About Friends

Why do we have the Friends of Advantage?

The mission of Friends is to enhance the lives of people served by Advantage Behavioral Health Systems by expanding knowledge and resources beyond those provided by families, government or insurance.

We take this mission seriously, and this means that we do everything we can to build support for Advantage’s programs, inspire individuals to volunteer with Advantage, and encourage those who have benefited from services to give back to others.

While Advantage is a "public-not-for" profit that receives a lot of funding through Grant-in-Aid and Medicaid contracts with the state, this funding now only accounts for about 50% of Advantage's budget. The agency now seeks many other avenues of funding to sustain its excellent services -- and this is where Friends comes in!

What does Friends do?

Friends pursues individual and foundation gifts which, because of its 501c3 tax-exempt status, it is eligible to receive on behalf of Advantage.

But Friends is more than a recipient of funds; we actively seek to host events, approach new donors, build membership -- and, most importantly, connect those in need with those who have a passion to help.

More than just supporting programs, Friends supports people; in the last two years, we've given a number of clients the chance to enjoy opportunities they may not have otherwise had.

We also provide funds to meet small needs for departments that are not covered by contract funds.

But we also have our eyes set on a bigger goal -- becoming a substantial part of Advantage's regular budget. Accomplishing this goal ensures that Advantage will be on sustainable footing for years to come!