Home: Publications: Forum Archives: MFF Forum, edition 3: MFF Announces Fundraising Campaign

by Dan Goodman, Board Member, Mycosis Fungoides Foundation

The Mycosis Fungoides Foundation has established many important and ambitious goals in the pursuit of improved patient care, greater awareness of the disease, and ultimately, we hope, a cure. To secure the necessary financial resources to achieve these goals, the board of directors has begun implementing a development strategy. We have a long road ahead of us, but as the saying goes, every journey begins with the first step.

There are three main components of the development strategy: grassroots outreach, pursuit of major gifts from foundations, and inclusion in planned giving campaigns like the United Way. Each is an important component of the development strategy, and each complements other MFF goals. Here, I will focus on the grassroots outreach, because it’s starting soon, and it relies critically on your participation, both as a donor, and as a spokesperson for our goals.

You’ll see our grassroots outreach effort begin in the next few weeks with a letter asking for your support. The goal of a grassroots campaign is really to get as many individuals to participate as possible. While the typical individual contribution is relatively small, an effective grassroots campaign is a great way to reach the handful of donors who are able to make large contributions. Perhaps even more importantly, grassroots outreach helps the foundation build a relationship with its members, including patients, families, friends, and physicians. As more individuals participate, the foundation is better able to demonstrate the commitment of a strong membership base. That demonstration of commitment is critical to everything the foundation does, whether it’s lobbying politicians or seeking major gifts from multi-billion dollar charitable foundations.

So, please be on the lookout for our letter asking for your support. Please be as generous as you can, but also know that every amount helps, no matter how modest. In addition to instructions on how to contribute, you’ll find ten additional donation cards in the envelope. Here’s your opportunity to really get in on the ground floor of building an organization of which you can be proud! Those cards are for you to distribute to your friends, family, neighbors, and anyone else you think might want to lend some support. It can be awkward sometimes to take that step and ask a close acquaintance to help financially, but this is what we must do to help ourselves and our loved ones who suffer from MF. And remember, each person’s support does not have to be large in terms of dollars. Simply adding more individuals to the ranks of "MFF Supporters" will do wonders for us as we execute the rest of our development strategy!

On behalf of the MFF Board and patients everywhere, thank you in advance for your support. With hard work and a little luck, the MFF’s development strategy will lead us down the path to improved patient care, and ultimately, a cure.

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