2011 Annual report

new beginnings
2011 annual report
working together for stronger, healthier babies
new beginnings
A fresh perspective to improving babies’ lives.
• new approach ............................................ 6
A new approach to research brings us closer to
understanding, and preventing, premature birth.
• new ground ............................................... 10
We’re helping babies get at least 39 weeks, the time
they need to grow and develop before being born.
• new momentum .......................................14
Partners at home and around the world have
embraced our call for action to reduce premature
births.
• special events ........................................... 24
Special events raised a total of $41 million in 2011.
• board of trustees .................................... 27
• national officers ....................................... 30
• treasurer’s report .................................... 31
011 ambassador ...................................... 36
•2
Lauren Fleming traveled the country sharing
the story of her early birth and raising awareness.
For the March of Dimes, 2011
was a year of new beginnings.
To accelerate understanding
of the causes of premature
birth, we established the
Prematurity Research Center
at the Stanford University
School of Medicine. This
transdisciplinary research project brings together
scientists from diverse fields to work as a team to explore
the many pathways that may lead to premature births.
It is the first of five such centers that we plan to establish
in the years ahead.
We saw the need to reduce the risks caused by elective
deliveries before 39 completed weeks of pregnancy, so
we launched the Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait™
educational campaign. This campaign includes a nationwide initiative to improve the quality of obstetrical practice,
community programs that improve the quality of prenatal
• t hanks to you ............................................18
Our mission is made possible by you. Thank you
for the time, money and support you give to babies.
Above: LaVerne H. Council (left) and Dr. Jennifer L. Howse
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care, and public awareness advertising to help moms-tobe and families understand that babies undergo very important development during the last weeks of pregnancy.
On November 17, we held
the first World Prematurity
Day. The March of Dimes
has been working to lead,
direct and unify global
efforts to reduce the
terrible toll of premature
birth. With more than 100 partners on four continents,
we are helping world leaders and key stakeholders
understand the impact of premature birth and the
proven strategies that are available for prevention
and, especially, care.
You can read more about each of these new beginnings
in the pages that follow or on our website at
marchofdimes.com.
We also sustained or expanded other vital programs.
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These include:
• The NICU Family Support® program, which brings
information and comfort to families with a baby in
newborn intensive care. The program is now in 114
hospitals and serves more than 80,000 families a year.
• Group prenatal care, which brings high-quality care and
services to low-income women across the country. The
program uses the power of group dynamics to reinforce
healthy behaviors and has demonstrated success in
lowering the rate of premature birth.
• Basic research, which enables scientists to better
understand birth defects and develop cutting-edge
therapies resulting in 13 Nobel Prizes®. We were proud
to award the 2011 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology to Dr. Patricia Ann Jacobs and Dr. David C.
Page for their work in understanding the role of the
X and Y chromosomes.
• Advocacy to support policies and programs that will
improve the health of women and children.
The impact of our work over the past several years is
made clear in the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rate of premature
birth declined in 2011 for the 4th consecutive year, following 3 decades of steady increase. This means thousands
of babies were spared the pain and suffering of an early
birth, and many lives were saved. Lower rates of premature birth also translate into substantial savings in health
care costs for governments, businesses and taxpayers.
Economic changes continued
throughout 2011, and our
fundraising activity delivered mixed results. Special
event revenue increased
by 6 percent; bequests
and major gifts grew by
19 percent; and March for Babies® revenue rose 3.2 percent. These gains were offset, however, by a decline of
13.9 percent in direct response income, due to planned
downsizing of the program. Overall, our 2011 fundraising
campaign raised an impressive $211 million.
All of these accomplishments are made possible by the
sustained engagement of volunteers — from high school
students to corporate leaders. Many volunteers are moms
and dads who are affected by our mission, or who are
simply grateful for their own healthy children and eager
to help others. They know they can count on the March of
Dimes to champion the needs of babies and their families.
Seventy-four years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
founded the March of Dimes to create a new force in
the fight against epidemic polio. Today polio is almost
eliminated, but FDR’s spirit of innovation lives on in the
March of Dimes. We will always be ready to create new
beginnings.
Dr. Jennifer L. Howse
President
LaVerne H. Council
Chair
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new approach
A new approach to research brings us closer to
understanding, and preventing, premature birth.
Can artificial intelligence, computer science and sociology
help moms have full term pregnancies? Premature birth
is a complex problem that has defied simple solutions.
