ProtonPals, Ltd.
EIN: 80-0363780
Part IV: Narrative Description of Your Activities
The ProtonPals, Ltd. (the Organization) was formed for exclusive educational,
charitable, and scientific purposes. Specifically the Organization is a support and
outreach group of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer and choose proton
radiation therapy treatment to cure their prostate cancer. They do this because this
mode delivers a curative treatment with a minimum of side effects. The Organization
was formed initially as a support network with other survivors of prostate cancer and
with the help of volunteers has grown to include a one-on-one hot line, monthly
newsletter, support group meetings, an on line library of individual white papers and
personal diaries, reports of any side effects, and other health and wellness information.
The organization also supports the patients who have been treated for prostate cancer
on a patient-to-patient and friend-to-friend basis during the recovery months. It does
this by reporting on treatment cure results and what to expect. It also serves as an
initial point of contact for the newly diagnosed with a telephone hot line (contact list),
internet correspondence and an online library of white papers.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, excluding skin cancers, in American men.
One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime and the American
Cancer Society estimates that during 2008 more than 186,320 new cases of prostate
cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. An estimated 28,660 will lose their lives.
African American men are more likely both to have prostate cancer and to die from it
than Caucasian or Asian men.
The organization’s planned activities will with additional contributions and volunteers
provide the means to conduct broader outreach opportunities to increase the
awareness about the prevalence of the cancer and the treatment options. Also, facts
about this advanced treatment, is supported by the current online library and with this
data the Organizations will educate the public by speaking at conferences, medical
schools and organizations.
What are the activities?
Past
- The inception of the organization started when the founder used a mailing list for
the patients group as a way to keep in touch with each other and to see how they
were doing. This became more organized and an informal newsletter was started
with a group of volunteer contacts served as a man-to-man hotline for newly
diagnosed men in the national community.
- An organizing meeting was held in Houston at the Proton Therapy Center in 2007
and from that a domain name was purchased and a starting web-site was built to
support newly diagnosed and arriving patients.
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ProtonPals, Ltd.
EIN: 80-0363780
Present
- The activities of ProtonPals, Ltd. (the Organization) are the delivery of education to
the public about the prevalence of prostate cancer, the benefits of early detection
and informed choice on mode of treatment. Volunteers from the organization
minister those of the public who are concerned about their genetic predisposition
based on family history as well as those newly diagnosed by providing information
about an advanced treatment with low to no side effects. It ministers to those who
are afflicted and in treatment about what to expect in treatment and the reported
side effects of the treatments following recovery.
- Staying current with developments in screening and treatments is done by the
directors and volunteers through studying internet publications by the national
agencies, research centers, international groups as well as meeting with other local
organizations.
Future
- The Organization’s volunteers and directors will participate in an annual Anderson
Network patient and caregiver conference in September 10-12, 2009. The Anderson
Group is a nonprofit group and the Organization will be represented at a kiosk and
use this educational opportunity to support the survivors of prostate cancer, as well
as to increase awareness of a treatment option with low side effects.
- Directors will be additionally trained in non-profit startup and grant writing classes
at the Executive Service Corps of Houston, a national non-profit organization.
- The Organization’s officers and volunteers will participate in an education
conference for proton therapy patients planned for late 2009 or early 2010 in
Houston.
- Funds will be raised by soliciting donations and applying for grants as described in
Section VIII Paragraph 4a.
Who conducts the activity?
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The presentations of information and publication activities are conducted by the
directors and founders of the organization, Joe Landry, Ban Capron, Peter Taaffe,
along with a volunteer leadership group. These men are suited for carrying out such
activities based their on professional background and experience; and have also
personally experienced the successful treatment by proton therapy. Profiles of the
directors are documented in the attachment to this form Page 3, Part V - 3a.
When is the activity conducted?
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The activities are conducted regularly throughout the year at the daily level.
Support and counseling are on a daily basis via the telephone and internet
correspondence. An electronic newsletter is sent monthly, along with advertising
and exchange of status of treatment and recovery for patients who have completed
the treatments at monthly meetings. Periodic presentations to assemblies, fund
raising and conference outreach scheduling will depend on:
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ProtonPals, Ltd.
