Population Connection Action Fund

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

FIELD & OUTREACH: TO ASSIST POPULATION CONNECTION ACTION FUND ACTIVISTS NATIONWIDE IN BUILDING AND SUSTAINING STATE AND LOCAL EDUCATIONAL, MEDIA AND LOBBYING EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF POPULATION CONNECTION ACTION FUND THROUGH ORGANIZING AND PROVIDING TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND FUNDING. REPRESENT POPULATION CONNECTION ACTION FUND IN COALITIONS FOCUSED ON GRASSROOTS ACTION AND AT PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS AS NEEDED. TO PUT PRESSURE ON ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING, AND TO WORK TO ELECT CANDIDATES WHO WILL ADVANCE PRO INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH POLICY ONCE IN OFFICE. 2021 HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: CONTINUED TO ENGAGE ACTIVISTS IN THE #FIGHT4HER CAMPAIGN THROUGH GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING AND ACTION, VIRTUALLY. OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS WE HAVE ENGAGED OVER 55,000 INDIVIDUALS. WE BEGAN THE YEAR WITH FOUR FINAL PHONEBANKS FOR THE GEORGIA SENATE RUNOFF ELECTIONS, WORKING TO ELECT JON OSSOFF AND RAPHAEL WARNOCK, WHICH 56 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN. FOLLOWING THE ELECTIONS, WE BEGAN PLANNING FOR OUR ANNUAL CAPITOL HILL DAYS ADVOCACY EVENT. WE ENGAGED TEN HIGHLY ENGAGED #FIGHT4HER VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST US IN THE PLANNING OF THE EVENT, WITH RECRUITMENT, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, AND EVENT MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND. WE HOSTED 212 ACTIVISTS FOR THE VIRTUAL EVENT, WHO ATTENDED A SERIES OF LIVE ZOOM SESSIONS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS INCLUDING GLOBAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH POLICY, POPULATION, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT, THE IMPACT OF REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ON THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND ON THE GROUND STORIES OF INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROGRAMS. WE ALSO HOSTED AN ADVOCACY TRAINING TO PREPARE ACTIVISTS TO MEET WITH THEIR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. DURING OUR LOBBY DAY, 86 ACTIVISTS MET WITH 91 HOUSE AND SENATE OFFICES TO LOBBY FOR A GREATER U.S. INVESTMENT IN INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING, SUPPORT FOR UNFPA, AND A PERMANENT LEGISLATIVE BAN ON THE GLOBAL GAG RULE. WE HOSTED A TWITTER RALLY FOCUSED ON PERMANENTLY REPEALING THE GLOBAL GAG RULE, THAT WAS INTERACTED WITH 7,100 TIMES, HAD 1,200 ENGAGEMENTS, AND REACHED 5.3 MILLION PEOPLE. WE RAN OUR FOURTH ANNUAL-AND SECOND ALL VIRTUAL-SUMMER OF HER ORGANIZING TRAINING PROGRAM IN WHICH WE TRAINED ACTIVISTS ON KEY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING SKILLS AND ABOUT INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING ISSUES.THIS PROGRAM CULMINATED IN A VIRTUAL SUMMIT THAT 77 PEOPLE ATTENDED, AND WHICH FEATURED TALKS FROM OUR COLLEAGUES AT CONSERVATION THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH IN UGANDA AND WINGS GUATEMALA. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE HOSTED FOUR NATIONAL VOLUNTEER CALLS, VIRTUALLY, WHICH APPROXIMATELY 156 PEOPLE ATTENDED. OUR #FIGHT4HER GROUP AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY HOSTED 12 WEEKLY MEETINGS, AND CO-HOSTED AN ABORTION PROVIDER APPRECIATION DAY PANEL DISCUSSION, WHICH A TOP #FIGHT4HER VOLUNTEER MODERATED. OUR NATIONAL STAFF ALSO HOSTED FOUR CALLS WITH LEAD VOLUNTEERS AND TWO INSTAGRAM LIVE EVENTS, ONE ON BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH IN THE U.S. AND THE CARIBBEAN, AND THE OTHER ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS AND THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: WE WORKED TO PROMOTE THE GLOBAL HEALTH, EMPOWERMENT AND RIGHTS (HER) ACT TO PREVENT A FUTURE PRESIDENT FROM REIMPOSING THE GLOBAL GAG RULE; WE WORKED TO INCREASE US INVESTMENT IN FAMILY PLANNING AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD; WE WORKED TO RESTORE AID TO THE UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA); WE SUPPORTED LEGISLATION TO PROTECT AMERICAN WOMEN'S ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING SAFE ABORTION; WE WORKED TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE TITLE X DOMESTIC FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM; WE WORKED TO EDUCATE CANDIDATES FOR FEDERAL OFFICE ON THE NEED FOR REAL INVESTMENT IN COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD; WE WORKED TO PROMOTE THE ABORTION IS HEALTHCARE EVERYWHERE ACT TO REPEAL HELMS AMENDMENT.

COMMUNICATIONS: OUR MEDIA EFFORTS RESULTED IN 24 PUBLISHED NEWS STORIES, OP-ED ARTICLES, AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, EITHER BY OUR STAFF OR ABOUT OUR WORK. WE PUBLISHED 11 BLOG POSTS ON THE POPULATION CONNECTION ACTION FUND WEBSITE, ALONG WITH 6 PRESS RELEASES. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM ALLOWED US TO CONNECT WITH SUPPORTERS AND WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THE MEDIA.

MEMBERSHIP: SUCCESS IN THE AREAS OF ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPENDS LARGELY ON THE SUPPORT AND DEDICATION OF THE ORGANIZATION'S MEMBERS. PRESENTLY, OUR MEMBERS ASSIST US BY INFORMING ON POPULATION ISSUES, WRITING LETTERS TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS, SIGNING PETITIONS, GETTING OPINION LETTERS PUBLISHED IN LOCAL PAPERS, AND SPEAKING ABOUT POPULATION ISSUES AT LOCAL COMMUNITY EVENTS. WE SUPPORT OUR MEMBERS BY HOLDING TRAINING AND INFORMATION SESSIONS, RESPONDING TO THEIR CORRESPONDENCE, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AND ORDERS FOR OUR PUBLICATIONS.