Fund a Life

Mission: To ignite hope by funding lives.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded by Mark Howell in Brighton MI in 2017. In 2012, Mark was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma, two short weeks after his oldest son was born. He and his wife were in the dark, overwhelmed, facing unimaginable physical and financial obstacles…and that’s when our local Brighton community stepped in. Friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and complete strangers raised over $200,000 for Mark and his family to go outside the restrictions of our health insurance in search of a treatment – in search of a cure.

Eleven years later, He is still here – a walking, breathing, real-life miracle. He defied all of the odds the doctors laid out . Although it took much more than money to save his life, the money provided key resources and precious hope that took all of the unneeded stress out of the most stressful of situations. To simply say ‘thank you’ has never felt like enough. In 2017, he founded Fund a Life, and his THANK YOU to everyone who helped us now comes in the form of dedication.

To put it simply, we issue financial grants to individuals and families when they need it most.

The grants vary in size, with the average grant amount around $5,000. To date, Fund a Life has awarded more than 160 grants, totaling over $1,000,000. We know that although money can’t buy miracles, it can ignite hope in the most desperate and difficult of circumstances.

Thanks to the support of our supporters, donors, and Mission Partners, the grants awarded by Fund a Life shine light in the darkest moments, offering a sense of relief, support, and community during someone’s most challenging and vulnerable times.

We have 4 major fundraising events during the year along with administration volunteer opportunities.