About - Upside Fund

The Upside Fund was born from love, loss, and the belief that even in our darkest moments, there can still be light.

The fund was inspired by the passing of my best friend, Jason Gaviati, and my dad, Stephen J. Stirling. Watching them navigate the U.S. medical system opened my eyes to how unforgiving, stressful, and deeply flawed it can be. Jason didn’t have insurance, and the delays in his care cost him precious time. My dad did have insurance and still, insurance limited his options.

But more important than how they died is how they lived.

Jason and my dad shared an extraordinary gift: they made people feel truly seen. At Jason’s funeral, hundreds of people showed up and every single one believed they were his best friend. (We all know he was actually mine, but that’s beside the point.) To this day, I’m stopped by strangers while traveling who tell me my dad was their high school teacher and that he changed their life.

They led with kindness. They showed up for people. They loved deeply.

I wanted to carry forward their legacy of love and light by bringing hope to people in moments that feel overwhelming and dark. I try to do that through how I live, how I perform and now, through The Upside Fund.

Together, we help lift some of life’s heaviest burdens by paying medical bills and expanding access to mental health care. Because everyone deserves dignity, care, and support, especially when they need it most.

ABOUT UPSIDE FUND

The Upside Fund, founded by Lindsey Stirling, is dedicated to making healthcare and mental healthcare more accessible for all. Through direct support and advocacy, the Fund works across two key pillars:

Equitable Healthcare & Debt Relief – Helping individuals burdened by medical debt and promoting affordable, ethical care solutions.
Mental Health Access & Advocacy – Raising awareness, expanding access to care, and reducing stigma around mental health challenges.

We partner with vetted non-profit organizations who are experts in each area by providing grants and amplifying their message. Our current partners include Undue Medical Debt and Dollar For (medical debt relief) and The National Alliance for Eating Disorders (mental health) and we plan to include additional organizations in the future.

In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Upside helped raise over $200,000 to go directly to people struggling with medical bills, housing costs, and living expenses.

Now, since its founding in 2020, The Upside has helped eliminate over $20 million in medical debt through these strategic partnerships.

DID YOU KNOW?

In addition to our strategic partners, Lindsey and Upside Fund also made significant contributions to MusiCares and California Community Foundation to help in their wildfire relief efforts after the devastating LA wildfires in January.

Medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the USA

80% of medical bills contain errors

Non-profit hospitals are legally required to offer financial assistance, known as Charity Care, to low and middle income patients.

Many people, even with insurance, incur medical debt because they are either under-insured or insured by bad plans.

The total amount of medical debt in the US is at least $220 billion!

Approximately 30 million Americans will suffer with an eating disorder in their lifetime but only 20% of them will receive treatment

Nearly 20% of all American adults experience a mental illness each year yet only about 47% receive treatment

Many Americans face challenges covering treatment even when they do seek it thanks to denied or limited coverage by their insurance providers

Despite being one of the wealthiest countries, 1 in 6 households with children face food insecurity. Many are living in “food deserts” – areas where fresh food and veggies are hard to find.

Less than 50% of US schools provide adequate nutrition education

Over 80% of the food ads kids see on TV are for ultra-processed or junk foods

In the US, zip code is a better predictor of a person’s health rather than their genetic code