An interview with Austyn Marks of Team Fox, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research on June 16, 2023 by George Ackerman, Ph.D, J.D.
Biography
Austyn is an Officer on Team Fox specializing in stewardship, portion of proceeds fundraisers, and first-time fundraisers. She provides hands-on support to individuals and businesses along their fundraising journey and works to create community between Team Fox fundraisers through online and in-person moments of connection and activation. Prior to joining The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Austyn worked with major donors at Facing History and Ourselves. She received her BA in History from the University of Michigan, and lives in New York City. In her free time, Austyn enjoys practicing yoga, baking cookies, visiting museums and art galleries, and playing chess.
Please tell me a little about your background and what got you involved with awareness.
I’ve worked at various nonprofits throughout my career and have always been interested in social justice movements and making the world a better place. At previous jobs, I found it oftentimes hard to find an audience of people motivated to fundraise for the cause. Our Team Fox community comes to us with their ideas and passions, and we help them achieve their fundraising goals. While I did not have a Parkinson’s disease (PD) connection coming into my work on Team Fox, I have quickly found Team Fox members, who have quickly become friends and family—and inspire me to show up for the PD community every day. They are the strongest, most dedicated people I know. They host fundraisers, advocate for themselves, and their community, and achieve incredible feats. I feel lucky to work with them every day.
A message from Michael J. Fox, Founder of Team Fox.
“Have you ever noticed that optimism, energy and generosity are contagious? There’s something about watching someone you know take on a cause that makes you want to get involved too. That’s the big idea behind Team Fox.”
-Michael J. Fox, Founder.
Can you tell me more about Team Fox?
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is the wider umbrella organization we are a part of. Team Fox is the community fundraising arm of the Foundation. Team Fox was started in 2006 from a group of individuals with PD or who knew a loved one with PD, who wanted to get involved in the fight themselves—by hosting their own events and activating their communities to fundraise for high-impact PD research. Team Fox was started by, and revolves around, the PD community. We started with twelve individuals and are now in the tens of thousands. We have Team Fox members across the United States and around the world.
Team Fox is the grassroots community fundraising program of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Since 2006, Team Fox members worldwide have been turning their passions and interests into opportunities to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s research. Every penny donated by Team Fox members goes straight to our high-impact research programs to help speed a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
What is your passion and how did you get involved in Parkinson’s awareness and hope for a cure?
Coming to the foundation, I did not have a PD connection. But, through my work with the PD community, I’ve connected with incredible people with PD, who have a family member or loved one with PD, and those who work with the PD community, and have gotten to know them well. The members I work with have quickly become friends and family. It is beautiful to watch them achieve milestones—both personal and fundraising. During my time on Team Fox, I’ve had Team Fox members who have gotten married, or expanded their family, and it’s been the pleasure of a lifetime to be able to celebrate big, exciting moments with Team Fox members, and to be there for them during the hard times as well. I am lucky to know them, learn from them, and be in community with them.
What type of goals do individuals with Parkinson’s have when working with you?
People come to Team Fox with various goals—both fundraising-oriented, and personal. What makes Team Fox special is that members from around the world bring their unique passions to our team, and we give the community members the tools to be able to use their passions to fundraise for high-impact PD research. They activate their family, friends, and hometown communities, and get them involved in the cause—from fundraising, to advocacy, to raising awareness about PD, and how people with PD can still live a fulfilling life—to participating in a run, walk, pancake breakfast, etc. for a cure. Team Fox shows the many ways for community members to accomplish personal goals, hone their passions, and work toward a greater cause.
More than 6 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) — the second most common neurological disorder. In the United States, approximately 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year alone. Currently, there is no known cure for Parkinson’s.
What type of training and how long are the programs?
A community member comes to us through the Team Fox email inbox. We ask them to set up a fundraising page. Then we have a call to hear about their fundraising plans and see how we can best support them. Oftentimes, individuals have no experience fundraising or hosting an event. With our guidance and tailored resources, and their incredible hard work and dedication, they can put on events and educate their community and fundraise very effectively. We empower people and give them the tools to be able to put on events themselves.
Team Fox is the grassroots community fundraising program at The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF). As the world’s largest nonprofit funder of PD research, MJFF is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today.