EIN: 80-0363780
o public demand,
o budgeting, and
o availability of resources
What city is the activity conducted in?
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The Organization’s target delivery area is the national community and to some
extent the international community as reached by telephone, internet
correspondence and the web-site. Speaking engagements in monthly meetings have
been in Houston, Texas. Presentations by volunteers have been in Dallas County and
Tarrant County in the State of Texas, Hinds County in Mississippi, Washington County
Arkansas, and Chicago, Illinois. Other regions both in and out of the state will be
covered as opportunities and funding become available.
How does the activity further your exempt purposes?
-
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The Organization was formed exclusively for educational and charitable purposes.
The presentations, the newsletter, the online library of white papers, the one-onone support through the telephone hotline and the internet correspondence serve to
educate and support.
These activities are charitable in nature in that they minister to the sick, those
afflicted by prostate cancer, by informing them and their families of the
effectiveness of advanced treatment thus providing comfort and improving mental
well being. These endeavors are considered charitable in nature.
What percentage of your total time is allocated to the activity?
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The Organization allocates time as follows:
o 40%: responding to internet correspondence and telephone calls, delivery of
presentations, seminars, lectures as well as production and publication of
literary material
o 40%: administration and marketing – includes updating the web-site,
collecting experiences of treated volunteers, writing the newsletter and
other activities related to operations
o 20%: research and development – includes expanding and enhancing
educational material as well as replacing outdated material by monitoring
new developments in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, in the new treatments
of the disease, advancement in the proton therapy centers and reports from
on line patient groups.
How is the activity funded?
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Our operations are funded primarily through contributions from the directors and
volunteers but will eventually be funded from broader personal and public
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ProtonPals, Ltd.
EIN: 80-0363780
solicitations once the IRS exemption form 1023 is granted. It will include, but not
limited to individuals, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and
corporations.
List alternative names under which you operate?
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ProtonPals
Part V – Compensation and Other Financial Arrangements with Your Officers,
Directors, Trustees, Employees, and Independent Contractors.
2a. Are any of your officers, directors, or trustees related to each other through
family or business relationships? If “Yes,” identify the individuals and explain the
relationship.
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No.
3a. For each of your officers, directors, trustees, highest compensated employees,
and highest compensated independent contractors listed on lines 1a, 1b, or 1c,
attach a list showing their name, qualifications, average hours worked, and duties.
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Joseph E. Landry, President. 80 hours per month. Duties of the President are
defined in Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the ProtonPals, Ltd. Bylaws.
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Banfield R. Capron, Vice President and Secretary. 20 hours per month. Duties of
the Vice President are defined in Article 7, Paragraph 5 and 6 of the ProtonPals,
Ltd. Bylaws.
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Peter C. Taaffe, Vice President and Treasurer. 10 hours per month. Duties of the
Treasurer are defined in Article 7, Paragraph 7 of the ProtonPals, Ltd. Bylaws.
All directors and officers meet the minimum qualifications as defined by Article 3,
Section 2 of the ProtonPals, Ltd. Bylaws.
5a. Have you adopted a conflict of interest policy consistent with the sample
conflict of interest policy provided in Appendix A of Form 1023 instructions? If
“Yes,” provide a copy of the policy and explain how the policy has been adopted,
such as by resolution of your governing board.
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Yes. For a copy of ProtonPals, Ltd. Conflict of Interest Policy please refer to Exhibit
A of the ProtonPals, Ltd. Bylaws. This policy was adopted by the Board of Directors
at the first meeting of the board held on March 3, 2009.
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ProtonPals, Ltd.
EIN: 80-0363780
Part VI – Your Members and Other Individuals and Organizations That Receive
Benefits from You
1a. In carrying out your exempt purposes, do you provide goods, services, or funds
to individuals? If “Yes,” describe each program that provides goods, services, or
funds to individuals.
