Frequently Asked Questions

What is RV4TheCause?

RV4TheCause is the name of our charitable organization (private rnfoundation in the process of being formed) intended to build awareness rnof the issues faced by people living with chronic illness, their loved rnones and caregivers. We also hope to raise money for existing public rncharities serving the 120 million American’s living with chronic rnillness. The mission of RV4TheCause is to educate professional financial rnadvisors on how to better serve their clients living with chronic rnillness, train major charities on charitable giving techniques, promote rnthe Funding the Cure books, educate those living with a chronic illness rnon how to better plan for their future finances, and document our rntravels across America in our Airstream RV. Are filing as a private rnfoundation status is still in process, but our fund raising efforts are rnreally not on behalf of our RV4TheCause organization, but for existing rnpublic charities. You can donate directly to three wonderful charities rnlisted on our home page. Other fine charities are discussed elsewhere onrn our website and links are sometimes provided.
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Where did the name RV4TheCause come from?

The name comes from our recent purchase of an Airstream travel trailer rn(“RV”) that we will be using to travel throughout the country and rneducate those on the issues that come with living with a chronic rndisease. We’ve written two books called Funding the Cure. One for the rnNational Multiple Sclerosis Society and one for The Michael J. Fox rnFoundation for Parkinson’s Research. We hope to write others in this rnseries. So… RV for Funding the Cure sounded a tad long, so we opted for rnRV4TheCause.
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Why did you form RV4TheCause?

Once my wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I discovered that rnthere was very little information regarding estate and financial rnplanning for people living with MS or other chronic diseases. There are rnnecessary adjustments that must be made to people’s wills and finances rnthat are living with chronic illness, and I am making it my mission to rnhelp inform and educate the professional advisers (CPAs, attorneys, rnfinancial planners, etc.) on these topics so they can be better preparedrn to help clients living with chronic illness. RV4TheCause is simply the rnumbrella under which we’ll be carrying out this mission.
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Can I get professional education credits for attending your seminars?

Yes- a schedule will be posted on this website (see www.rv4thecause.com rnSeminar tab) and our facebook page which will provide information on thern speeches, including the topic, location, and the amount of rnprofessional credits that each the speech will provide. While we will rnendeavor to provide CPE credits for accountants, CLE credits for rnattorneys and CFP credits for financial planners, we will not be able torn guarantee that all those credits will be awarded for each presentation rnand each location. Some of the credit qualifications will depend on the rnstate in which the presentation is given. All credits that are awarded rnwill be done under the auspices of Lorman Education Services, rnwww.lorman.com. Lorman has been a major national provider of rnprofessional education credits for about two decades and is providing rnthis tremendous amount of work, without which the RV4TheCause mission rncould not succeed, at no cost to participants, in order to support our rnefforts. So not only do they deserve kudos, but they deserve all of the rnprofessionals benefiting from our courses giving additional rnconsideration to Lorman when seeking out other continuing education rncredits.
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Can we get a book written to help raise funds for our charity, which serves people living with chronic illness?

Email us a proposal if your organization is involved in serving those rnliving with chronic illness and can raise the funds necessary to cover rnthe costs of production we can discuss the feasibility of such a rnproject. Our goal is to continue to expand the Funding the Cure book rnseries to help other organizations serving those living with chronic rnillness.
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Can we use the speeches, Power Points and other materials on the website?

