Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of our most frequently asked questions. If you cannot find the answer to your questions here, please click here to contact us.
FAQs for Families & Social Workers
Compass to Care welcomes the requests of families who meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Your child is under the age of 18, has been diagnosed with cancer, and is currently in an active cancer treatment.
- Your family can demonstrate a financial need.
- You must live in and be traveling within the contiguous United States.
Compass to Care has established the following process for approving families for support:
- Your child’s Doctor, Nurse or Social Worker must initiate the process by referring your family for support.
- Once you have been referred, you will receive a link to complete the application.
- Compass to Care will contact you within 3 days to discuss support.
For families who are approved for assistance from Compass to Care, we provide the following support, based on your unique family needs:
- A Cancer Travel Navigator to make travel arrangements, if necessary
- Payments for the following, based on your need:
- Airfare
- Bus Fare
- Car Rental
- Gasoline
- Lodging
- Parking
- Taxi
- Train Fare
If you are a Doctor, Nurse, or Social Worker and would like to refer a child and family to Compass to Care for support, you will need the online link to start the application process. We only provide this link to approved medical staff. If you are a Doctor, Nurse or Social Worker, please contact us at (563) 231-0458 or Essy@CompasstoCare.org from your work email to get access to our online referral form.
Once you have completed the referral, a link will be sent to the family to complete their portion of the application for support.
If you are a parent who needs assistance from Compass to Care, you must ask your child’s Doctor, Nurse, or Social Worker to refer you for support.
FAQs for Donors, Volunteers & Supporters
Yes! You can read some of the notes of gratitude we have received from parents we have supported on our Testimonial page. You can also see what people have said about Compass to Care on our Facebook page and on GreatNonprofits.org.
If you have had a great experience with our organization, we would appreciate if you left a review as well.
Compass to Care works with volunteers throughout the year to support our events as well as business activities. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please review our open positions on our Volunteer page. If you do not see anything that is of particular interest to you, complete the online form and we will be in touch to discuss any other opportunities that may be of interest.
Compass to Care is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and all donations made to the organization are tax deductible in accordance with the law. Upon making a donation, you will receive a receipt via email, which meets the IRS requirements as a record of donation.
If you are asked to provide a paper receipt for IRS purposes, please print out your email receipt. If you need another copy of your receipt, please email Compass to Care at Accounting@CompassToCare.org and our team will reply within 2 to 4 business days.
Compass to Care has its home office in the Edison Park Neighborhood of Chicago. The organization also has a co-working space in the Millwork Collective in the Schmid Innovation Center in Dubuque.
Compass to Care makes it easy to donate to support our kids on their cancer journeys.
DONATE NOW- Click the link to make an online donation.
TEXT compasstocare to 44321 to access our mobile donation form.
MAIL a donation to either Compass to Care office.
CALL US to discuss making a donation. Our founder, Michelle Ernsdorff-May, can be reached at (312) 515-9490.