About Us
Our Values
We're in this together
No one should ever have to go through this alone. Let’s work together to turn grieving into healing.
Tell it like it is
What you are going through is real. So are your Reasons to BeliEve. Let’s speak truth to our trials while expressing empathy and optimism at every opportunity.
100% Committed
100% of all donations - every single penny - are put towards helping others rebuild. Our founders cover all administrative costs.
Take everything personally
Your child was everything. So we take extra care during the EVEalution process, with members of our board personally vested in every application and decision.
Grassroots and Star Gazing
It’s the little things that matter, and we will miss most. Let’s harness the power of human connection to strengthen each other while spreading our message of hope.
BeliEve in Better
No one knows how precious (and imperfect) life is like someone whose child has died. But we can help make it better- one family at a time.
Clark and Margo Gassen know firsthand that nothing worth building is ever easy, especially a family.
After undergoing IVF therapy for their first two children, they decided to fully commit themselves to the next phase of parenting. Then in a moment as miraculous as it was impromptu, Eve made her presence felt in utero. And everything changed.
Her life force was powerful. The hopes and dreams they shared for their daughter were infinite.
On June 22, 2017, Eve was unexpectedly stillborn at 38 weeks due to a true knot in the umbilical cord – rocking a family to the core while laying the groundwork for personal transformation and an entirely new kind of foundation.
In his personal grieving, Clark sought respite at Faith’s Lodge. There he met other parents whose lives had been razed by bereavement. People who understood how much you can love someone you’ve never met, and how hard it is to pick up the pieces emotionally and spiritually.
It was then, listening to their stories and sharing in their grief, that he came to realize how challenging it is to recover from the trauma of losing a child when you’re also overwhelmed financially. Hospital bills, unpaid work leave, funeral and travel expenses – they pile on to the feeling of powerlessness, further preventing families from beginning to rebuild.
For the Gassens, the idea that someone in mourning would also have to worry about money was as unacceptable as it was unimaginable. So on the final day of his stay at Faith’s Lodge, Clark walked to the front desk and paid for his room. Then he paid for everyone else’s – no questions asked, no thanks required. A simple act of kindness inspired by the incalculable love for a daughter.
This was the day our foundation was born. Eve’s promise will continue to be paid forward – every day, at every opportunity.
Board of BeliEvers
Honesty, empathy, passion, patience and generosity—these are the ideals that form the foundation of our Foundation, and the criteria we followed for choosing each of our volunteer board members. We think Eve would have approved.
Ashok Dhariwal
Ashok is the owner of YogaFit Studios in the Twin Cities. YogaFit's mission is to make yoga and fitness more accessible to everyone. Ashok has also worked in domestic and international retail for Target, UnitedHealth Group and Arthur Anderson. He is very active in the larger community and hosts frequent yoga events supporting local nonprofits.
Matthew Gassen
Matthew's background is in commercial real estate financing, and as a business owner with HOA Capital. Matthew enjoys life's relationships personally, professionally, and philanthropically - connecting people who need solutions with his company or through The BeliEve Foundation's mission. He has had friends experience the loss of a child and is committed to building a strong network of support for them and others experiencing loss. Witnessing those experiences changed his outlook on resources available to families in need, and refocused his energy to help others anyway possible.
David Gigerich
David has always been an entrepreneur starting his first company, Workstations International, at the age of 26. He is currently Chairman of Alliance Recycling Group, a metal recycling business based in Minneapolis with operations throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. David experienced grief firsthand when his 19-year-old son, Duncan, died in a car accident in 2018. His involvement in The BeliEve Foundation has given him a way to help others who have experienced the devasting loss of a child.
Kelly McDyre
Grieving parents became a priority in Kelly’s world in 2010 after the sudden death of her 12-year-old nephew, Carter. She brought her experience in events and fundraising to Faith’s Lodge in 2012 and now serves as their President and CEO. She was recognized in 2016 as a Mpls./St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business honoree and was named by BizWomen as one of the “100 Women to Watch in the US.” Kelly is proud to serve on the board of The BeliEve Foundation and see the direct and lasting impact that their gifts bring to grieving families in Minnesota.
Gregory D. Soule
Greg is a real estate attorney with Malkerson Gunn Martin in Minneapolis. A committed, but imperfect, Christian, Greg and his wife have three adult children. He also had a younger brother with Downs Syndrome, who taught him patience, compassion for the less able, unconditional love, and what it’s like to ask God the “Why?” question.
Kurt Vickman
As both a non- and for-profit entrepreneur, Kurt has built and led successful start-ups for much of his life. After experientially engaging thousands of church members to be a force for good with Upper Room, he founded Good Grocer where volunteers gain access to healthy foods at affordable prices and discover their gift for contributing. Kurt had the amazing privilege of baptizing Eve alongside Margo and Clark when she was born. That experience changed his life and has fueled a deep desire to practically help other families experiencing the pain of losing a child.
Kevin Wright
Kevin has worked in the manufactured housing industry since 1997. In 2016, he helped found Red Pine Communities, which owns and manages over 1500 affordable housing sites. Kevin has a passion for helping others. His older brother Brian was lost at birth and Kevin's parents didn't have access to grief support resources. Being part of The BeliEve Foundation is a true blessing for Kevin and gives light to his own family's loss.
"You were born silent. Perfect and beautiful. Still loved. Still missed. Still remembered. Everyday. Stillborn but Still born."
~Michelle Salisbury
Nothing that can prepare a parent for when their child is stillborn. But as a society, we can be better prepared to help acknowledge their loss and give proper recognition to the birth of their child. Independently funded by our founders, Still Together is our initiative to working with parents and state leaders to ensure families in all states receive a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth that reflects a deeper understanding of and greater sensitivity towards this life-changing event.
Want to learn more? Contact Us
How to apply for Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth: MDH Application for CBRS