Catherine L. Endicott, a fund raiser at PATH, a Seattle medical charity, has submitted the following direct-mail appeal so that readers of Prospecting can offer suggestions.
We invite readers to offer constructive recommendations and we’ll post Ms. Endicott’s second version after she revises the appeal.
Dear First name,
What would you give to change fear into hope for a young woman carrying her first child?
In the poorest regions of India, too many women give birth alone, facing a terrible risk of death and disease for mother and newborn alike. But support from people like you helped make the difference for Pranita Ingole, a young woman living on the border of one of India’s largest cities.
Last year, 20-year-old Pranita became pregnant with her first child. The exhausting work required to help support her family—a husband and the six relatives who share their two-room shanty—left her little time to visit a doctor or prepare for childbirth. Pranita needed a way to protect herself against a frightening number: 20 percent of the world’s pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths happen in India, and especially among India’s poor.
Helping these women starts with simple steps. With your support, PATH is leading the way—mobilizing communities to make sure women like Pranita don’t fall between the cracks. In some of India’s poorest areas, we’re teaching neighborhood health workers to reach out to pregnant women, building trust and informing them about nutrition and medical care. PATH will reach more than 2.5 million mothers and babies by 2010.
And we’re making a difference, one woman at a time. A health worker trained by PATH encouraged Pranita to see a doctor before her delivery and made it possible for her to give birth in a hospital. In January 2008, Pranita delivered Pintoo, a healthy, seven-pound boy. Today, mother and son are thriving.
PATH has worked for more than 30 years to find solutions to the world’s biggest health challenges. We work in more than 70 countries, touching on health technologies for developing nations, wide-reaching epidemics like AIDS and malaria, global availability of effective vaccines, and better health for mothers and children. And we depend on you to make it happen.
We are deeply grateful for your past gift of $«Amt» on «Date». By renewing your support, you can help PATH ensure good health for everyone—especially those like Pranita and her child.
Help us bring hope to young mothers—please make a gift today.
Sincerely,
Janet (Jan) Aldrich Jacobs, CFRE
bq. Director of Donor Relations
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