THE BORGEN PROJECT

The Borgen Project believes that leaders of the most powerful nation on earth should be doing more to address global poverty. We’re the innovative, national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign policy.

how we operate

Advocate: We meet with U.S. leaders to secure their support for poverty-reduction efforts and legislation.

Mobilize/Engage: We mobilize people across the country behind efforts to make poverty a political priority.

Issue Messaging: We build awareness of global issues and innovations in poverty-reduction.

Educate: We teach basic advocacy skills that allow citizens to communicate with their government.

the problem

• 24,000 children die every day from severe poverty...equivalent to the Haiti earthquake occurring every 9 days.

• 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water

• 2 billion people lack access to basic sanitation

the good news• Severe poverty is preventable

• Experts have known since the 1970’s that hunger could be eliminated within one generation if the political will exists.

• International cooperation is now in place to eliminate poverty on a global scale (UN Millennium Development Goals).

• Very little is required by wealthy nations to eliminate it.

What percentage of the Federal Budget goes to foreign aid?

$4.4 billion: The cost of two B-2 Bombers.

$3.2 billion: The annual budget for the World Food Program (largest relief agency on the planet) to assist 104 million starving and malnourished people.

by the numbers…

$550 billion: Annual U.S. Military budget.

+$130 billion: Annual cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.

why the U.S. should do more…

• National Security• Economic growth/more U.S.

jobs• Overpopulation• Immigration• Environment• Clean-up our mess• Nonprofits can’t solve it alone

why we chose advocacy over aid

$5,000: Cost of building one well.Impact: 250 people.

$2,000: Cost of building support for the Water for the World Act in Congress.Impact: 100 million people.

advocacy

Nearly all great societal changes have been delivered by advocacy.

When the public is informed, engaged and mobilized around an issue, that is where large scale change occurs and wrongs are righted.

how to help

1. Build buzz, spread ideas, shape your culture.

2. Divert/Donate.3. Put your congressional

leaders in your cellphone.

1.Build Buzz

“If an issue is not on the tips of their constituents tongues, it’s easy for political leaders to ignore it.”

Former Vice President, Al Gore

2. Donate/Divert

Avoid the “now’s not a good time” to give timeline

• Birth• I’m just a kid• I’m in college• I’m getting married• I’m raising children• My children are in college• I’m retired

3. Put congress in your cellphone

Visit http://www.congress.org/ and enter your zip code to find your representatives contact information

What to say: “I’m a Borgen Project supporter, and I’d like to see poverty-focused aid increased.”

what happens when you call…A staffer answers your call and puts your

information into a “Call Report”

Once a week a report is generated and sent to your representative tallying how many people chose to support or oppose

a bill

Your political leader uses the report to gauge public opinion and determine

which bills to support

we don’t change the world unless you do