In nearly half of all premature births, we simply don’t
know what went wrong. The March of Dimes is pioneering
a team approach and aims to examine the problem from
every angle to find the answers that have so far been
out of reach. In 2011, together with Stanford University
School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif., we launched the
nation’s first transdisciplinary research center dedicated
to identifying the causes of premature birth.
The prototype center is “assembling teams of scientists
who might not normally be working together, or would
not normally be working on this problem,” explains David
David K. Stevenson, MD, cares for an infant at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
K. Stevenson, MD, principal
investigator and Professor
of Pediatrics at Stanford
University School of Medicine
and Lucile Packard Children’s
Hospital. These scientists include experts in diverse fields
from genetics and neonatology to yes, even computer
science and artificial intelligence. “This transdisciplinary
approach is important because we have to address all
the factors that might contribute to a mother having a
baby early,” said Dr. Stevenson.
A fresh eye could make a difference. Or the synergy
among the varied approaches could lead us in new
directions that bring us closer to solving the mystery of
premature birth. “We’re not making any a priori assumptions about the biological or environmental factors that
contribute to premature birth,” said Dr. Stevenson. “Our
Above: Mark Selcow, March of Dimes trustee, speaks at the luncheon
to launch the center.
Left: Courtesy of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
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goal is to test new hypotheses and make discoveries
that will reduce premature birth.”
Could previous research have overlooked an important
cause of premature birth? To answer this crucial
question, one of the first projects will be to use artificial
intelligence to analyze statewide and national databases
to identify patterns of premature birth in relation to
seasonal, weather and geographical health risks, and
other factors.
The March of Dimes contributed $2 million
toward the launch of the Prematurity Research
Center and will provide support through 2020.
In the future, we aim to create several more
of these centers across the country.
Baby’s prematurity gene
Most research on the role of genetics in preterm labor
has focused on Mom. A new study suggests that a baby’s
genes may play a larger role than previously suspected.
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Using new genetic technology to search the entire
genome, Prematurity
Research Initiative grantee
Louis J. Muglia, MD,
(pictured) of Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine
in Nashville, Tenn., in collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Mikko Hallman from the
University of Oulu in Finland and others have identified a
susceptibility gene. If a baby carries the gene, this more
than doubles his or her chances of being born too soon.
Genetic factors in mom and baby are an important contributor to premature birth. They may contribute to as
much as 30 percent of variation in birth timing that leads
to premature births. Learning which genes are involved is
the first step to developing treatments and preventions.
Dr. Muglia’s discovery is especially important because the
newly identified gene belongs to a class that had not previously been suspected of contributing to premature birth.
The study may lead to new preventive therapies.
Drug to treat birth
defect-causing infection
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
infection occurs in about
1 in 100 newborns. Moms
can pass the virus to their
babies during pregnancy.
Infected babies can develop
intellectual disabilities or
hearing loss, and some even die.
A study by grantee Ravit Arav-Boger, MD, (pictured)
and others at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
identified a potential new drug treatment that may be
used in the future to treat these infected babies. She
found that a novel version of an oral malaria drug is
highly effective against CMV in the lab. The available
oral anti-malarial drugs have been safely used by millions
of children worldwide. “Therefore, the development of
new versions for CMV therapy may be promising,” said
Dr. Arav-Boger.
Genetic basis of brain defect
A March of Dimes-funded study led by Jeremy Reiter,
MD, PhD, (pictured) of the University of California at
San Francisco, has identified a gene that causes Joubert
syndrome, a brain defect resulting in severe movement
problems, and the specific cellular abnormality that causes
these problems. A similar cellular abnormality also causes
Meckel syndrome, a fatal brain and kidney defect. “Both
diseases are fundamentally caused by defects in ‘antennae’ on cells,” said Dr. Reiter.
These antennae, called cilia,
play a crucial role in normal
development. As many
as 1 in 200 people have
disorders, called ciliopathies,
resulting from abnormal cilia.
Dr. Reiter’s study could lead
to drug treatments for ciliopathies, including polycystic
kidney disease, an important cause of kidney failure.
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new ground
We’re helping babies get at least 39 weeks, the time
they need to grow and develop before being born.
They may appear perfectly healthy, but babies born just
a few weeks early are at increased risk for serious health
problems. That’s because babies are still undergoing
important development of the brain, lungs and other
organs during the last weeks of pregnancy.
