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The Promise of Tomorrow
A message from Jennie Spotila, JD, Chairman What a promising time to be a part of the CFIDS Association. This year we’ve focused our energy on research. With the help of the CFS community, The Campaign to Accelerate CFS Research has been a resounding success. Thank you! As a result the Association is poised to propel CFS discovery to the next level. But as a national nonprofit health organization, the CFIDS Association of America serves you and members of the CFS community in so many other ways besides research – through public awareness and education, policy advocacy in Washington, provider education, and patient education and support. These services are not possible without the ongoing financial commitment of donors like you. Unrestricted gifts enable the Association to provide all these services, which impact everyone in the CFS community. In fact, this year gifts from individual donors like you make up 87% of our income (excluding government grants for specific awareness-building projects). Membership dues represent only a fraction of our budget, and primarily cover the costs of producing our quarterly magazine, the CFIDS Chronicle. That’s why I’m appealing to you today – to ask you to make a generous gift so we can continue our fight to conquer this debilitating illness. So we can maintain hope. So we can realize The Promise of Tomorrow. Because of the CFIDS Association of America, you’re not alone. I should know; I have CFS. This illness ended my career and left me unable to earn a living. Like you, I’m depending upon the Association to lead me to the day when I get my health back. As chairman of the Board, I can say without qualification that the Association is in the best position to accomplish this goal for me and the four million other Americans who suffer from CFS. We shall settle for nothing less. The CFIDS Association has the professional expertise and the dedication. We now need your unrestricted gifts to continue our vital work. The section entitled “Where Your Money Goes” later in this booklet lists some of the ways the Association serves your interests. As a CFS patient since 1994, I know that NOW is the time to propel all of our programs forward. The $1 million research campaign has proven that the CFS community can stretch itself and succeed. With your gift today, we have the opportunity to build the same unprecedented momentum in other areas that we’re creating in research. By raising $750,000 in unrestricted money by December 31, we – all of us in the CFS community – can do just that. Ambitious? You bet, but don’t we all want…
Therefore, I’m asking you to join me and the Board of Directors in making a gift to the CFIDS Association of America. Please donate online today! There’s new energy surrounding this cause. We’re stepping up the pace for answers. We CAN keep the promise of tomorrow – restored health for all of us who suffer with CFS every day. If not us, who? With our tax-deductible gifts, regardless of their amount, we’re investing in a future free of CFS. When we contribute to this cause, we’re empowered. We’re not waiting for anyone else to fix it. If not now, when? Only with your gift to the CFIDS Association right now can we keep up the momentum and serve the increasing needs of CFS patients. Thank you for sharing this vision – and for your generosity. My fellow directors and I are deeply grateful for your faith in our stewardship. Jennie Spotila P.S. You might want to consider enrolling in the Chairman’s Circle, the Association’s monthly giving program. It’s easy: visit our Chairman’s Circle secure page, simply authorize a fixed amount to be drafted from your bank account each month. I’ve found it’s an ideal way to spread my gift over the entire year and help provide the Association with a steady source of operating funds.
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