BlogHer - Pro-life? Pro-choice? Pro-Saving women's lives? Here's how we can work together - Comments

Fantastic!

valiens — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:00:06 -0500

This is exactly the information I was hoping for! Thanks so much for being so thoughtful in your response, and for linking to my post. I feel utterly confident now that anyone who wants to donate can do so with not only clear conscience but downright joy.

It's a great concept, a great suite of causes, a great program in general. I plan to plug it. Building upon what Vered said, see if you can get people to donate the catch-phrases they come up with in their blogs for your promotions. It might cut to the chase faster by having more brains working on it. It's also got market testing built in.

Also, I think it's good to take advantage of the tax-time burn by reminding people donations are deductible, and though they might not be able to fix last year's return, they can and should start thinking about next year's now by donating early and often!

Thanks again. I'm excited to see how this moves forward!

Pro-you

mama2bna — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:45:10 -0500

Thanks for creating another opportunity to join in something that allows my voice and efforts to have a greater impact.

I just posted this widget on our company blog - Hibernate.

http://hibernate.sarabearco.com

Amanda

http://lifewithbriar.blogspot.com

http://toddlywinks.blogspot.com

Pretty amazing and inspiring

Nordette — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:57:47 -0500

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I haven't been active with this BlogHer campaign, but even in my peripheral vision I can see that good work's getting done.

Thank you for giving women this opportunity. Hope I can get back into the groove soon.

I like your provocative title here, Lisa.

Nordette

Is New Orleans the Vagina of America?, V-Day coverage

Nordette Adams is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.org.

Did I come across as too harsh/ critical?

Vered — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:21:15 -0500

It wasn't my intention to say that the editors are doing anything other then a fabulous job promoting these important causes.

And yes, it is important to provide details to people who want to learn more.

But you asked for input, and I needed to point out that a different marketing strategy - or perhaps combining both in-depth coverage of the causes with short, catchy, frequent posts, might get more people to pay attention and make a donation.

Vered DeLeeuw
www.momgrind.com

Great point Vered - that $15 buys lunch for 50 girls

Lisa Stone — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:00:44 -0500

...so they can focus on their chance to the education they need to participate in Burkina Faso's developing economy is an essential point.

You're right: Blogging the initiative every day in as catchy and attention-getting a way as possible makes a difference. I think the editors on this site are doing a terrific job, as are bloggers like you who are spreading the word: See the growing list at the bottom of this post.

Then, once we get peoples' attention, I think many do want extensive detail, as Valians did, so hopefully this post will end up as a helpful link...

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

Marketing-wise, the message should be more catchy

Vered — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:38:20 -0500

My only input, which I already gave elsewhere, is that you need to make this campaign more catchy, or as Denise defined it, have more of a "wow" factor.

It is easier for people to donate when their reaction is "wow, this is such a small amount to give, and it will make such a huge difference". So, $10 to cover the costs of medical care, or $15 to buy lunch for 50 girls - that's a "wow". But $50 to provide counseling - yes, it's very important - but the wow factor is missing and so it will generate less donations.

So it's fine to stick with some of the less "wow-generating" causes, but you need to realize that people won't give as much.

Also, and this is true for all five causes, and as part of the catchy theme, I think that detailed posts or articles that explain the value of each cause are less helpful than short, catchy posts that tell people - like Denise did and I copied - "give up one visit to Starbucks and you can save a life". The message needs to be as clear and short and catchy as you can possibly make it, and you probably need to repeat this short message every single day until Mother's Day. And while you will run the risk of turning people off if you write about it every day, I think it's worth the daily exposure to new audience.

Vered DeLeeuw
www.momgrind.com

Pro-life? Pro-choice? Pro-Saving women's lives? Here's how we can work together

Lisa Stone — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:04:31 -0500

Have I told you lately how much I love how smart this community is? Here's what I'm on about: Over the weekend, BlogHer community member Valiens of A Brain Like Mine blogged great questions about the BlogHers Act fundraiser to save women's lives:

"I'm wondering whether the women's health care available in any given country is able to provide birth control in any meaningful way, and I'm wondering what the general attitude and practice is among the providers in the various countries about abortion....I'm also wondering if any of the organizations being supported are specifically political in nature, or in support of, or being supported by, political organizations, and which ones they are, and what their mission statements propose. Again, this could be an important factor regarding donations. Transparency is most desirable.On top of that, I'm willing to say I have some potential donors who would have questions about vaccinations, AIDS treatments, religious involvements...more"

I love Valiens' questions because it gives me an opening to talk more about BlogHer's philosophy for our BlogHers Act fundraiser, and why we chose to work with GlobalGiving to support five projects we deliberately selected with an eye to exactly the issues she raises. Here goes...