In 2011, the March of Dimes launched the Healthy Babies
are Worth the Wait™ awareness campaign to let families
know that if a pregnancy is healthy, it is best to wait for
labor to begin on its own, rather than scheduling an
induction or cesarean delivery. We also worked with
25 hospitals in five states to implement quality
improvement initiatives that help ensure that scheduled
deliveries are only done when medically necessary and
not out of convenience for
the physician or patient. In
three states — Kentucky,
New Jersey and Texas —
we funded comprehensive
Healthy Babies are Worth
the Wait® demonstration
projects to show that by enhancing prenatal care
services, rates of premature birth can be reduced. We
also built the online Prematurity Prevention Resource
Center (prematurityprevention.org), where professionals
can find and share the latest information about ways to
reduce the risk of an early delivery.
Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait holds great promise for
driving a continued decline in the prematurity rate — and
potentially saving billions in health care costs. The campaign has been endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the federal Department
of Health and Human Services, which plans to help get the
message out through a paid advertising campaign in 2012.
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Care for the whole family
One minute everything is
fine, and then suddenly a
tiny life is in jeopardy.
When a baby is born too
soon or very sick, parents
can be overwhelmed by
the unfamiliar world of a
newborn intensive care unit (NICU). To help ease their
heartache and fear, the March of Dimes developed the
NICU Family Support® program. The program offers
information and comfort to families while their baby
is in the hospital; during the transition to home; and
in the event of a newborn death. Now marking its
10th anniversary, NICU Family Support has expanded
to 114 hospitals, offering services to more than
80,000 families each year. Each family receives a set
of comforting and engaging educational materials
that describe the staff, equipment, procedures and
conditions they may encounter.
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A March of Dimes NICU Family Support Specialist develops activities unique to each NICU, helping families bond
with their baby and encouraging them to be involved in
their baby’s care.
Strength in numbers
Pregnancy is an exciting time,
but for many women it also
can be stressful. By supporting group prenatal care, we’re
giving moms-to-be in communities across the country a
way to build a strong support
system while receiving the education and care they need
during pregnancy. March of Dimes supported programs
reach more than 6,000 women in 30 states. Taking part in
a group care program helps these moms-to-be gain the
knowledge and confidence to take better care of their
health. And participants lower their chances of going into
preterm labor. In 2011, we substantially expanded out sup-
port of this program that is resulting in healthier pregnancies and helping reduce racial and ethnic disparities in
premature birth.
In 2011, we invested $50 million in communities
across the country to help moms have healthy
pregnancies, to give babies a healthy start and
to support families after the birth of their baby.
Pregnant in China
Access to affordable health
care is a big issue in rural
China, and the situation is
not much better in many urban
areas. One dire consequence
is that women don’t receive
the care they need until they
know they are pregnant, which can be too late to prevent
a poor outcome. China is not the exception. In fact, the
situation is worse in many parts of the developing world.
There are no simple solutions to the problem, but in 2011
the March of Dimes made an important start.
We worked with our partners in China, as well as in the
Philippines and Lebanon, to collect baseline health data
for women of childbearing age: Measuring the problem
is the first step to changing the situation.
A common health assessment tool was used by health
practitioners in all three countries. It has provided data
that has filled the gap in our understanding of preventable health risks before and in between pregnancies.
The same tool can now be used in other countries. The
next step? Formulating preconception care policies and
programs.
We know that care before and between pregnancies is important. Without policies and programs in place, countries
like China are missing an opportunity to keep moms and
babies safe.
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new momentum
Partners at home and around the world have embraced
our call for action to reduce premature births.
The March of Dimes had a banner year for the Prematurity
Campaign. The preterm birth rate declined for the fourth
consecutive year, from 12.8 percent in 2006 to just under
12 percent in 2010. This progress means that about
40,000 fewer babies are being born prematurely each
year. The decline also saves our nation an estimated
$2 billion annually.
To help spur continued progress, the March of Dimes
released our fourth annual Premature Birth Report Card.
Grades were determined by comparing the nation’s and
each state’s preterm birth rate to our 2020 goal of a 9.6
percent rate. The United States earned a “C,” 16 states
received a “B,” and only Vermont received an “A.” Most
Baby Udter, born too soon at the Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey.
states did show an improvement in their preterm birth
rate, reflecting the national
trend. U.S. Surgeon General
Dr. Regina Benjamin lent her
voice to our call for action in
a nationwide media tour.