Yes, absolutely, we want to provide you with whatever you need soup to rnnuts, to give a presentation to those living with chronic illness in rnyour practice area and build your practice while helping those with rnthese health issues. We would appreciate acknowledgment of us as the rnsource. But nothing has been marked as copyrighted, and we certainly rnaren’t patenting anything! The goal is to disseminate useful and rnpractical information for professionals. We’ve written all of the rnmaterials. Many are adapted from presentations given previously for rnAICPA, ABA, PLI, and other organizations. Most have been modified to fitrn the various formats and presentations RV4TheCause will deliver. Most rnimportantly, if you’re a professional serving people living with chronicrn illness, or a charitable organization serving those living with chronicrn illness and there are resources you believe would be useful to many rnothers that are not on our website, contact us via email and we’ll try rnto add additional materials to help. Our goal is to provide a practical rnand comprehensive resource to enable CPA, attorneys, financial planners rnand other professionals not only serve their clients, but to give rnpresentations in their areas for those living with chronic illness. Feelrn free to use the consumer oriented Power Points to give a presentation, rnhandout out the simpler consumer outlines, and use the sample rninvitations and press releases. Our hope is that you can use our rnprofessional level materials to learn and expand your practice rncapabilities, then use the consumer presentations to educate those in rnyour area living with chronic illness. If there is anything not providedrn on the www.RV4TheCause.com website you need let us know and we’ll try torn develop it. We hope to add sample press releases, invitations and more rnthat you can use to present these programs. We want to make it as easy rnas possible for you to spread the help and use our resources to build rnyour practice in the process.
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How do you plan which areas you will visit? Can we invite you to speak in our town?

It’s a bit of “Where’s Waldo?” We plan trips based on where charities rnfeel they have resources, where organizations and sponsors are, and rnwhere we have friends to visit. NAPFA (National Association of Personal rnFinancial Advisors) has been extremely helpful and generous to our causern and in addition to being an official sponsor to RV4TheCause. They are rnhelping us coordinate our journey across America. NAPFA has a database rnof financial advisors throughout the country and where their practices rnare located. We use this database to plan our trips and reach out to rnthese professionals and tell them about our upcoming lectures and rnseminars. With regards to inviting us to speak to your town, please rncontact Martin Shenkman by sending me a direct email rn(Shenkman@shenkmanlaw.com) or contacting us through our facebook page inrn the contact section. The more help you can give in organizing programs rnfor professionals, charities or those living with chronic illness, the rnmore effort we’ll make to work with you.
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Can my firm sponsor an event?

Twist my arm more! Yes. We would love to have your firm sponsor an rnevent! Email us and let us know what type of organization you are (or ifrn it is just you that’s fine too), what type of program (for professionalrn advisers, consumers living with chronic illness, or for charities), rnwhen, where and how you can help (providing a location, providing a mealrn or coffee, obtaining attendees).
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How can I help?

You can help by simply being aware and empathetic to the issues faced byrn those living with chronic and other illnesses, and spreading the word. rnThe next time you see someone stumbling down the block, instead of rnassuming they are intoxicated, give them the benefit of the doubt and rnoffer to help. If someone slurs their words when speaking to you, don’t rndismiss them; give them the benefit of the doubt. Make life a bit softerrn because the odds are a large number of the people you’ve pushed past orrn judged have struggles far greater than you can imagine. Sponsor a rnseminar for charities, people living with chronic illness, caregivers orrn professionals in your area. Make a donation to any (or better yet all) rnof the three wonderful charities on our website. Donate to other rncharities serving those living with chronic illness. Attend a seminar. rnGive a seminar. Comment on our Facebook page. Tell a friend about rnRV4TheCause. Little steps add up to big progress.
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Can we use the speeches, Power Points and other materials on the website?

Call the Law Offices of Martin Shenkman at 201-845-8400.  A receptionist will be able to put you in contact with Marty and schedule an interview. Under deadline? Marty’s cell is 201-563-4967 . Email: shenkman@shenkmanlaw.com
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How can I go about donating money to the charities listed on the website? Will you be setting up a pay pal account?

There will be links provided on our website to each of the charities’ rnwebsites and you can make donations directly to the charity of your rnchoice directly. We are looking to raise money for RV4TheCause, donate rndirectly to the charity. If you want to support another good charity rnthat helps those living with chronic illness contact them directly. We’drn be happy to write up a story about your experiences and that charity inrn our “people along the way” section and provide a link so other visitorsrn can donate directly to that charity as well.
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What is chronic illness?

