the IACFS/ME Capital Campaign

[Guest guest]

Bulletin of the IACFS/ME

Volume 16, Issue 8, 2008

Letter from the President

Announcing the IACFS/ME Capital Campaign

If you have been keeping abreast of the IACFS/ME

and its growing pains here is a quick synopsis:

We are trying to expand the services we provide to

our professional membership by developing a journal,

increasing the number of clinical and research

conferences that we sponsor or cosponsor,

developing treatment guidelines and updating a

treatment manual for CFS/ME, promoting an

international climate supportive of collaborative

research, advocating for increased research funds,

promoting clinical education for providers, and

providing expertise to governmental agencies as they

develop health care policy that impacts our patients.

All of this and more is provided in large part by your

hard working board and its committee members.

We did get a little taste of what we could be doing,

when the board participated in a very informative

conference in Oslo last fall. The Norwegian Ministry

of Health had a number of policy makers in the

audience, and the resulting shift in CFS/ME health

care policy in Norway was dramatic and immediate.

Afterwards the empowered board debated our role as

experts informing health care policy makers, as well

as our role as educators. We found ourselves

wanting to do so much more, but with limited

resources we have had to turn down similar

opportunities all too often.

And so we decided to try to develop our

infrastructure. We have been an all-volunteer

organization, with a part time administrative staff

until now, with a very small bank account. We are

trying to raise funds to allow us to hire full time staff

to help achieve our organizational goals, including a

fund raiser to develop grant support for the goals

listed above, and much more. Thus I announce today

the IACFS/ME Capital Campaign. We are seeking

financial resources ( " money " ) to develop the

organizational base that will allow us to truly meet

the needs of our members and the patients we

serve. We are hoping to find a group of " charitable

givers " —okay, generous philanthropists—willing to

commit to sponsoring part or all of a salary line for

two or more years. We are also seeking plenty of

single donations to develop the fund. I am hoping

the international community that we serve will rally

to the cry!

So whether donations large and small, recurring

commitments or single donations, just consider the

potential of this organization and be generous. For

those of you outside of the U.S., consider how the

poor dollar inflates your donor power! For those in

the U.S., well, sorry about the dollar, but every bake

sale, garage sale, or support group meeting that can

" pass the hat " would be an investment that pays

back and more. Doctors, please make a copy of the

bulletin and leave it in your waiting room; maybe

one of your patients will make this all happen!

For more information just email us, and remember

we are a nonprofit organization, and can provide the

information needed for tax purposes.

Thank you for your generosity!

— G. Klimas, M.D.

President, International Association for CFS/ME (IACFS/ME)