For over 70 years, UNICEF has been putting children first, working to protect their rights and provide the assistance and services they need to survive and develop all over the world.
It's the end-of-year giving season, and UNICEF has lots of good news to share about the influence its supporters have had on the lives of children. Thanks to its generous donors, UNICEF has helped save more lives than any other humanitarian organization.
Monthly donors are a major reason why UNICEF can make that claim, according to Karla Coello, UNICEF USA Senior Director for Monthly Giving. "Last year, UNICEF responded to 377 humanitarian emergencies, from conflicts to natural disasters," says Coello. "Emergency appeals bring in important revenue — but after the emergency, there are still a lot of things children need to make life bearable. That's what our monthly donors provide."
When drought destroys crops, conflict forces families from their homes, an epidemic breaks out or a disaster strikes, children suffer most. And in some countries, even the best of times are dangerous for its youngest citizens. Every day more than 15,000 children under 5 die from preventable causes.
Protecting children before, during and after a crisis requires a reliable source of funding. The constant stream of revenue provided by monthly donations enables UNICEF to reach children with what they need most when they need it, prepositioning emergency supplies before a disaster strikes and continuing to build sustainable solutions after an immediate crisis has subsided.
Monthly giving is also important to funding large-scale interventions(介入). Thanks to UNICEF's global immune campaigns, the world is now nearly free of polio(小儿麻痹症)and there are only 14 countries where mothers and children still face maternal and neonatal tetanus(破伤风)deadly threat. And UNICEF programs in 120 countries are helping to prevent and treat malnutrition, which is linked to nearly half of all deaths of children under 5.
"UNICEF USA monthly donors are our most engaged, most dedicated supporters," says Rebecca Volpe, UNICEF USA Manager, Monthly Giving. "So we do our best to make them feel appreciated by keeping them thoroughly updated about the powerful impact they are having and showing them how much they matter to us." In turn, monthly donors tend to be dedicated supporters. "Protecting children — giving them opportunities to play, learn, feel safer, heal — is critical to us," explained a survey respondent, expressing a commitment to children that UNICEF USA's Monthly Giving team sees every day.
Supporters who sign up with UNICEF USA to give monthly automatically become members of the Guardian Circle, which affords them benefits, including:
Annual statements to make tax time easier
An easy-to-use donor access that simplifies modifying gift amounts, updating payment methods and making other changes, including the timing of donations with the option to cancel at any point
Targeted communications in the form of monthly statements and a quarterly 8-page newsletter with stories from the field
A team available to answer questions via email or phone
"We have some donors who are on fixed income, others who can afford to make considerable monthly donations," says Coello. "Whether you give $5 or $700 a month, you are super important to us. What's important is that they all really want to give and help children. And that's amazing."
It can be time-consuming and difficult to track charitable donations. At end of year, Guardian Circle monthly supporters receive one statement that makes filing tax returns easier — and it's always delightful to see how much good has been done for the world's most vulnerable(受伤害的)children.