Several states responded by initiating new projects to
reduce early births. Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner of the
Texas Department of State Health Services, set a goal to
reduce premature births in Texas by 8 percent by 2014.
t just under 12 percent, the preterm birth rate
A
is down from its 2006 peak of 12.8 percent. We
are still a long way from our target of 9.6 percent
by 2020.
And as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), he challenged other states
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to follow their lead. Working
together in partnership, the
March of Dimes and ASTHO
expect many states to
embrace this goal and take
action to help more mothers
go full term.
We also forged new partnerships with international
agencies to help move premature birth higher on the
world’s agenda. Joining forces with the World Health
Organization, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn
and Child Health, and Save the Children, we are
developing the first estimates of premature birth rates
for all countries of the world. This report, due out in
May 2012, also will offer actionable recommendations
for countries, corporations, health care providers
and others to reduce the terrible toll of prematurity
around the globe.
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Speaking out for babies
When it comes to improving the health of women
and children, everyone needs to raise their voice.
And Capitol Hill heard us loud and clear this year.
The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act was introduced
to continue the fight to reduce preterm labor that was
begun by the original PREEMIE Act in 2006.
In 2011, chapters successfully led and completed 82 state legislative or regulatory initiatives
to improve the health of women and children.
March of Dimes chapters in
all states worked to advance
access to health coverage,
birth defects screening, and
smoking and drug prevention
initiatives. With the support
of thousands of volunteers
who spoke out about the issues they cared about, our
advocacy efforts resulted in a total of 82 legislative wins.
Together, these efforts helped keep our families’ health
on the nation’s political agenda.
In Texas and Vermont, we demonstrated how our
advocacy efforts can truly make a difference. Budget
cuts threatened the quality and future of the Texas
newborn screening program and birth defects registry.
Our voices were heard, and funding was preserved for
both. In Vermont, we secured $1.9 million for services
to help pregnant women quit smoking and important
funding for the coordination of care for women with
high-risk pregnancies on Medicaid.
World Prematurity Day
On November 17, we called attention to premature birth
through the first World Prematurity Day. The March of
Dimes led partners around the world, including Little
Big Souls of Africa, the National Premmie Foundation of
Australia, and the European
Foundation for the Care of
Newborn Infants in an effort
to raise the profile of premature birth on the international
health agenda.
Worldwide, more than 1 in 10 babies are born too
soon, and more than 1 million of these babies don’t
survive. Babies who do survive often face a lifetime
of disability.
More than 25,000 people from 24 different countries
spoke out through Facebook and shared their personal
stories to put a face to the global problem of premature
birth. In the United States, we marked the day by lighting
the Empire State Building purple. From China to Mexico,
events took place all over the world to put a spotlight
on premature birth and the families affected by it.
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thanks to you
Our mission is made possible by you. Thank you
for the time, money and support you give to babies.
March for Babies ®
Thank you for joining us in March for Babies! Whether
you walked to celebrate your healthy children, to honor
a little fighter or to remember a baby who didn’t make
it, you helped make a difference for babies and families
across the country.
This year, March for Babies was led by March of Dimes
Board of Trustees Chair and the nation’s No. 4 Top
Walker LaVerne H. Council and cheered on by celebrities
and volunteers across the country. It was a year of big
numbers. Some 15,000 family teams, 20,000 company
teams and a quarter of a million people walked in
hundreds of communities.
Thousands of people came out for March for Babies in Houston, Texas on April 30, 2011.
A big thanks goes out to our
top walkers who raised
$1,000 or more. Leading the
pack was veteran March for
Babies walker Bill Petter from
Renton, Wash. Bill set a goal
of $40,000 but, sadly, passed
away before the walk. In his memory, his friends and family
rallied to push his total to $171,000. Our top youth walker
for the 3rd consecutive year was 14-year-old Jordan Horowitz of Los Angeles who in 2011 raised more than $75,000.
At $83,000, Jordan’s team was the top family team.
ore than 7 million people participated in March
M
for Babies, and $106 million was raised for lifesaving
research and programs.
The 2011 March for Babies top company teams were
Kmart, Farmers Insurance Group, Publix Super Markets,
Inc., Macy’s, Citi, Bank of America Corporation, Cigna,
Famous Footwear, FedEx Corporation and AT&T.
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March for Babies sponsors
Thank you to our 2011 March for Babies national sponsors.
Kmart is the March of Dimes longest-standing
corporate partner and largest contributor to our
mission, having raised $98.8 million over the past
28 years.
