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At the start of 2001, the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of
California decided to pursue an aggressive restructuring of two
departments by merging them into a single entity.
The Community Relations Department and the Fund Development
Department are now under one banner, led by the Director of
Development & Public Affairs.
This restructuring allows the department to develop and implement
visions and goals for two of the Foundations’ most important
components: The continued mission to expand and elevate the
Foundations’ public profile, and to identify and secure
collaborative partnerships within the community to secure necessary
funds for the continued growth and operation of the programs and
services of the organization.
On the Public Affairs side the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California has begun a
very active campaign of information and awareness about both the Foundations’ life
enhancing programs and services, as well as on sickle cell disease itself. Our goal is to
have a steady stream of information flowing through our media outlets be they television,
radio, monthly publications, or local newspapers.
We have increased our partnerships with radio station general managers, newspaper
editors, health magazine publishers, and television station presidents to get our messages
out.
We have enjoyed television coverage this year at our summer camp for children with
sickle cell disease (“Camp Crescent Moon”) by television station KOCE 50, and
had our President & CEO Mary E. Brown featured on the KNBC 4 “Newsmakers”
program.
We have also begun the distribution to our local media of Public Service Announcements
by United States Senator Barbara Boxer. These PSA’s were produced in Washington D.C.
at the congressional media center and sickle cell disease was the featured disease on the
congressional web site during the month of September, which is National Sickle Cell
disease Awareness Month.
Our events are carried regularly in the L.A. Watts Times, The
Sentinel, and the Pasadena Journal newspapers. Radio station KKBT (100.3 “The
Beat”) now regularly carries thirty second public service announcements as does radio
station KJLH. Our radio spots are also now written in both English
and Spanish.
The Foundation has been present at an increased number of health
fairs this year, and has worked hard to help promote events like
blood drives at local area hospitals.
The Development side of our equation requires strong effort in
the area of finding and securing collaborative partnerships which
result in increased revenue streams and overall support for our
programs and services. Our strategic partners are individuals,
corporations, small businesses, agencies, other Foundations, and
companies that will help us achieve our goals in providing necessary
services.
Our existing programs like the “Automatic Giving Program” and the
Canister Donation Drive continue on with small increases seen over
the past year.
In 2001 we have collaborated with new strategic partners like Carolina based
“Krispy Kreme Doughnuts” on two new fund raising ventures, one of which included
the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation being present at this years’ “L.A. Convention
Center Black Business Expo”. A new partner was also found this year in T.V. station
KTLA Channel 5 which was instrumental in helping make this years’ 6th Annual Golf
Tournament a success.
Our on-going focus is to continue to identify new funding sources as well as sources
for in-kind giving of products and the very necessary and often overlooked volunteer
community. Our slate of events for 2002 will be an increase over this past years’
activities.
“Development” is a word that encompasses a lot of areas and the department is
committed to seeking out and finding new partners, as well as continuing to nurture
relationships with long standing partners as we find ways to progress as a viable and
vibrant social service agency.
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