Resources for Support Group Leaders

This pilot grant program is the first of its kind at the American Tinnitus Association (ATA). It represents an important step in formally supporting our volunteer peer leaders while carefully stewarding donor-funded resources. These modest grants are intended as small, forward-looking stipends to help strengthen the relationship between ATA and volunteer support group leaders, and to support limited, mission-aligned activities moving ahead.

As a charity, ATA can only invest the resources it has available. Every program we offer is made possible by the generosity of donors who choose to support our mission. As financial support grows, so does our ability to expand and strengthen mission-based initiatives like this one. As a pilot, the program is intentionally small in scope and funding so we can learn what is most helpful and sustainable.

These grants are not designed to reimburse past expenses or serve as compensation. They are intended to provide forward-looking support for current expenses that selected volunteer leaders are incurring, such as Zoom subscriptions, materials, or meeting space. Our goal is to help.

Each awardee acknowledges an applicant agreement, which is a best practice that helps ensure clarity, accountability, and responsible stewardship of donor dollars. The agreement includes reasonable guidelines such as:

1. Follow Support Group Best Practices Guidelines
   • Confidentiality, inclusive environment, trauma-informed approach, crisis protocol (these are standard support group practices)
2. Promote ATA Resources
   • Inform participants about our free Tinnitus Advisors Program (TinnAP: 1-800-634-8978, ext. 3) so that those who need individualized guidance can speak with a trained professional
   • When someone in your group is struggling significantly or has questions best addressed individually, you have a responsible place to refer them
   • While it’s not a crisis line, TinnAP advisors are equipped to help facilitate immediate connections to appropriate professional help
   • This resource takes the pressure off leaders to be more than a peer support facilitator
3. Acknowledge ATA Support
   • Mention in your materials that you’re supported by an ATA grant
4. Maintain a Respectful Partnership
   • Cultivate and maintain a collaborative relationship with ATA
   • If you have concerns/questions about ATA, address them directly with us
5. Progress Reports
   • Provide brief reports at 6 and 12 months
   • Include basics like attendance numbers, how funds were used, what’s working well, challenges
   • Reports ensure transparency and financial accountability, reflecting our obligations as a 501(c)(3) charity
6. Maintain Financial Records
   • Standard nonprofit grant management practice
   • For annual auditing purposes, we need to document that donor funds were used as intended
   • Receipts and invoices are sufficient

Important: ATA is not evaluating meetings or dictating your approach.

If awarded, we would request that each group (if they so desire) refer to themselves as an “ATA Grant Recipient.” We plan to design an accompanying logo for recipients to use at their discretion.

No. You choose your speakers. We trust your judgment that speakers aren’t trying to promote products or treatments that would benefit themselves, or suggest that there’s a “magical” cure/answer for tinnitus and its management.

No, ATA is not actively monitoring or evaluating meetings. Occasionally, staff members may attend as participants to show support and to deepen our understanding of what support/discussion groups mean to people with tinnitus and sound sensitivity disorders. Staying connected to the lived experience of support groups helps us better advocate for this work and understand what facilitators and members need.

No. “What are your plans for the future?” should be interpreted as an open-ended question. For instance, do you plan to remain open/closed access; change the geographic area you serve, and so on. If your answer is “keep our current format,” that’s an appropriate response.

Yes. Accepted best practice is that grant recipients should provide timely receipts or documentation acknowledging the funds received and confirming their intended use, as this supports transparency, accountability, and proper stewardship of charitable resources.

No, retroactive or tiered funding is not included in this pilot program because the grants are intended to provide modest, forward-looking support to strengthen current and future collaboration with volunteer leaders, rather than to reimburse past expenses or establish ongoing funding levels.

No, fundraising is not required as part of this pilot program. At the same time, ATA cannot give what it does not have, and it is our hope that group leaders might be inspired to encourage those who are able to consider making a voluntary donation to help sustain and grow this type of support for the tinnitus community in the future.

Yes, this is a training session that we could arrange for support group leaders.

No, the grant is for support group operating expenses, not conference travel.

We are deeply grateful and acutely aware of the incredible time and care that leaders devote to running their support groups. It is significant, and we recognize the value of that commitment.
The peer support group grant is not designed to compensate volunteers for their time or to function as a paid role. Its purpose is to provide modest, forward-looking support for basic operating expenses, such as Zoom access, materials, or meeting space that help sustain volunteer-led groups.
The ATA’s Tinnitus Advisors Program (TinnAP) operates under a fundamentally different model. That program involves contracted professionals who provide one-on-one guidance based on clinical training and experience, and it includes defined scope, professional oversight, ethical standards, and regular reporting requirements. While both volunteer peer support and professional guidance play important roles in the tinnitus community, they are intentionally structured differently and are supported through separate funding and accountability frameworks.
To help support group leaders avoid burnout and manage expectations, we maintain a Support Group Leader Guide with recommendations around boundaries and scope, so the leadership role remains sustainable.

At its heart, this program is an invitation to help build something meaningful together, where pride in what we are creating naturally inspires those who care most—including volunteers and participants alike—to pay it forward so this program can grow into the kind of lasting support we all hope to see.
Our hope is that this program becomes something volunteers are so proud of that it naturally inspires them, and those they serve, to support it philanthropically and encourage others to do the same, allowing it to grow into the level of impact and financial support the community ultimately wants it to have.