The Adopt-An-Agency program establishes a relationship between Sertoma and a nonprofit hearing and speech facility. It is a practical way for a club to help a local organization and promote Sertoma’s national mission of SERvice TO MAnkind.

Sertoma’s partnership with these agencies, known as Affiliates, expands awareness in the community to the pervasiveness of communicative disorders and the resulting impact on the lives of individuals and their families. In the future, we hope that all of our local Affiliates will be the vehicle to help those in need receive hearing aids or speech therapy at little or no cost.

Sertoma Affiliates must be a 501(C)3 or tax status equivalent, including schools or school districts or departments, colleges or universities, that provide direct services, education or research related to helping those with communicative disorders. The more than 180 participants in the Adopt-An-Agency program include hearing and speech service centers, speech pathology and audiology clinics, departments at universities and hospitals, schools districts and various other non-profit organizations.

With an annual fee of $200.00 paid either by the facility or sponsoring club, Sertoma Affiliates receive various benefits:

• Community Grants: These grants are for hearing health programs and projects, between $2,500 and $5,000. Hearing health equipment, program supplies, screenings, new program development, and support groups are opportunities that can be financed.

• Professional Education Grants - These grants enable Affiliate staff members to attend conferences and trainings that greatly expand their ability to serve the hearing health industry. The impact of just one of these grants, up to $425 per fiscal year, can be seen in the hundreds of lives these professionals touch each year. Acceptable workshops and conferences include those sponsored by ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association), AAA (American Academy of Audiology), and other State Speech & Hearing Associations.

• Sertoma Purchasing Cooperative - Affiliates receive discounts on hearing aids, batteries, therapy materials and audiology and speech pathology equipment from leading suppliers, including Widex Hearing Aid Company, Oticon and Phonak, Inc. among others.

Finally, there is a mutual benefit to the Affiliate and Sertoma Club from this relationship. Many Affiliates have staff who become Sertoma members expanding support and service in the community. The Affiliate’s facility can also receive direct financial assistance and volunteer support from the club. To see a list of Sertoma Affiliates, please see the Affiliate Directory.