First, a quick overview of BlogHer: As you may be aware, BlogHer is a non-partisan organization. Our mission is the same one we wrote at a kitchen table in 2005: To create opportunities for women who write and comment on blogs to gain greater exposure for their writings, opinions and beliefs -- and we find, as Valiens does, that our membership embraces the entire political spectrum. We have pro-life members. We have pro-choice members. We have every permutation of politics under the sun and we love that. This is why we partnered with GlobalGiving on BlogHers Act, our community's initiative to improve the world by harnessing the power of women online (more here). GlobalGiving is key because:

1. GlobalGiving investigates every project to make sure that:
* Their work has significant social impact.
* They have a track record for delivering on promises.
* They are not listed in any terrorist databases.
* Their projects are eligible for international philanthropic donations — so donors in the US receive full tax benefits.
Read more about GlobalGiving's due diligence here: http://www.globalgiving.com/dd.html

2. GlobalGiving offers us donors a money-back guarantee that our money will go to helping people via specific projects, not paying for administrative overhead. Read the guarantee here: http://www.globalgiving.com/guaranteed/index.html

Now, on to the five projects we selected as alternatives for donors to pick, using GlobalGiving's (incredibly, may I say thankfully?!) easy-to-use widget. We selected five different projects that we thought would offer all members of the BlogHer community at least one personally comfortable alternative to make a donation that will save women's lives. I can confirm that:

- Each project's organization is independent, not affiliated with a political or religious organization superstructure. I should note, however, that by virtue of placing a priority on the health of women, girls and female infants should be, de facto, considered "political in nature" because of the second-class status women have in these countries. Which is why these women need our help so badly! :) Also, political and religious organizations and organization members are not prohibited from giving to these causes.

- We chose these five projects because of their primary focus on saving women's lives -- including saving the lives of new mothers, their infants and their other children via clinical care and/or education -- as well as their endorsement by GlobalGiving as an organization that is working effectively within these five cultures to empower women with the information they need to survive.

- We recommend that people who do not support contraception in any way shape or form donate to the first project below, a school lunch program for girls in Burkina Faso, where education is equipping women to participate in the developing economy. Where the reproductive health programs listed below mention contraception and sexually transmitted diseases (Afghanistan, Nepal South African), these projects focus on education about using condoms safely, and distributing condoms. Note: While abortion is not a focus of any of these projects, I suspect that this is an alternative some clinics may use to save the life of the mother; This is why I also recommend the first project below for pro-life donors.

In addition to GlobalGiving's comprehensive and clickable list of resources on each project, here's my guided tour:

(1) Noon Meal Improves Girls' Learning in Burkina Faso
The Friends of Burkina Faso (FBF) supports NEEED, a Burkinabe grantmakers organization that enrolls young rural girls in village schools, using funds to purchase a lamb and school materials for students’ first year of schooling. The family assumes responsibility for their children’s education for 5 years of primary school, and 4 years of middle school for those who qualify. Each spring, parents sell the fattened lamb. Proceeds are used to buy school materials and a new lamb for the next year.

Activities
Students walk 6 km to attend school from the local village. They have nothing to eat throughout the day. The project will provide a noon meal to students, enhancing their capacity to learn. Also, locally prepared meals will generate local employment.

Potential Long Term Impact
Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process. Access to food will increase students' ability to succeed in their studies.

For more information provided directly by the project and a local contact, click here

(2) Empower Women to End HIV/AIDS Stigma, South Africa

South Africa has the unfortunate distinction of the country with the highest HIV-prevalence in the world. Stigma, lack of knowledge about accessing treatment, and gender inequity has left positive women in a precarious position. It’s estimated that of the five million people living with HIV in South Africa, 60% are women. The first step in turning the AIDS crisis around is to educate and empower women in the townships and rural areas through a network of support groups and treatment access.

Activities
Positive Women’s Network provides for HIV-positive women by creating support groups in townships; providing counseling; conducting workshops on treatment literacy, reproductive health and nutrition; and creating income generating projects for women.