Team Fox Do-It-Yourself
Team Fox members worldwide are turning their passions into successful fundraising events — from hosting pancake breakfasts to organizing local 5Ks.
Team Fox Do-it-Yourself
Run/Walk and Cycling Series
Join a Foundation- hosted Run/Walk event or a Tour de Fox cycling event. Every mile moves us one step closer to a cure for Parkinson’s.
Join an Event
Team Fox Endurance Events
Whether running in a popular marathon or summiting a major peak across the globe, choose from a wide variety of endurance events to help advance our mission.
Team Fox Young Professionals
The Team Fox Young Professionals (YPs) are groups of proactive individuals, commonly in their 20s and 30s, who dedicate their time and ideas to help raise funds and awareness in their communities.
Browse Young Professionals Networks
Portion of Proceeds
Team Fox members are entrepreneurial when it comes to utilizing innovative businesses and crafty projects to fundraise. Many members of our community portion of proceeds sales to engage their networks in supporting vital Parkinson’s disease research.
Portion of Proceeds (PoP)
Celebration Fundraising
Use your wedding, Bar or Bat Mitzvah, birthday, retirement, or other special celebration to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. Register for a fundraising page to accept donations, or request commemorative favor cards with our signature orange logo to share with guests on your big day!
See https://www.michaeljfox.org/be-fundraiser-0
What effect can Team Fox events have on an individual with Parkinson’s?
The best part of Team Fox, I think, is the community. When you become a Team Fox member you tap into a community of people working towards the same cause—with varying passions and interests, but who are putting their resources and energy towards raising awareness for PD and to ultimately finding a cure. I believe it’s empowering to find and work alongside others—some of whom might be going through similar life experiences and struggles, and work together, cheer one another on, and celebrate each other’s victories.
Register with Team Fox using the ‘Be a Fundraiser’ button above to gain access to a customizable fundraising page with a unique URL that can be shared with your network via email, text message, and social media. https://give.michaeljfox.org/campaign/2023-team-fox-diy/c432900?c_src=ap-a1bHq00000AlQKG
What would you like to see as a future goal for Team Fox?
I would love to expand the program—in terms of reaching new financial goals for the Foundation, but also to expand to reach areas of the country and world where folks aren’t able to feel Team Fox’s presence as strongly. I’d also love for our program to reach more people with PD. Making sure they have a community, feel hopeful and inspired, and that they don’t feel alone.
What events do you participate in?
I have the privilege of working with first time fundraisers from across the country and have had the opportunity to travel to their events to offer hands-on support—from Seattle, WA, to Boston, MA, to Chicago, IL and more. I also work with businesses who want to donate portions to Team Fox—and supported their dine-ins, bake sales, jewelry sales, etc. I also work on our MVP Awards Weekend—an in-person celebration of our fundraisers from the past year whose fundraising exceeded $10,000. Being able to support Team Fox members in person and see their hard work translated into an event, with their community behind them, is the best part of my job.
How does Team Fox also assist the caregivers?
Team Fox helps caregivers because by joining our program and working with a Team Fox staffer, we can provide them with resources tailored to their needs, introduce them to others who have asked the same questions, and might be going through similar struggles, and to provide them with hope. A caretaker’s journey can be just as difficult as someone who is diagnosed themselves. It can be an isolated experience. So, if we can help them feel empowered, inspired, hopeful, and connected, then we did a good job.
How can someone get in touch? What is your website?
https://www.michaeljfox.org/be-fundraiser-0 via phone at 212-509-0995 or
Email: teamfox@michaeljfox.org
https://give.michaeljfox.org/campaign/2023-team-fox-diy/c432900?c_src=ap-a1bHq00000AlQKG
If you had one final statement or quote you could leave for the Parkinson’s community, what would it be?
I wake up every morning excited to go to work because I get to work with the most motivated, dedicated, strong, and inspiring people I have ever met. Thank you all for your continuous courage, to put yourself out there, achieve incredible things, and inspire others. You have changed my life, and I know you have also changed the lives of so many others.
Here. Until Parkinson’s isn’t.
Join us as we work to find a cure for the 6 million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s.
To Sign up https://www.michaeljfox.org/be-fundraiser-0