excited! This is an opportunity for us all to band together and help =
some of our small nonprofits to possibly win between $25,000 and =
$250,000 each! $3,000,000 will be distributed among 100 charities. In =
previous Chase CCG Contests, The CFIDS Association of America, the WPI, =
and P.A.N.D.O.R.A. have all been winners.=20
=20
Just to quickly introduce ourselves, we are part of the ME (ME/CFS) =
Fundraising Group. This is an international group which was formed to =
look for opportunities to help ME/CFS/CFIDS nonprofits raise money and =
to support them during fund-raising efforts, as well as networking ME =
advocates, group leaders, and organizations to coordinate our efforts. =
The current focus is online contests sponsored by large corporations. We =
interface through a facebook group (http://on.fb.me/twyeN3).=20
=20
Faith, from the fundraising group, sent out letters to the eligible =
nonprofits asking certain questions to help the ME community understand =
the orgs and decide how to vote. Cort Johnson, at Phoenix Rising, is =
kindly posting these responses under his article about the contest =
(http://bit.ly/vwfsFU).
=20
The fundraising group is composing a list of organizations thought to be =
more engaged with the contest, based on the following:=20
=D8 they have (or are working on producing) a profile at the CCG =
application,=20
=D8 we think they are eligible to compete,=20
=D8 they have (or are producing) a Facebook page (less important), =
=D8 they responded to us.=20
=20
Other than the obvious (eligibility), we are using these criteria as an =
indicator that the organization is ready and able to take an active part =
in promoting itself to voters and able to complete the considerable =
paperwork requirements for CCG (they must do grant-writing twice).
=20
The ME charities that have expressed interest and submitted the =
necessary info to Chase are listed here:
American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Inc. (=3DIACFS/ME) =
Chicago, IL http://bit.ly/s48mcK http://www.iacfsme.org/=20
Rocky Mountain CFS/ME and FM Association Denver, CO http://bit.ly/s5fAJh =
http://www.rmcfa.org/index.html FB http://on.fb.me/uqyE5r=20
Cfsknowledgecenter, Inc. Wellington, FL http://bit.ly/lkvWpU =
http://www.me-cfscommunity.com/ =
http://www.facebook.com/CFSKnowledgeCenter=20
Wisconsin Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association, Inc. Sun Prairie, WI =
http://bit.ly/mlmr0c http://www.wicfs-me.org/=20
New Jersey Chronic Fatigue Association, Inc. Florham Park, NJ =
http://bit.ly/tXpa46 http://www.njcfsa.org/ FB http://on.fb.me/sZfzJb
=20
These two groups have expressed interest, but don't yet have their =
profiles up on the Chase site:
Massachusetts CFIDS Association, Inc. Quincy, MA http://bit.ly/sJXeQ9 =
http://www.masscfids.org/=20
Enterovirus Foundation, Inc. San Francisco, CA http://bit.ly/lzhRfi =
http://www.enterovirusfoundation.org/ FB http://www.facebook.com/EVForg=20
=20
Additional groups listed at Chase (but which we don't know to be engaged =
with the contest):
CFIDS and Fibromyalgia Self-Help Program Palo Alto, CA =
http://bit.ly/kfjQuZ =
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CFIDS-Fibromyalgia-Self-Help-Program/363603=
026473?ref=3Dts=20
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Fibromyalgia Org. of Georgia, Inc. Kennesaw, GA =
http://bit.ly/kdavB3 http://www.cfog.us/
Connecticut Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Association, =
Inc. Milford, CT http://bit.ly/uqIqF7 http://www.ct-cfids-fm.org/
American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association, Inc. Tucson, AZ (Promotes =
research, education, and advocacy for Fibromyalgia and CFS) =
http://bit.ly/rXNspc http://www.afsafund.org/
CFIDS Emergency Relief Services, Inc. Northport, AL http://bit.ly/t5CPEn =
http://www.cfidsers.net/hx.html
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia & Chemical Sensitivity Wilmette, =