Over the past 17 years, Cigna and
its employees have contributed more
than $25 million in March for Babies to
improve the health of babies.
“Kmart is extremely proud of our customers and associates who
continually support our annual campaign to ensure that all babies get
a chance for healthy lives. With an incredible $8 million raised in 2011,
they once again succeeded in making a real difference for babies!”
“Helping moms and babies is a natural match to our mission to help
people improve their health. We are proud that Cigna’s own Shalini
Wittstruck and her family are leading the way as the March of Dimes
National Ambassador Family in 2012. To Shalini and everyone
supporting our efforts in March for Babies, Cigna thanks you!”
— Lou D’Ambrosio, CEO and President
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines
division of Sanofi, proudly
sponsors March for Babies. Since 2009, Sanofi Pasteur
has been working with the March of Dimes to raise awareness of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, and
the importance of adult vaccination against the disease.
“Our continued support of the March of Dimes helps them advance
their mission to give every baby a healthy start.”
— Chad Hoover, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Sanofi Pasteur
— David M. Cordani, President and CEO, Cigna
United Airlines has raised nearly
$2 million in March for Babies and is
committed to raising awareness about the March of Dimes
mission among their employees and in the communities
they serve.
“United is dedicated to helping the March of Dimes reduce premature
birth rates and save babies born prematurely. On behalf of my more than
80,000 co-workers, I’m proud of our long-standing tradition of being the
Official Airline of March of Dimes National Ambassador Program and a
national sponsor of March for Babies.”
— Jeff Smisek, President and CEO, United Airlines
Farmers agents and employees set a
new March of Dimes fundraising record in
2011. They raised $3 million in their annual
Be a Hero for Babies Day® and $4.9 million overall.
In 2011, Famous Footwear surpassed
the $10 million mark in total funds raised
through their highly successful annual
in-store, customer-donation fundraising campaign.
“I could not be more proud of our agents, district managers and
employees. They are truly heroes for babies. Our partnership goes
back 24 years and the Farmers Family works hard every year to
help give every baby a fighting chance.”
“Every year I am amazed and impressed by the level of commitment
and support our home office and store associates demonstrate for the
March of Dimes campaign. I am proud to be a leader of such enthusiastic and compassionate associates.”
— David Travers, Head of Operations, Farmers Group, Inc.
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— Rick Ausick, Division President, Famous Footwear
Tens of thousands of FedEx employees from
all operating companies joined their local
March for Babies team to contribute more than $1.1 million.
“The work of the March of Dimes touches the lives of so many FedEx
team members, resulting in a shared passion to contribute to its mission.
Saving babies and ending premature births — that’s why we support the
annual March for Babies walks in our communities. On-time deliveries
are our common purpose!”
— Laurie Tucker, Senior Vice President, FedEx Services
Bayer Healthcare became a national March
for Babies sponsor in 2011 and has supported the March of Dimes effort to educate women of
childbearing age about eating healthy foods containing
folate and taking a multivitamin containing 400 mcg of folic
acid. Bayer and the March of Dimes reached young women
through the “Girlfriends for Folate” educational campaign
that featured Vanessa Minnillo.
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partners and sponsors
Prematurity Campaign sponsors
NICU Family Support sponsors and supporters
• Destination Maternity
• Farmers Insurance
• Hologic
• PerkinElmer
• WellPoint Foundation
• Scholastic, Inc.
Prematurity Campaign partners
Global Alliances
• A
merican Academy of Pediatrics
• E
uropean Foundation for the Care of Newborn
• A
merican College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists
• A
ssociation of Women’s Health, Obstetric
and Neonatal Nurses
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Infants (EFCNI), Europe
• L ittle Big Souls International Foundation, Africa
• N
ational Premmie Foundation, Australia
In 2011, Macy’s associates and customers nationwide raised more than $3.3 million to benefit
babies. The March of Dimes was the exclusive national in-store beneficiary of Macy’s annual
Shop for a Cause program, which gave shoppers the chance to support our mission while
saving money. On August 27, customers received 25 percent off their online and in-store
purchases after buying a $5 shopping pass.
Pregnant women in 14 states received prenatal services and education from the March of
Dimes, thanks to a generous grant from the WellPoint Foundation. The funding supported
group prenatal care and quality improvement initiatives related to 39 weeks of pregnancy.
