Personal Letters & Fundraising Ideas Enclosed you will find easy ways to increase your fundraising efforts! If you would like an electronic copy of this document or any materials, please email us at [email protected] Personal Letters Have a personal letter and/or email campaign to Friends and Family. You will receive significantly more support when you share your personal story. If doing a mail campaign, make it easy for people! Enclose a donation form for your team and a stamped envelope addressed to: Autism Speaks 5455 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 2250 Los Angeles CA 90036. Samples of letters are enclosed. Fundraising Ideas/ Wrap around events Host a Wrap Around event. Enclosed are many ideas that can help to raise a lot of additional funds such as parties, restaurant events, puzzle piece campaigns. Many more ideas enclosed! Personal Letters: TEN steps to a successful fundraising letter campaign The most effective way to raise funds for Walk Now for Autism is through letter writing. 1. Write the letter. Say what you are doing and why you are doing it. 2. Mail it to family members, friends, co-workers and business associates 3-8 weeks before the Walk Now for Autism event (Try using your holiday mailing list). 3. State you personal fundraising goal in your letter. The higher the better! 4. Include in the letter some information about the important work being done by Autism Speaks. 5. Be sure to say that donations are tax deductible and that checks should be made payable to Autism Speaks. 6. State that you would like the donation before the date of the Walk. Enclose a return envelope stamped if possible. Be sure to include donation form (see next page for sample. To print, go to your walk homepage, click “make a donation offline” and print.) 7. Mail donations to Autism Speaks; 5455 Wilshire Blvd; Suite 2250; Los Angeles, CA 90036. 8. Remember to include on your mailing list any vendors, consultants and people with whom you do business. 9. Be sure to send thank you notes (after the Walk) to everyone who sponsors you! 10. Remember, the more people to whom you mail, the more funds you will raise to help support the best and most promising autism research in the world today! Walk Now for Autism Personal Letter Examples To Our Family and Friends Insert Photo Here! (Name) was 2 years old when he was diagnosed with Autism. Like a ghost in beautiful boy’s body, our son was there physically but somewhere else mentally. He wouldn’t look at us; he would look through us. Learning how to get through to him became our mission. Through the amazing power of the human spirit and through the purest love imaginable, we set off on our journey. Every morning we would wake up and say, “If we can give this child one more word, or one more skill to help him become more independent in this world, then we are doing out job”. As our journey continued, we discovered (Name) was capable of learning and loving. (Name) loves to ride his bike, swim in the pool, go on hikes, and be around family and friends. He is able to tell us his basic wants and needs throughout the day. Our journey is filled with hope as we celebrate even the smallest steps of progress. Still, we want a cure or just even a medication that will help (Name) be able to function better in the world. The same way they have discovered medications for people with all sorts of other types of disorders and disabilities. Many of those people can talk and demand action but people with autism do not have a voice, so we are speaking for them. Since autism knows no boundaries, we are also speaking for a future generation of children and families who may also experience this. Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than Aids, Diabetes and Cancer combined. There is no medical detection or cure for autism. Please join (Team) on (walk date) on the Washington DC National Mall benefiting Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to promoting autism awareness and research. This will be a spectacular event with activities and games, music, strolling entertainment of magicians, balloon makers, stilt walkers, and lots of food! You will be uplifted and empowered as our children, families and friends walk at the base of the Capital. Please take these Easy Steps to join and/or donate to (Team) on behalf of Autism Speaks! 1. Go to www.dcautismwalk.org 2. Click on REGISTER 3. Click on Join Team – pick (Your team) Love, Name Walk Now for Autism Personal Letter Examples Who is (Name)? (Name) is almost six years old. He has piercing green eyes, a smattering of blonde ringlet curls and a smile that makes you feel like a child again. He is a vibrant, beautiful little boy who loves Elmo, going to school, and jumping into his huge splashing swimming pool. He laughs when you tickle him, he runs to your side when dinner’s ready and often times, he gives you the greatest hugs in the world when you lease expect it. He is the perfect child in every sense of the word. Insert Photo Here! (Name) also happens to be autistic. He has never spoken to his family; he cannot concentrate on the most normal tasks. Going into public places is most difficult, as are the stares of confusion, and often times pity, from so many strangers. Yet despite his limitations, (Name) is a most beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend to dozens and dozens of individuals young and old. He teaches each of us something new about ourselves and about the truly important elements of life. In essence, (Name) could be anyone’s child and grandchild; he just happens to be ours. Walk Now for Autism Personal Letter Examples One evening, while putting my five-year-old son to bed, he asked: “Mommy, whose fault is it that (name) has autism?...Is it God’s fault? He made her that way.” I did my best to explain that God is manifest in our world as consequences of the choices we make in life. Each choice has an impact on others, however small or indirect. As (name) autism did not happen entirely because of anyone’s choices, we can only say it