A chronic illness is a disease that lasts a long period of time. Whereasrn a cold or the flu, or more serious illness, may last for only a few rndays to a week, this is called an “acute” illness. In contrast, a rnchronic illness often lasts for the duration of someone’s life.
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Can I use the ideas in your materials for my own charitable, estate or financial plan?

If you are a consumer, heed the warning “Professional Driver on a Closedrn Course.” Don’t try it alone. We’ve included on our tab “Chronic Illnessrn Resources” a consumer tab that can help you find an accountant or rnfinancial planner. We’ll add other resources in the future.
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Will you be posting a schedule of where and when you will be giving presentations?

A schedule will be posted on the www.RV4TheCause.com website under the rn“Seminar” tab. We will also be creating a landing page for every seminarrn that will include pertinent information about the seminar in advance. rnFollowing each seminar we’ll endeavor to post photos, media coverage, rnpodcasts and more so that each seminar page will be a valuable resource rnand tell you about the wonderful people who have made that program rnpossible. Those institutions and professionals hosting the seminars willrn also likely be people you may wish to contact if you live in their arearn for professional help with your planning (or for a charity you work rnwith). We’ll provide links when possible to hosts websites, biographicalrn information and more.
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Can I use the ideas in your materials to give seminars to prospective clients or in drafting or planning charitable, estate or financial matters for my clients?

Most certainly you can. In fact, we encourage professionals to use the rnmaterials we have created for your charitable, estate, or financial rnplans. For professionals, if there are resources you need that are not rnon the website let us know and if we can we’ll add them. If you feel yourn have knowledge and expertise that is not reflected in our materials, orrn a better mousetrap we’ll be happy to add your materials, give you full rncredit and a link back to your website.
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Can we use the speeches, Power Points and other materials on the website?

From the smallest to the largest. Anyone can donate an appreciated stockrn of any dollar value and get better tax benefits than donating cash. Forrn more sophisticated planning, like a charitable lead trust (“CLT”) they rngenerally tend to be done for not less than $250,000, some practitionersrn believe they become practical at much larger levels. Private foundationrn planning generally only becomes worthwhile for larger dollars; some rnpractitioners would say at least $1 million. So we endeavor to cover thern entire range of planning. No one should feel that there contribution isrn not worthy of planning whether large or small. It’s not like the Three rnBears and the porridge, every contribution is just right.
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How does RV4TheCause make money?

RV4TheCause was not formed to make money and is in the process of rnbecoming a private foundation. But even in that capacity our goal is notrn to raise money for our organization but rather to educate, build rnawareness, and encourage donations to existing charitable organizations rnserving those living with chronic illness and other health issues. We rndon’t want your money, just your attention and compassion.
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I love your cause and I have a story that I’d like to share with you, how can I submit my story to you?

We would love for you to share your story with us. You can do this by rnposting a story onto our Facebook wall page. If you would like us to rncreate a more formal write-up about your story, with photos, on the rnwww.RV4TheCause.com website email us after your Facebook post and if we rncan we’ll try to accommodate. The mores stories told, the more awarenessrn created and hopefully the more compassion and empathy for those living rnwith chronic illness and their caregivers.
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I would like for my charity which serves people living with chronic illness to be posted on your website (and vice versa). How can I go about doing this?

Please email us some information and we can arrange a conference call torn address it. The likely mechanism for this is a story in our “people rnalong the way” column which can include photographs and links to your rncharitable website. We will require a copy of your 501(c)(3) tax rnexemption notice from the IRS.
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How do I know if the speech will be directed towards the financial professionals/accountants or the general public?

All of the speeches posted on the website will have a brief description of the speech content and its intended audience.
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I want to hear and see you speak, however you are not traveling to a town/city near me. Will you be streaming your speeches over the Internet?

Most speeches will be recorded or video taped, and the podcasts and/or rnvideos will be posted on our Facebook page and our website.
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I have a chronic disease and I have no idea where to begin in making the necessary adjustments to my will, investment or other planning. What is the very first step I should take?

