, match employee contributions.
Search for your employer
Submit a matching gift claim
Join a workplace giving campaign
Donor Bill of Rights
The Shoulder subscribes to the Donor Bill of Rights, which was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits.
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Contacting this website
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or The Shoulder’s website, please contact us at info@theshoulder.org or 251-410-6413
Request erasure of your personal data
You have the right to request The Shoulder to delete or remove personal data when there is no good reason for us to continue processing it.
You may exercise your rights of cancellation and deletion by contacting us at info@theshoulder.org. Please note that we may ask You to verify Your identity before responding to such requests. If you make a request, we will contact you as soon as possible.
Privacy policy
The Shoulder of the Central Gulf Coast, Incorporated (The Shoulder) respects the privacy of our website users and their personal information. Our Privacy Policy was written to ensure users of The Shoulder’s commitment to maintaining the privacy, security, and confidentiality of any and all personal information of such users.
Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of the terms contained within this Privacy Policy, as well as any changes that may be made to it in the future. If any portion of this Privacy Policy is unacceptable to you, do not use this website.
Collection of information
This website collects various types of information, such as:
Personal information that is voluntarily shared by you. This includes identification information, such as your name, telephone number, postal address, email address, and payment/billing information.
Non-personal information that does not identify any specific individual in any way. This includes information related to general patterns on the website, or the number of times a specific page was viewed in a particular month, etc. We may use and share this form of information for analysis purposes.
Information received through the website that is delivered anonymously. In some instances, you may be prompted/asked to provide certain personal information (i.e. name, address, billing information, etc.) in order to facilitate the operation of a website feature. You have absolute authority to enter such personal information or refuse to provide it.
Information about financial gifts made to The Shoulder (including date of gift, gift total, billing address, and payment method).
Use of information collected
Your privacy is important. The Shoulder of the Central Gulf Coast, Incorporated does not rent or sell its donor list.
Your personal information may be used by The Shoulder in certain situations. The Shoulder may collect and make use of your personal information in order to fulfill a request from you or ensure proper delivery of services you may have requested. In the process, we may share your information with internal staff needed to complete such request(s). In addition, we may share any non-identifying information for statistical or analytic purposes and all personal information can be shared within the organization.
Donor information is kept on file for IRS purposes. It is also used to analyze overall giving patterns in order to make more accurate budget projections, as well as to understand donors’ interests in our mission and to update them on the organization’s plans and activities. This information is shared with staff, board members, and consultants only on a confidential and need-to-know basis.
Security
While The Shoulder cannot control all possible breaches, we shall endeavor to take every precaution to maintain adequate physical, procedural, and technical security with respect to our offices and information storage facilities, so as to prevent any loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure or modification of the user’s personal information under The Shoulder’s control.
Social media
This website may offer the ability to participate in third-party social media site(s), such as Facebook and Instagram. Any information you post to such social media platforms is outside the scope of The Shoulder’s website and is not covered by this Privacy Policy. Therefore, your choice to share personal information on such social media sites, through The Shoulder’s website, is done voluntarily and at your own risk. The Shoulder is not responsible for any act or omission of any social media site, nor are we responsible for the consequences of your decision to share your personal information on such site(s).
Links to other websites
The Shoulder’s website may contain links to other websites, and those sites may not follow the same privacy policies as The Shoulder. Since those sites are outside of our control, The Shoulder is not responsible for the privacy practices of such third-party websites. This Privacy Policy applies only to this website, and not to any other third-party websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any website that collects personal information from you.
Children’s privacy
The Shoulder is committed to protecting the privacy and safety of all children. This website is not designed for, or directed to, children under the age of 17. The Shoulder shall not be held liable for any unauthorized use of this website by minors. Please contact us if you believe a child under the age of 13 has provided any personal information to this website without parental consent.
Discontinuing contact upon request
It is the policy of The Shoulder to communicate with donors according to their expressed preferences whenever possible. The Shoulder will discontinue or change the method used to contact any person upon that person’s oral or written request directed to the organization, its professional fundraiser, or other agent.
The Shoulder shall maintain a record of all requests by persons who indicate to The Shoulder, its professional fundraiser, or other agents, that they do not wish to be contacted by or on behalf of The Shoulder.
This policy does not prohibit contact by an individual or group voluntarily soliciting on behalf of The Shoulder, even if the person being contacted has requested to be placed on the "do not contact list."
Upon a person’s (or a person’s authorized representative’s) request that The Shoulder of the Central Gulf Coast, Incorporated discontinue further contacts, the person’s name and address will be promptly modified in The Shoulder’s donor database to ensure that no further contact is made with the person. The Shoulder will also take steps to ensure that no further contact is made with the individual and that the person’s name is removed from any external databases or records under The Shoulder’s control.
Permanent Record: The Shoulder of the Central Gulf Coast, Incorporated will maintain an electronic record of all requests for discontinuance of contacts, effective with the adoption of this policy by The Shoulder’s board of directors. Oral requests will be noted in writing by The Shoulder staff then permanently recorded in the electronic donor database. The records of persons who have made such a request will be maintained by The Shoulder to the extent necessary for legal or liability purposes.