The Giving Back Fund

Nova Heaven is a moving tribute to the 405 lives tragically lost at the Supernova Festival in Israel on October 7th, 2023. This installation has been co-created by a team of Supernova Festival producers, participants, Tribe of Nova founders, and longtime Burners. The 140 foot across iconic shade structure is a replica of Supernova Festival site main stage. 405 wood carved angels floating up the six spiral pilers of stairways that are ascending to heaven. Each one bears a name of someone we lost too soon, creating a celestial and poignant display of remembrance. Illuminated from within, it casts a gentle, ethereal glow, offering a serene space for reflection and healing on the playa. The 40 foot wide, 12 foot high metal arch strongly proclaims "We Will Dance Again".

Burning Man shows us how art can be used to celebrate life - to express the joy of awakening so that Burners can experience this world in a healing light. In that vein the Super Nova Festival used music and dance to achieve the same awakening, through inclusion, togetherness, peace, and love. Please help us to bring "Nova Heaven'' to life at Burning Man. The total cost for this project is $130,000. Your tax-deductible donations will directly fund the materials, transportation, and installation of this meaningful piece. This is more than just an art installation; it is a space for collective healing and a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. By contributing, you are not only honoring those who lost their lives but also supporting a community's journey toward healing and hope.

To us, "Nova Heaven" is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of profound loss. It is a space where participants can connect with memories of those lost, find solace, and draw strength from shared experiences. This installation is a message of hope and resilience, reminding us all that the human spirit can prevail even in the darkest times.

Together, we can create a space that honors the past, heals the present, and inspires the future. Help us spread light and love in remembrance of those we lost.

Thank you for your generosity and support. Together, we will dance again.

Perks*

Gifting is one of the core principals of Burning Man. For those who participate in raising funds, we will mail you our various playa gifts after the burn.

• $250+ | Newly designed Nova shirt with each of the names of those we lost that day.
• $500+ | Nova shirt and our custom playa gift; a wristband that is a modified replica of the Supernova Festival bracelets.
• $1,000+ | Nova shirt, playa gift, and the gift for Guardians of the art piece. Guardians rotate through 6 hours shifts at a time 24/7 during the Burn to ensure meaningful connections are made to the art piece.
• $2,500+ | All of the above plus our one-of-a-kind custom made necklace with "We will dance again" engraved in silver. This is limited to the core crew of artist and builders and you!

Foundation for Blind and Visually Impaired Holocaust Survivors is through The Giving Back Fund, a 501(c)3 non-profit.

There is an urgent need to support Holocaust survivors that are experiencing vision loss. Here are the facts:

• 20% of all individuals 85+ have visual impairments

• electronic magnification devices, or glass magnifiers, to read books and mail
• if an individual's vision loss is too significant to benefit from magnification, then devices that convert text-to-speech to to read mail are helpful, as well as a Talking Books Player to listen to books
• tactile markings to use the microwave and other appliances
• talking watches or large print watches
• emotional support/vision loss support groups
• transportation assistance
• a landline telephone with large print numbers (it is essential to be able to make phone call in an emergency)
• training on how to use 'Siri' or 'OK Google' to make phone calls on a smartphone
• training on vision loss safety

One of the most heartbreaking parts of the COVID-19 crisis is that many people are dying alone. Their family members are losing their chance to say goodbye to loved ones because hospitals aren’t allowing visitors due to the crisis. There is story after story of family members calling to hospital staff in an effort to speak to their sick family members and they don’t always get through in time.

On March 27th, Sara Rodell  received a text from a friend trying to get tablets to the New York Nurses Union for this exact reason. Hospital staff had begun to use their personal devices to give family members a chance to say goodbye to critically ill patients. But personal devices of staff members aren’t enough, not everyone has a smartphone - and this shouldn’t be the way people lose their last moments with loved ones.

That’s how we began the work of finding smart devices and getting them in the hands of hospital workers to connect families.  

Everyone deserves the dignity to say goodbye. And surviving family members need that goodbye moment to hold onto.  

It’s a big problem, and it’s getting bigger. 

40 hospitals in the New York area have already requested devices from us and we’re in the process of securing devices for them. We’ve seen 3,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the US (as of March 31, 2020) and the number keeps on rising.  This crisis isn’t over and there are 6,000 hospitals in the United States that could use the help.