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Yes. The Organization provides education and ministry to individuals as part of its
services. Presentations are conducted on topics that promote education on prostate
cancer and advantage of early detection. ProtonPals, Ltd. provides white papers
and other written materials to individuals as part of its products. Literature is
written on topics that promote medical literacy and individual choice of treatment,
recovery results and side effects, and effects of nutrition and physical fitness. The
products and services are intended to educate and inspire the public to make more
informed and sensible decisions as to type of treatment. These products and
services are both educational and ministering in nature as defined by IRC 501(c) (3)
in that they improve mental well being of recovering cancer patients and their
families. This service is free to the public.
1b. in carrying out your tax exempt purposes, do you provide goods, services, or
funds to organizations? If “Yes,” describe each program that provides goods,
services, or funds to organizations.
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Yes. The Organization will provide presentations and seminars to organizations as
part of its services. These products and services are educational and literary in
nature as defined by IRC 501(c) (3). This service is free to the public.
Part VIII – Your Specific Activities
4a. Do you or will you undertake fundraising? If “Yes,” check all the fundraising
programs you do or will conduct.
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Email solicitations: The Organization will mail flyers and brochures to individuals
and organizations. These flyers and brochures will contain:
o Information about the Organization: how it was created, its history, its
geographic location, its mission, etc.
o Information about the Organization’s services: presentations and services
offered, along with resources and social support provided by the Organization
along with other non profit and religious organizations available in the
community of treatment, for example while co-locating with the treatment
centers(s) in Houston, etc.
o Information about how the recipient of the information may contribute to
further the purposes of the Organization.
o Information about how to contact the Organization on the web-site and the
one-on-one hot-line.
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ProtonPals, Ltd.
EIN: 80-0363780
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Personal solicitations: As opportunities permit, representatives of the Organization
will attend meetings, events, conferences and the like to promote the organization
and services offered. As an example, the Organization will seek opportunities via
personal networking relationships to provide presentations to social groups, business
groups and medical colleges on topics of prostate cancer awareness and advanced
proton radiation treatments.
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Foundation grant solicitations: The Organization will seek contributions from
private and public foundations that support health and medicine, education, and
human services in order to further the mission of the Organization. As an example,
one of the directors will apply for periodic volunteer grants from the corporation
foundation from which he retired. One which matches his time talent with modest
quarterly grants. Other grants will be solicited from organizations that provide
funding to support health and medicine, education, and human services.
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Accept donations on your web-site: As opportunities permit, the Organization will
make available to contributors an electronic method to accept donations. Such
methods include accepting credit card information with stated contributions as
directed by the contributor. Contributors may also use the contact information on
the web-site to send donations by mail.
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Receive donations from another organization’s web-site: As opportunities permit,
the Organization will accept donations made through another organization’s website. Such methods include indirect contributions received by other organizations on
behalf of ProtonPals, Ltd. contributors may also use the contact information on
another organization’s web-site to send donations to the Organization by mail.
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Government grant solicitations: The Organization will seek contributions from
government agencies that further the mission of the Organization. As an example,
the Organization will solicit donations from state and local government agencies
that seek to provide funding to prostate cancer awareness.
4d. List all states and local jurisdictions in which you conduct fundraising. For each
state or local jurisdiction listed, specify whether you fundraise for your own
organization, you fundraise for another organization, or another organization
fundraises for you.
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The Organization will conduct fundraising activities solely for itself primarily in the
United States with a focus on the Southwestern United States.
10. Do you or will you publish, own, or have rights in music, literature, tapes,
artworks, choreography, scientific discoveries, or other intellectual property? If
“Yes,” explain. Describe who owns or will own any copyrights, patents, or
trademarks, whether fees are or will be charged, how the fees are determined, and
how any items are or will be produced, distributed, and marketed.
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ProtonPals, Ltd.
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EIN: 80-0363780
The Organization will own copyrights for some of the material on the web-site and
will seek to control its content but will not seek profits. Fees will not be charged.
Part IX – Financial Data
9. Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or
furnishing of facilities in any activity that is related to your exempt purpose (attach
itemized list).
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The Organization estimates no receipts for newsletters, presentations and seminars
and seeks to fund support solely through public contributions.
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