Together we addressed critical health issues and worked to improve care for pregnant
women and reduce the number of babies born prematurely.
Destination Maternity is a national partner of the Prematurity Campaign and has raised more
then $2 million for the March of Dimes since 2001. The company is committed to providing
information for their customers to better understand the risk of premature birth and steps to
take to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
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special events
Special events raised a total of $41 million in 2011.
The following were among the year’s top events.
Star-studded support
Hollywood’s biggest names have stepped into the
spotlight to help the March of Dimes throughout the
years. That tradition continued at the 6th Annual March
of Dimes Celebration of Babies®. Chairs Jimmy Horowitz,
President of Universal Pictures, his wife Joi, and co-chairs
Kelly and Ron Meyer and Hillary and Adam Fogelson,
made it an affair to remember and raised almost
$900,000. A-listers Jessica Alba, Susan & Robert Downey
Jr. and many more were on hand to honor the awardees such as Donna Langley, Co-Chairman of Universal
Pictures, who received the March of Dimes Grace Kelly
Award for her commitment to healthy pregnancies and
babies.
Jeanne Trippelhorn (l) presents the Grace Kelly Award to Donna Langley.
Birds of a feather
Houston organized the
country’s largest Signature®
Chefs Gala this year, with a
fabulous La Cage aux Folles
theme. Area foodies flocked
to sample five-star offerings
from 19 talented local
culinary stars and enjoyed an energetic evening of
music, entertainment in the form of feather-clad caged
dancers and costumed performers on perches and a
live auction. The gala event put the spotlight on the
great contributions of, among others, Culinary Honoree
Tony Vallone, Fund the Mission Honorees Elizabeth and
Anthony DeLuca and family, and Medical Honoree Linda
Russell, CEO of Women’s Hospital of Texas. Attendees
came for the food and fun, and helped Texas’ moms
and babies with a whopping $944,000.
Above: Chairs Rosemary Schatzman and Vanessa Sendukas pose
with honorees Elizabeth and Anthony DeLuca and their daughters
Virginia and Caroline.
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Beauty in the Big Apple
Cooking in the Capitol
Celebrating Chicago’s athletes
Riding for the cause
The world of fashion
and beauty showed its
support for babies at the
36th Annual Beauty Ball®
in New York City at
Cipriani 42nd Street.
Hosted by actress and
singer Vanessa Williams, the fundraiser was filled with
glamorous awards and stargazing, yet the message
of prematurity was front and center. The Executive
Vice President of Merchandising for CVS, Mike
Bloom, accepted the Retailer of the Year Award
and held a tiny preemie diaper and hat to illustrate
the size of these little babies. Honoree Jeannine
Shao Collins, Executive Vice President and Chief
Innovation Officer of Meredith, spoke about her
own early birth. The evening raised a total of
$872,000 for New York’s babies.
Judged not for their
politics but as celebrity
chefs, 37 legislators
prepared dishes from
personal recipes at the
2011 March of Dimes
Gourmet Gala® and
showed bipartisan support for babies. Co-chaired by
Gayle Wicker, wife of Senator Roger Wicker (R-MI),
and Libby Doggett, wife of Representative Lloyd
Doggett (D-TX), the annual fundraising dinner was
held at the National Building Museum in Washington,
D.C., around the theme of “39 Weeks: A Recipe for
a Healthy Baby.” James E. Risch (R-ID) and his wife,
Vicki, took the night’s top award for their PistachioCrusted Idaho Rainbow Trout with Cilantro Orange
Hollandaise Sauce.
Fans of both sports and
babies honored some
of Chicago’s biggest
pro athletes at the
24th Annual Comcast®
SportsNet Sports Awards.
Presented by Navistar®,
the dinner scored a win with $720,000 to benefit babies.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the record-setting amount
our annual event has raised for the March of Dimes,”
said James J. Corno, President of Comcast SportsNet
Chicago. Guests mingled with honorees, including
Carlos Boozer of the Bulls, Kerry Wood of the Cubs and
Blackhawks hockey legend Tony Esposito. The Chicagoland Speedway Inspirational Athlete Award winner,
16-year-old Tywaun Crain, talked about living with
cerebral palsy and his passion for adapted sports like
wheelchair basketball and track.
Begun in 1995 with 130
riders, Kansas City Bikers
for Babies® has ballooned
into a 3,500-participant
event raising more than
$540,000 in 2011. Leading
the largest charity ride in
the Midwest is more than just numbers for co-chairs
Penny Sharp and Don Post. “Seeing the riders come
together in support of the smallest members of our
community is always a moving sight,” says Penny.