Contact one of the professionals you can find through the “chronic illness resources” tab on the www.RV4TheCause.com
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How do you plan on raising money for charities if your focus is presentations to professionals about estate, tax and investment planning?

By building awareness about chronic illness the professional advisers rnthat plan most significant donations will be more sensitive to the needsrn of those with chronic illness and the organizations that serve them. rnMost importantly, we hope to raise awareness among professionals as to rnthe tremendous number of people that face these issues. Knowledge and rnawareness will assuredly lead to planning and greater donations, and rnimportantly, donations structured with a greater sensitivity as to how rnthey can be coordinated with those living with chronic illness. As Paulrn McCartney sang that may be a “Long and Winding Road” but donations rnstructured by professional advisers will best serve clients living with rnchronic illness and the charities that help them. We strongly believe rnthat over time this will raise far more money than being pushy over rnsmall current donations. So we won’t ask anyone for donations for us or rnanyone, but then again, if you considering donating to the charities rnlisted on our website or others, we’ll happily connect you with local rnadvisers that can help, and we’ll certain encourage it!
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What type of tow vehicle do you use?

Ford Expedition. We love it. We had a Ford Explorer for 11 years that rnsurvived 110,000 miles and five teenage boys, so we’re kinda Ford fans rn(and we didn’t even negotiate an endorsement fee yet!).
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What type of RV do you have?

Airstream 19’ 2009 Bambi Flying Cloud. Silver Twinkies are just cool to rnlook at, and like Timex watches they just keep on ‘tickin.
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How can I donate to one or more of the charities?

Click on the link on www.RV4TheCause.com and donate directly through their website.
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Is RV4thecause a charity?

We are in the process of applying for private foundation status but our rnmission is to educate and build awareness and not to raise money for rnRV4TheCause directly. If you want to make a donation, there are scores ofrn wonderful charities that help serve those living with chronic illness, rndisability and other health issues. We’ve singled out three special onesrn we are given the most help to. What we can do, however, is help give rninformation to your professional advisers (CPA, attorney, accountant, rnwealth manager), to help them best guide you in making your donations.
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How prevalent is chronic illness that these issues are so important?

120 million Americans live with some type of chronic illness. 26% of rnthose ages 65-74 have had their lives significantly impacted by a rnchronic illness. 50% of those over age 85 have some cognitive rnimpairment. The numbers are real. The challenges and struggles are real.
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Where can I Get more information?

The “Chronic Illness Resources” section of the www.rv4thecause.com rnwebsite has materials on charitable giving and chronic illness and rnestate planning and chronic illness. There are separate tabs for rnconsumers and professionals. We are also developing a contact tab to rnhelp you identify knowledgeable professionals that can help advise you. rnWe do not, however, give any specific tax, legal or other advise. Nor dorn we endorse any specific professional advisers. Also, visit the rnRV4TheCause Facebook page and our sister website www.laweasy.com which rnhas a wealth of free information and even a section dedicated to chronicrn illness. But again, just for the record, we don’t give tax, legal or rninvestment advice. We believe the best consumer is an informed one that rnuses that knowledge to work closely with a qualified adviser. Doing yourrn own planning rarely is a winner. Blindly trusting any adviser without rnbuilding a base of knowledge is better, but not by much.
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What drives you and how do you maintain this drive to continue doing rv4thecause?

Our Ford Expedition [a little attempt at humor!]…Our rn4-year journey with chronic illness has repeatedly demonstrated how manyrn living with health issues are treated insensitively, unfairly and are rnoften taken advantage of….. Creating awareness will address that. rnHelping professionals better understand the issues and giving them rnplanning tools will help that. Through the rv4thecause mission we will rnhave an impact in both these areas. By reaching out to professional rnadvisers, each of whom may have hundreds or thousands of clients, we arern able to greatly leverage the impact of our efforts to help more people rnliving with chronic illness.
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What advice do you have for those who are struggling with chronic illness to help change the way they think?

