Global Weekly Update September 12, 2011
Urgent Action: Senate Sign-On Letter on Global Fund Closes This Friday!
If the momentum of the last decade is maintained and countries continue to scale up programs at the current rate, malaria could be eliminated as a public health problem in most endemic countries and indeed there would be hope for a world without malaria deaths by 2015 . . . And it might be possible to virtually eliminate transmission of HIV from mothers to their children.
— The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria 2010 Progress Report
Take in the words above! We can achieve amazing things, if the momentum continues. The problem is that momentum is being put at risk by unwise budget cuts. Is it really smart to shortchange low-cost programs that are working, saving lives, and offering the hope captured in the statement above? Some in Congress, particularly the House, are willing to halt that momentum. Our hopes are now pinned on the Senate to make sure that we continue to invest adequately in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). We need your help!
Senator Gillibrand of New York is circulating a sign-on letter to the heads of the Appropriations Committee, calling on them to increase funding for PEPFAR and the GFATM so that we can continue making progress on these diseases. The U.S. made a pledge of $4 billion over three years. We need to make sure that we keep that promise.
- Use our action alert to call your senators about signing on to the Gillibrand letter. The action alert will provide you with the words to say. Please make two phone calls today.
- If you want to take a more powerful action, call the your senators’ offices, ask for the foreign policy aide and make your request directly with him or her.
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One-Quarter of the Way to 100 Cosponsors of the Education for All Act
We set a goal of gathering 100 cosponsors for the bipartisan Education for All Act of 2011 by October 1. We currently have 25 representatives listed below. Congratulations to activists who got their representatives to cosponsor! But, we don’t have much time left. The only way we will get to 100 is if you take action.
Why is 100 so important? One hundred cosponsors will tell the President that Congress and the people care about educating children around the globe. It will let him know that we want our global education investment to be used wisely by investing in organizations like the Global Partnership for Education (formerly FTI). Can you get one more representative to cosponsor? Here are your tools:
- Action Alerts: Send a letter or make a call to your representative’s office on the EFA Act of 2011.
- Call the foreign policy aide in your representative’s office and use our EFA laser talk to make a even more powerful request.
- Write a letter to the editor using our online tool.
Current cosponsors (25): Connolly, Gerald; Jackson, Jesse; McGovern, Jim; Castor, Kathy; Richardson, Laura; Conyers, John; Hinchey, Maurice; Serrano, Jose; Schakowsky, Jan; Heinrich, Martin; Blumenauer, Earl; Holt, Rush; Honda, Michael; Ellison, Keith; Woolsey, Lynn; Johnson, Hank; Lee, Barbara; Lewis, John; McDermott, Jim; Moore, Gwen; Olver, John W.; Yarmuth, John A.; Smith, Adam; Reichert, David G.; Lowey, Nita.
See the cosponsors of the 2010 Education for All Act. These representatives should be easy to get on the Education for All Act of 2011.
The Beginning of the End of AIDS: World AIDS Day 2012
December 1 is a global day of action to fight the deadly epidemic that still infects 2.7 million new people and claims 2 million lives annually. These are sobering numbers, but this year World AIDS Day comes after a string of stunning scientific advances that has fundamentally altered the possibilities in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The end of the AIDS epidemic is within our grasp. Here’s how you can be involved:
- Plan an outreach event to build HIV/AIDS awareness in your community with local AIDS groups. Use this World AIDS Day resource page and fact sheet to help you plan.
- Apply for a World AIDS Day mini-grant. REF offers grassroots groups the opportunity to apply for funding through a grant application process. These grants are awarded for community advocacy activities such as large outreach events, film screenings, and media stunts that promote TB and TB-HIV advocacy. The grants range up to $5,000 and must be administered by a current RESULTS partner. Applications are available now and will be reviewed starting Sept. 12. The deadline for applications is Oct. 31.
- Have World AIDS Day be your kick off to the RESULTS International Conference July 21–24, 2012. Next year the RESULTS IC will coincide with the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, and this presents some amazing opportunities for activism. Read RESULTS/REF Executive DirectorJoanne Carter’s remarks on why this moment matters.
RESULTS Fundraising News
As many of you know, we’re proud of our successful fundraising tradition of the annual Friends and Family letter-writing campaign. Through Friends and Family, we send personal letters to people close to us asking them to invest in RESULTS. This longstanding campaign has been key in garnering new and monthly donors.
The commitment of our grassroots volunteers is the foundation of Friends and Family. So, when we heard from many of you that you felt it could be improved, we listened, and we agreed. In response, we’re introducing some improvements. First, the Friends and Family campaign, which is usually in the fall, will now take place in early spring. Research shows donations can be increased by spreading our donation requests throughout the year. Traditionally, our annual end-of-year appeal to all donors from our office overlaps with Friends and Family. By moving Friends and Family to the spring, we’ll capitalize on a time when we don’t typically receive donations. This move will also allow us to take advantage of new donor database software we’ll be implementing in the upcoming months to better serve the grassroots and donors.
In addition, we are planning some other changes to make the process easier and more rewarding for you. For example, every partner will have the option of creating an online personal fundraising webpage you can share via e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. You’ll be able to track donors inspired by your request and see your progress by viewing a thermometer graph on your page. Also, our new database will allow us to give you clearer reports of donor activity sorted by group, RESULTS partner, or other categories. We look forward to implementing these changes and making our annual Friends & Family Campaign even more successful.
Of course, groups wishing to continue their successful fall letter-writing fundraisers are more than welcome to do so and we are happy to support you in those efforts. Also, we will continue to hold fundraising events throughout the year, including many this fall (see the complete list on the RESULTS Blog; if you know people in these cities, please invite them to attend). If you do want to continue your Friends and Family campaign in the fall or want help organizing a RESULTS fundraising event this year or next, please contact Cindy Levin know at [email protected] and we’ll get you the support you need. We are here to support you!
Thank you for all you do to keep RESULTS strong and thriving!
Poverty is the worst form of violence.
— Mahatma Gandhi
September 14: RESULTS Introductory Call. 9:00 pm ET. Invite new people and have them register today!
September 21 Release of ACTION’s Children and TB report and grassroots webinar at 9 pm ET. Join on-line webinar here. Call in using this number: (775) 996-3560, passcode: 796141.
September 29 and October 13: Two-session RESULTS New Activist Orientation, 9 pm ET. (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262
September 16–18: Millennium Campus Network Conference for college students interested in the MDGs
September 26: RESULTS Introductory Call. Register today!
October 8: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709
November 12: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709
July 21–24, 2012: RESULTS International Conference in DC