Our Impact

funding research that is changing lives

We are in the midst of a profound cultural shift. The November 2014 elections brought about more change in the way we think about marijuana and its medical benefits. Our November nonprofit, MAPS, is at the forefront of cutting-edge research with psychedelic and medical marijuana therapy to help those with various mental health conditions.

MAPS projects that by the middle of 2015, they will complete Phase 2 of their MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, treating about 90 subjects. Additionally, they plan to complete their initial Phase 2 pilot study of MDMA-assisted therapy for autistic adults with social anxiety, and will begin a new Phase 2 study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening illness. As we highlighted in our Q&A, these studies are changing lives and seeing tangible results. Additionally, this work is helping break the cycle of dependence on prescription medications because therapies are only administered a few times to treat any given condition.

In November, the Altruist community raised $115 to help fund this much-needed research. While donations to research tend to help pay for staffing and are harder to quantify, our contribution could end up funding important needs like drug supplies and medical monitoring costs to ensure the highest levels of safety.

As our community of 106 members continues to grow, our impact will only become more profound. We will continue to bring you stories of how we are making real change in the world and the impact your dollar has on the nonprofits we support.

If you’re as inspired as we are, consider becoming an Altruist. Learn more about our community and how we’re crowdsourcing philanthropy $1 at a time at joinAltruist.com