With respect to estate, tax and financial planning, rnthose living with chronic illness must be forthright and really explain rnto their advisers (CPA, attorney, financial planner) what their illness rnis, what its likely disease course is and then work pro-actively with rnadvisers to plan. Too often people with health issues don’t really rndisclose their status, or sufficient detail, to enable their advisers torn help.
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What plans do you have for rv4thecause in the short and long term? Where do you hope it will take you?

In time, all over the U.S. We’re doing a trip throughrn the Midwest in August/September. We’re planning a trip down the east rncoast in early spring 2011 and later that year to the south to Texas.
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What can professional advisors expect to learn from Estate and Financial Planning for Clients Living with Chronic Illness?

First, we’ll build awareness as to the common nature rnof chronic illness. 120 million Americans are affected yet most advisersrn would guess a very small percentage of their clients are living with rnchronic illness. Second, by making relatively modest (in terms of rnprofessional time and effort) changes to general planning techniques, rnadvisers can make a tremendous positive impact on clients living with rnchronic illness. This also presents a great business opportunity. With rnan aging population the techniques and planning ideas we teach about rnwill be useful to all advisers trying to build their practices.
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Do you have any other tips or advice you'd like to share with our readers?

Show empathy. The next time someone is pushing the rngrocery cart slower than you would like, or reacts a bit less quickly rnthan you would at a traffic light, first consider that they might have arn tough health issue they’re struggling with and being abrasive will hurtrn them, stress them, and do little to change the speed at which they can rnreact. Given the statistics, it will likely be you or someone you love rnin the same situation at some point, so treat them appropriately.
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I'm a trust officer and wealth advisor, how can I help?

There are several things you can do to help our efforts and we welcome the help.

1. Come to a seminar and see what we are doing.

2. Perhaps your office and other offices of your firm would be willing so sponsor seminars. I can present either a consumer oriented program for people living with chronic illness, or a professional educational seminar for free continuing education credits. The latter is our preference as we believe it will reach many more people (if a typical CPA has hundreds if not thousands of clients, reaching 25 CPAs at a small seminar will have a large impact on helping those living with chronic illness). This could be a great do-good and PR opportunity for your institution. Great way to get local CPAs and attorneys into your office -- give them free professional education credits, practical info they can use, and ways to market it.

3. We set up a facebook page specifically to encourage people to tell their stories. The more stories that are told the more the world will begin to understand what chronic illness, like MS, really does. Few people not touched understand. Our facebook page is www.facebook.com/rv4thecause

4. We have a pretty extensive and growing website of info on all of this www.rv4thecause.com

We do not accept money from anyone. Our mission is primarily to educate professional advisers (perhaps a program for your firm's advisers and trust officers?), secondarily build awareness, and through those two mechanisms eventually and indirectly empower advisers to help the charities serving those with chronic illness to increase donations.

Why do you devote so much time to this?

Here is just one of the many emails we receive. We've received emails like this for years as a result of speaking and writting about chronic illness. Emails, letters, phone calls...  

"Hi my name is [name] I am 46yrs old and was diagnosed with MS about 4 years ago, My doctor put me on 13 med a day. I'm on SSDI.  I have been hanging on by a thread financially and have no idea how to get out of this quicksand.  My credit is destroyed and I zig zag paying bills, I have to skip at least 1-2 bills each month and have so many doctor bills that my insurance [Insurance comany names] have refused to pay I just don't know what to do.  I had to skip my mtg payment in August because my utilities were being turned off if not paid. My MS is quickly progressing and I loose balance and fall alot, I can't even go to the store much anymore.  I had applied to [company name] for a scooter but was told my insurance wouldn't help with that either.  Is there anywhere to get any help?  I have written to State Reps, Gov and they have all ignored me.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and God Bless."

There is too much pain, and too much heartache. If we can help make a difference to those struggling whatever the time invested will be well worth the effort.