We are raising $1,000,000 in partnership with our fiscal sponsor, The Giving Back Fund, to purchase 10,000 tablets to deliver to the hospitals and nursing homes most in need. These tablets will have Zoom, Messenger, WhatsApp and Skype installed to make it easier for patients and their loved ones to connect directly. 

Here's how it works: 

1. Donated devices are shipped to Loop & Tie’s distribution centers. 
2. We match devices with hospitals and hospice centers in need. 
3. Donated devices are shipped out to eligible hospital programs.
4. Family members get a chance to say goodbye.

100% of donations will be used to purchase and ship devices.

Thank you in advance for your generous donation.

With love and support, 

Sara Rodell
Benish Shah
Anjali Kumar
Christina Wallace
Kristina Libby
Greg Wong
Raj Suri
Stacy Rademacher
Joanne Gould Kuntz MD
Margaret Stewart
Eileen Toback, NY Professional Nurses Union (NYPNU)
Wendy R Anderson
Katie Stanton

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WAIT - I HAVE QUESTIONS. We get it. Here are our answers.

Who is behind this effort?
COVID Tech Connect  (a group of women  brought together by Sara Rodell and the team at Presto) are working with manufacturers who want to donate wifi-enabled smart devices and ensuring the devices are getting to hospitals in need.  

How do you decide which hospital gets the devices?
Hospitals and hospice programs must apply to the program to request devices. The need is high and we are prioritizing public hospitals based on: (1) first come first served, (2) the concentration of cases in city/state; (3) the number of units requested; and (4) whether the request source can be verified.  We are working with an independent consultant with years of experience in the healthcare industry to review submissions that meet the criteria. 

Wait, why wouldn’t patients have their own smart devices?
Many patients arrive through the ER and have left their phones at home. Others don’t have access to their phones because it is with personal belongings and the battery has died. Doctors and nurses don’t always have access to the patient’s personal belongings and even if they could access the smart device, they may not have the passcode.

Can I donate my personal device?
Right now we’re delivering batches of clean devices pre-loaded with the right software to the hospitals. Individual devices aren’t being collected to ensure that every device sent to the hospital is in good condition and is ready to go upon arrival. 

I’m a hospital worker and we need devices. 
Unfortunately, this pandemic knows no boundaries. If you’re a hospital and nursing home and want to connect, please complete our device request form  . Requests are reviewed on a rolling basis.  For more information, find us at CovidTechConnect .

Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes. COVID Tech Connect is a fiscally-sponsored project at THE GIVING BACK FUND, INC., a nonprofit corporation with tax exemption status from the IRS under code 501c3.

Why did you pick this organization?
The Giving Back Fund is a reputable fiscal sponsor for philanthropic projects. Our team of volunteers is partnering directly with them to handle fundraising for this initiative. 

What happens to the tablets after the crisis passes?
Hospitals and nursing homes will be able to utilize the tablets for patient communication beyond the COVID-19 crisis. The devices will allow patients to stay in touch with their families throughout their care and recovery.

I run a company called FoodtoEat. At FoodtoEat, we partner with immigrant, women, and minority-owned restaurants in New York City and assist in book catering jobs for them at corporate offices throughout the city. We have partnered with companies like Warby Parker, The Skimm, and Microsoft.

With everyone working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, our business - and by extension our restaurant partners - are taking a huge hit. No one in the office means no orders or revenue for our restaurant partners.

OUR ASK

We are asking for individuals to place catering orders through us  or to donate directly to us through this campaign. With the donations that come in, we will place orders with our restaurant partners and donate all the orders to shelters and food banks in New York City. We will be partnering with the institutions serving the most vulnerable folks during this unprecedented time.

YOUR IMPACT

Every donation/order directly impacts three separate constituencies: 1) underserved, vulnerable individuals; 2) our restaurant partners; and 3) FoodToEat.

With folks (rightly) working from home, restaurants across the U.S. are seeing 50-90% declines in business, forcing many to already shut their doors for good. We're trying to help the food community - which touches every corner of our lives - survive these trying times.

Your contribution will directly help them offset the declines they're seeing in their core business, while also nourishing the life of someone else in need.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes. Our campaign is a fiscally-sponsored project at THE GIVING BACK FUND, INC., a nonprofit corporation with tax exemption status from the IRS under code 501c3. The Giving Back Fund is a reputable fiscal sponsor for philanthropic projects. Our team of volunteers is partnering directly with them to handle fundraising for this initiative.