Potential Long Term Impact
PWN currently manages 15 support groups. Due to their success, urban and rural communities want to start their own groups. Because of PWN, hundreds of women accessed treatment and manage their HIV while learning skills to support their families.

For more information provided directly by the project and a local contact, click here

(3) Ensure Healthcare for 40,000+ Displaced Darfurians
The ongoing conflict in Darfur has forced families to flee their villages. Everyday it becomes harder for them to reach already scarce health facilities when roads and entire regions are cut off. In 2006, the crisis escalated, forcing a rush of new families to seek safety in Zam Zam, a refugee camp in North Darfur. When the camp residents faced imminent closure of their health services, Relief International (non-political, non-sectarian), stepped in to build a permanent clinic run by local medical staff, now serving more than 50,000.

Activities
The clinic serves more than 800 patients a week with basic curative and preventive care. RI trains local medical staff and village midwives, distributes essential relief commodities, and immunizes children against diseases.

Potential Long Term Impact
Trained doctors and health workers will be enabled to treat isolated and nomadic populations long after Relief International leaves. Permanent village health facilities will support the people of North Darfur both in crisis and in peace.

For more information provided directly by the project and a local contact, click here

(4) Mother & Child Health Clinic in Rural Nepal
Prior to KFK’s Clinic it was difficult to find a mother who had not lost a child and impossible to find a household without a sick person. Child and Maternal Mortality rates of these communities have been almost two-to-three times higher than the national average. KFK's Mother and Child Health Clinic provides critical medical services to the 7,000 residents of Rasuwa district. In 2006 the Clinic provided over 1,200 patient visits, training sessions, and traveling health care services.

Activities
Operating costs of $15,000/yr ($5/day) provides critical care to 7,000 people ($2 per person) * Management of childhood illnesses * Immunications * Antenatal/post natal care * Treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, etc. *

Potential Long Term Impact
The project will provide critical health care to 7,000 villagers in Goljung, Chilime, and Gatlang. These communities suffer from health problems associated with crippling poverty including diarrhea, malnutrition, and acute respiratory illnesses.

For more information provided directly by the project and a local contact, click here

(5) Help Afghan Women Deliver Healthy Babies Safely
An alarming percentage of Afghan women and babies die during pregnancy and delivery. Most women deliver babies at home without the assistance of trained medical staff. CHI/AIL offer lifesaving health services and medical interventions to pregnant women and babies through three rural clinics in Afghanistan, including on-site baby delivery for high-risk cases. CHI/AIL also educate women about their reproductive health so that they can make healthy choices during pregnancy and delivery.

Activities
12,000 Afghan women will receive pre- and post-natal care, midwifery, family planning services, education on women’s reproductive health, delivery kits for home delivery, and assessment and intervention for high-risk pregnancies.

Potential Long Term Impact
Thousands of women who would have lost their lives or the lives of their babies during pregnancy and delivery will be saved. Women will learn how to prevent complications during pregnancy and delivery and protect their long-term reproductive health.

For more information provided directly by the project and a local contact, click here

I hope this round-up helps! Already BlogHer has raised more than $1,600 to support these programs, thanks to the blogging efforts of these amazing women:
1. Denise
2. Erin
3. mamikaze
4. kari
5. sparks and butterflies
6. vered
7. karoli
8. Elisa
9. Donna at Global Giving
10. Learn to Duck
11. Notions of Identity
12. Whymommy
13. Catherine
14. SoCalMom
15. Elisa's Green Scene
16. Lisa Stone
17. Writes For Chocolate
18. Christian Feminist
19. Broad-Sheet
20. Because I have to...
21. Colleen
22. Nickie
23...YOU! You're next! Denise Tanton has made it easy. Here's how:

Take Action Now:

1) Grab a button or widget to place on your blog.
2) Share this information with your readers by blogging about maternal health, or this BlogHers Act initiative, or the individual project you're supporting.
3) Leave your link at the bottom of this post, using Mr Linky, so others can hear your thoughts on these issues. (We'll also be featuring many of you on BlogHer.com and in our newsletters.)
4) Donate to save women's lives, today.

The widget:

So...what else? What do you think of the information I've provided? What else should we do to raise blogger awareness of this campaign at a time when the tax man cometh and the Wall Street Journal is using the R word (recession)?

I welcome your feedback and any other questions and suggestions. And if you've read this far, thank you for caring about helping as many women as possible, around the world.