December 13, 2007
Dear Supporter,
It's the end of the year and I'd like to ask for your
financial support. Allow me to share
with you what I spoke of at our recent 2007 Annual Event. It's about head versus heart and what I've
learned in my six years of running a nonprofit about how people donate to
charitable organizations. It's also my
pitch to you on why contributing to Accelerated Cure Project is a smart and
worthwhile decision.
Back in 2001 when I started the Accelerated Cure Project
(then called the Boston Cure Project), I was certain that people would find the
unique and rational approach we were taking to be the most compelling aspect of
our work; and that this would serve as the primary motivation for their financial
support. However, what I've learned is
that human beings tend to give from their hearts and not from their heads. They want sad stories, sick puppies, and
popular causes. It has to feel
right more than actually be right.
Decades of unfulfilled promises from almost every other disease research
organization have dulled people's hopes that a cure is "just around the
corner." They no longer give
believing that the corner will be turned, but instead write checks merely as
symbols of their concern for those with the sad stories. As evidence of this, last year at
Accelerated Cure Project's annual event I spoke about how my MS was getting
worse, reciting my own sad story of declining health. The result was that we collected record contributions at the event
that year. See, it works!
Although I am pleased and touched by this support, I don't want to give up on
selling our efforts rationally. I'd
like to convince you and all of our supporters that your financial
contributions will actually get us around the corner, accomplish measurable
goals, and will be money well spent. I
want to appeal to your head as well as your heart.
With that in mind, here are some of the reasons why
Accelerated Cure Project is worthy of your financial support based on guidelines
that I, myself, use when considering donating to a nonprofit organization.
Your gift to Accelerated Cure Project is an investment
with a clear return.
A single gift to Accelerated Cure Project benefits multiple
researchers and research projects. The
MS Repository is a shared resource, open and available to those investigating
the causes of MS and other demyelinating diseases. Because the number of subjects enrolled is so large, and the data
and biological material collected so extensive, the repository enables
researchers to conduct experiments of a size and scope not possible
otherwise.
In addition, returning their per-subject research results
back to the repository is a requirement for investigators to gain access. As a result, their data compounds over time
revealing meaningful patterns and statistical data that will unlock important
clues about the disease. This provides
continuous return on investment in terms of the money we put into the repository
and the number of researchers who use it.
Your gift to Accelerated Cure Project supports work that
needs to be done and is not being done by any other organization.
The need for human specimens is clear, and loudly voiced by
the research community. Samples from
people who have demyelinating diseases are rare and difficult to come by and
are not readily available elsewhere. Although many research teams have undertaken large collections of
biological samples and data that seem similar to the Accelerated Cure Project's
repository, those collections are rarely, if ever, shared with other
researchers and are almost always collected in such a way as to only be
applicable to that researcher's particular project.
Your gift to Accelerated Cure Project is needed and will be used
immediately.
Accelerated Cure Project does not have an endowment or piles
of cash hoarded away. The more money we
raise, the faster we can go. We don't
need or want cash just to exist longer. The sooner we reach our goal and put ourselves out of work, the better.
Our work directly impacts people affected by the disease.
Your gift to Accelerated Cure Project supports a clearly
defined mission that directly impacts those affected by Multiple
Sclerosis. Our goals are measurable and
we never confuse the means to an end with the end itself. For example, "raising awareness" can have an
impact, but awareness alone does nothing. It's not an end. We recognize this
and only adopt goals whose ends directly improve the lives of individuals with
MS.
We accomplish what we say we'll accomplish.
Accelerated Cure Project measures progress in terms of
intermediate steps that clearly relate to the stated end point. We believe that knowing the causes of MS and
other demyelinating diseases is the fastest route to treatments and cures.
We have developed a detailed Cure Map that uses our repository to determine the
causes of MS. We measure progress in
terms of number of sites enrolling subjects, number of subjects enrolled,
research projects completed, and definitive results obtained from those
projects. There is an obvious
connection between everything we do and our ultimate goal. Everything is spelled out in clearly
articulated planning documents.
Not only does Accelerated Cure Project spell out what we
will accomplish but we accomplish what we say we will. We set out to undertake a successful pilot
of the repository and we accomplished that. We set out to enroll six centers at which collections would take place
and we accomplished that. We gave
ourselves a goal of recruiting 1000 subjects by early 2008 and we are on track
to accomplish that. Anytime a goal
slips, we make it public, readjust our plan, and get back on track to fulfill
our original promise. We take our
commitments to our constituents very seriously.
Accelerated Cure Project is honest and transparent.
It should be easy to find out how a nonprofit spends its
money. Financial reports and annual reports should be readily found and
accessed via the web. Phone calls
should be taken by people and questions answered promptly and thoroughly. As a supporter, you should regularly, and
proactively, be updated on the progress as well as the problems that
occur.
Accelerated Cure Project makes all of its financials and audits available on
its web site. We produce our annual
reports in print and electronically. We
put out regular newsletters, email announcements, and status reports. We also send our major donors a detailed
quarterly letter that articulates our problems and progress in great
detail. We do not make misleading
statements about what we are doing or have or have not accomplished. I am always available to answer questions
you might have about our organization by email, phone, or in person.
Can you think of an organization more worthy of your philanthropic investment?
I can't promise you success in all we attempt, but I can
promise you that if success is achievable, we will achieve it. Your contribution to this cause will allow
you to participate in a project that will change, and is changing the face of MS
and other demyelinating diseases.
Make your philanthropic dollars work as hard as possible by supporting the
Accelerated Cure Project. If you've
already given this year, thank you! If
you'd like to extend or renew your gift, please contact me.
If you have not yet given and would like to,
you can contribute by clicking here, as well as indicate whether or not you'd like to make a
recurring gift. Any donations of $1,000
or more will be matched by the Water Cove Charitable Foundation.
Donations pledged for three or more years that are $1,000 or more will be
double matched by the Water Cove Charitable Foundation in the first year.
Please know that a gift of any amount is greatly appreciated. As always, if you have any questions or
feedback I encourage you to contact me directly. I greatly appreciate your interest in our efforts and any support
you can provide (whether it be from your head or your heart!) as we conclude
another year of progress in the fight against Multiple Sclerosis.
Sincerely,
Art Mellor
President and CEO
Accelerated Cure Project
781-487-0008