IL http://bit.ly/jAPq2Z http://www.cfccc.net/
Fibromyalgia Coalition International Mission, KS (Provides support for =
persons with Fibromyalgia and CFS) http://bit.ly/sDuISF =
http://www.fibrocoalition.org/pages/aboutus.html=20
National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Association Kansas =
City, MO http://bit.ly/kkIlau
=20
Smaller groups listed at Chase (but which we don't know to be engaged =
with the contest):
Black Hills Chronic Fatigue CFS and Fibromyalgia Syndrome FMS Support =
Group Rapid City, SD http://bit.ly/miotT9
Tacoma Gig Harbor CFIDS and Fibromyalgia Support Group Gig Harbor, WA =
http://bit.ly/l09xKa
Central Virginia Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia Association, =
Inc. Charlottesville, VA http://bit.ly/t7QVtl
CFSFM Support Group of DFW, Inc. (Dallas Fort Worth) Euless, TX =
http://www.bit.ly/sohrk7=20
=20
Doesn't want to or can't take part this year (but listed at Chase):
RESCIND, Inc. Boca Raton, FL http://bit.ly/u75QB2=20
National CFIDS Foundation, Needham, MA http://bit.ly/sdn7BL
Neuro Immune Disease Alliance, Inc. Agoura Hills, CA (Fund-raises for =
Dr. Daniel Peterson's Simmaron Research) http://bit.ly/kd5qCx =
(ineligible)=20
Dr. A. Martin Lerner Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Foundation Beverly Hills, =
CA http://bit.ly/w0HfV4 (thought to be ineligible)
=20
As we get status updates on these or any other orgs, we will post them =
at the ME (ME/CFS) Fundraising Group (http://on.fb.me/tV26Cw) and at =
Phoenix Rising (http://bit.ly/tBoIOW ).
=20
Voters should, of course, do their own due diligence to ensure =
organizations are eligible (there seems to be some confusion about this =
in some cases), are behaving in a sportsmanlike manner, and are =
organizations the voters want to support. The CCG application is here: =
https://www.facebook.com/ChaseCommunityGiving?sk=3Dapp_162065369655 and =
the rules are here: =
https://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/rules.
=20
We would like to ask your help in supporting ME/CFS organizations in the =
contest. Could you please inform your members about the contest and ask =
them and their family members to vote for the best positioned ME/CFS =
organizations? We would genuinely appreciate it.
=20
To vote, you must have a Facebook account, which is easy to set up if =
you don't already have one (www.facebook.com). Then go to: =
https://www.facebook.com/ChaseCommunityGiving. You must "Like" and =
"Allow Access" to Chase Community Giving. That means you will go =
unsecure to Chase Community Giving site, so they will know you are an =
actual person. (You may need to click the "Like" button several times =
throughout the program.) Click on "Chase Giving" at the left side of the =
Chase Community Giving page.=20
=20
To find the charities you wish to vote for, you can do a search for each =
charity in the Search Box at the Chase contest site or simply use the =
URLs provided above, which will take you to the voting pages for the =
various nonprofits. Each person gets 10 votes-which must each be used =
for a different nonprofit.=20
=20
Votes can be cast at any time November 8th-22nd, so this is easier than =
a daily vote. When you vote, you can make a comment about the =
organization, and you can also "Share" with your friends on Facebook =
and/or Twitter that you have voted. These are great ways to spread the =
word about your support for an organization.
=20
We hope you will be interested in taking advantage of this opportunity =
to support ME/CFS nonprofits and the ME community in the Chase contest. =
Thank you very much for any help you and the members of your =
organization can provide.
=20
=20
Sincerely,
=20
Helen Watkinson
Janelle Wiley
Faith Wong
Members, Board of Administrators
ME (ME/CFS) Fundraising Group
---------------------------------------------
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