happened by accident. I explained to (sibling) that scientists are working very hard to answer the most important part of this question – Why do some children have autism? {…how does it happen? How can we help them?...and how can we stop it?). This is an attempt to provide you with a few examples of the impact your choice to support Autism Speaks has on the search for a cure. Support like yours is the fuel behind critical achievements and initiatives which bring us closer, 1 discovery at a time. Autism Speaks projects have resulted in 273 pieces of information about autism that would not have existed without your help. The research has had an enormous impact on how we think about this disorder, and Autism Speaks publications are forming a central part of the foundation knowledge that researchers all over the world are using to pursue a cure. The rays of light that follow are just a sample of the ripple effect which results when many good choices, made by people who care, are taken together. Thank you for caring about our children, and for continuing to support Autism Speaks. “We need to make the research work to alleviate the burden of disease.” – Dr. Thomas Insel, Director of NIMH SCIENCE PROGRAMS Autism Speaks is dedicated to facilitating global research into the causes, treatments, prevention and an eventual cure for autism by: 9 9 9 9 Promoting cross-disciplinary cooperation Funding research Organizing research summit meetings Establishing standards for data collection and management to benefit the scientific community Our science portfolio targets four specific areas: Etiology: Biology: Why does someone get autism? What are the biological problems associated with autism? Goal: Understanding the triggers and susceptibilities to autism Focus: Developing and managing grants and initiatives in the areas of genetics, environmental sciences and epidemiology Goal: Understanding the underlying biological mechanisms of autism Focus: Developing and managing grants and initiatives in the areas of neurosciences, physiology and molecular biology Diagnosis: Treatment: How do we know if someone has autism? How can we help Individuals with autism? Goal: To refine existing diagnostic tools and develop new diagnostic approaches to aid in early detection Goal: To increase the efficacy and range of treatment options available Focus: Developing and managing grants and initiatives in the areas of behavioral and biological methods of diagnosis as well as characterization of the autism phenotypes Focus: Developing and managing grants and initiatives in the areas of behavioral, biomedical and technological methods of treatment and intervention services 1 CLINICAL PROGRAMS Our clinical programs assist the research community in a variety of ways. Our programs include: • AGRE: Autism Genetic Resource Exchange AGRE is a repository (gene bank) of genetic and clinical information from families with two or more members diagnosed with an ASD that is made available to autism researchers worldwide. For over 10 years AGRE has accelerated the pace of autism research by collecting genetic and clinical data and providing it to researchers allowing them to focus efforts on their investigations rather than data collection. www.familyagre.org • ATP: Autism Tissue Program The ATP is dedicated to increasing and enhancing the availability of post-mortem brain tissue to as many qualified scientists as possible to advance autism research. Brain tissue allows scientists to go far beyond the constraints of other technologies and study autism on both a cellular and molecular level. To date, there are more than 100 brains (from both affected and unaffected individuals) available for autism research. www.autismtissueprogram.org • ATN: Autism Treatment Network The ATN is a network of hospitals and physicians working together to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and consistent approach to medical care for autism and related disorders. The doctors in the ATN are dedicated to providing care for families now and to establishing standards of care for autism that can be shared across the wider medical community. As medical protocols and treatments become better defined and recognized, it is the aim of the ATN to see insurers routinely cover autism treatment. www.autsismspeaks.org/atn • CTN: Clinical Trials Network The CTN is a collaboration of hospitals and medical centers working together on clinical trials of promising pharmaceutical or nutritional treatments. The CTN approach enables sites to enroll children around the country in a single study, allowing sites to reach recruitment goals in a much shorter amount of time and accelerating progress towards scientifically proven treatments. www.autismspeaks.org/ctn • IAN: Interactive Autism Network IAN is an innovative online project designed to accelerate the pace of autism research by linking researchers and families. In addition, families of children with an ASD can share information in a secure online setting and become part of the nation's largest online research effort. www.ianproject.org 2 Name Address1 Address2 Phone & Email Date Dear Friends, I am writing in hope that you and your company would consider helping. As you may know our son, has been diagnosed with Autism. Today 1 in 150 children receive this devastating diagnosis (in 1980 the diagnosis rate was 1 in 10,000). We are one of the lucky few, however. We began very early with an amazing intervention program. (Name) is improving rapidly. So many others, however, are not as fortunate. Many children are completely unable to communicate, and live in an isolated world of their own. Today, almost everyone knows of someone with Autism. And if they don't, they will soon. Please help us in our fight to find a cure! Attached are our corporate sponsorship opportunities. I am actively involved in the Walk Now For Autism this year and need your support. If you are not comfortable with one the sponsorship categories, we can customize sponsorship benefits to match your organizations needs. Why I walk? I walk in the hopes that the people that stare at you will be educated about Autism, and stop staring when you have a meltdown or are talking to yourself. I walk in the hopes that you will be allowed to grow up and be yourself without the ignorance and prejudice that surrounds people not just with Autism, but any disability. I'm sorry that there are people in the world that will make you sad and make you feel bad because you are "different.” You're really not. Insert Photo Here! You are the most amazing little boy because you are filled with love and joy. I'm sorry there are people in this world that are not kind. They may say hurtful words. I wish I could stop their words, actions and stares, and protect you from it, but I will be there every time you cry, with a hug and a kiss. I walk in the hopes that someday, no family will have to hear the words "Your Child Has Autism." And if they do, there will be so many options and answers that they will not feel alone. I walk for a cure. I walk for education. I walk for tolerance. I walk for understanding of Autism. Please join us in this walk for a cure for Autism. Sincerely, Name Insert Photo Here! Insert Photo Here! TEAM “(TEAM NAME HERE)” Photo Here TEAM NAME HERE, NOVEMBER 8, 2008 Four years ago when we first suspected (NAME HERE) had Autism, we were devastated. At 18 months he didn’t speak, make eye contact, or respond to his name, nor could he point or gesture in any way; he was fixated on opening and closing doors and would do so seemingly forever if we didn’t stop him. I remember spending hours trying to engage him in activities other than those doors with little success. I was devastated watching him, recalling the dreams I had for him and my family and realizing everything would be different. Now when I reflect over the past 4 years, I realize how far (NANE HERE) has come. For the first year and a half after accepting the fact that (NAME HERE) had Autism, we attempted to navigate an impossible maze of contradictory diagnosis, and treatment recommendations; progress was slow. Although his speech increased, almost all of it was echoliac (repeating back what was said to him), or delayed echolia (repeating a scripted phrase he had previously heard). Shortly after he turned 3, against the advice of most of his therapists, we changed from from one form of intervention to another. (NAME HERE) worked with trained professionals for 6 hours per day, 7 days per week and the progress was dramatic. Everything that most of us learn by observation in our natural environment was broken down into the smallest possible component, to enable (NAME HERE) to master that skill, and then build upon it. Item by item, he learned how to speak and understand not only the meanings of the words, but past tense and future tense, adjectives, basic nouns, verbs, prepositions, opposites, yes/ no, and I don’t know. He learned how to play appropriately and developed basic social skills. Many programs were used to help improve his auditory processing, visual perception, and motor planning skills. By 4 years of age, he had made substantial progress. His speech was still almost completely echoliac, but it was in the appropriate context, and often spontaneous. By 4 ½ he had finally gotten his pronouns correct (this took many attempts). And right before his fifth birthday he asked his first “why” question. This was a huge milestone for us, breaking into his ability to think abstractly. And then, during a consultation in the spring, I realized that the echoliac speech was gone…completely! This past year, (NAME HERE) attended preschool with typically developing children. I look back to old emails to his teachers…”is he having any social interactions with peers?” He was still so far away from having interest, or interactions with other children. Yet by early spring, he not only was interacting, but also had specific friends and was asking me to set up playdates with them! We believe (NAME HERE) prognosis is excellent. We continue to contribute to his college fund, and are hopeful that he will be able to lead an independent life. There is a lot of work ahead. And we move forward, focusing on the gains. Trying so hard not to obsess about what the future may or may not have in store. We cherish every part of his personality. (NAME HERE) fills all of us with so much love, with his sweetness, compassion, and sense of humor. T E A M N A M E H E R E, N O V E M B E R 8, 20 08 (NAME HERE) has been a miracle that has come into our lives. Yet most families faced with Autism don’t have much to celebrate. Many of my dearest friends struggle each day, and struggle even more, when they think about what the future holds. Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that impairs communication, behavior, learning and social skills. Today 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism (1 in 94 boys), making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Government statistics suggest that Autism continues to grow at a rate of 10% to 17% per year. We need to find a cure for this disease, which has seized the brains of millions of children. Many of these children are trapped within their bodies, unable to communicate, yet intellectually intact. For the parent of an Autistic Child, alongside the joy of having a beautiful child, is the indescribable pain that comes from watching the child you love entrapped in a world of chaos, confusion and often terror. There is no more intense rejection and devastation than to have brought a child into the world who treats you with the indifference of a total stranger. Imagine bringing a beautiful child into the world, watching as he or she progresses normally with all milestones met. And then, somewhere between 1 ½ and 2 years, everything changes. Your precious child is kidnapped; not the actual person, just his or her brain. We need your help in searching for cures and treatments for this debilitating condition. Please join our family, November 8, 2008 on the Washington Monument Grounds to help find a cure!