Despite a rainy start at the Kansas Speedway,
thousands of riders completed the 100-mile route
and then enjoyed a fun day of food, live music and
a spectacular bike show with their posses and families,
all benefiting babies.
Above: Host Vanessa Williams poses with honorees
Jean Zimmerman, Jeannine Shao Collins and Mike Bloom.
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Above: Dr. Jennifer Howse poses with the co-chairs and co-finance
chairs of the event.
Above: Ed Hale and his “posse” this year raised a total of $75,000.
Above: Jackson Miranda, Stacey King, Minnie Minoso and
honoree Carlos Boozer strike a pose.
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board of trustees
Miriam Arond
Director,
Good Housekeeping
Research Institute
New York, N.Y.
Kathy Behrens
Executive Vice President
Social Responsibility &
Player Programs
NBA
New York, N.Y.
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Harris Brooks
Warminster, Pa.
Shannon Brown
Senior Vice President
& Chief HR Officer
FedEx Express
Memphis, Tenn.
John Burbank
President,
Strategic Initiatives
The Nielsen Company
New York, N.Y.
Alfred B. Childs
Senior Vice President
Regional Manager,
Wealth Management
Comerica Bank
Dallas, Texas
Harvey Cohen, MD, PhD
Stanford University
Medical Center
Department of Pediatrics
Stanford, Calif.
Jose F. Cordero,
MD, MPH
Dean, School of
Public Health
Medical Sciences Campus
University of Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
LaVerne H. Council
Mendham, N.J.
Gary Dixon
Partner,
Ernst & Young LLP
Dallas, Texas
Carol J. Evans
President
Working Mother Media
New York, N.Y.
Steven Freiberg
Chief Executive Officer
E*Trade
New York, N.Y.
Aleem Gillani
Chief Financial Officer
Sun Trust Bank
Atlanta, Ga.
Virginia Davis Floyd,
MD, MPH
Executive Director
PROMETRA USA
Associate Professor
Morehouse School
of Medicine
Atlanta, Ga.
Robert F. Friel
Chief Executive Officer
PerkinElmer, Inc. &
Reservoir Woods
Waltham, Mass.
H. Edward Hanway
Media, Pa.
Don Germano
Senior Vice President,
Operations
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Coraopolis, Pa.
William R. Harker, Esq.
Executive Vice President
and General Counsel
ESL Investments
Senior Vice President
Sears Holdings
Management Corporation
Greenwich, Conn.
Elizabeth Roosevelt
Johnston
Assistant County Attorney
Hennepin County
Minneapolis, Minn.
David H. Lissy
Chief Executive Officer
Bright Horizons Family
Solutions
Watertown, Mass.
Kenneth May
Dallas, Texas
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national officers
G. Brent Minor
Mt. Prospect, Ill.
Judith A. Nolte*
New York, N.Y.
Kirk Perry
President,
Global Family Care
The Procter & Gamble
Company
Cincinnati, Ohio
Troy Ruhanen
Chairman & CEO
The Americas
BBDO
New York, N.Y.
David R. Smith, MD
President of
SUNY Upstate
Medical University
Syracuse, N.Y.
Jonathan Spector
Chief Executive Officer
The Conference Board, Inc.
New York, N.Y.
David A. Travers
Executive Vice President
– Operations
Farmers Insurance Group
Los Angeles, Calif.
Joseph W. Wood
St. Louis, Mo.
F. Robert Woudstra
Los Angeles, Calif.
Roger Charles Young,
MD, PhD
Director, Division of
Obstetric & Gynecologic
Specialties
Department of Obstetrics,
Gynecology and
Reproductive Sciences
Fletcher Allen Health Care
Burlington, Vt.
*Served Until December 2011
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LaVerne H. Council
Jonathan Spector
Jennifer L. Howse, PhD
Lisa Bellsey
Chair of the Board
Vice Chair of the Board
President
Assistant Secretary
Gary Dixon
David R. Smith, MD
Jane Massey*
Richard Mulligan**
Vice Chair of the Board
Secretary
Executive Vice President/
Chief Operating Officer
Executive Vice President/
Chief Operating Officer
Carol Evans
Al Childs
Alan R. Fleischman, MD
David Horne**
Vice Chair of the Board
Treasurer
Medical Director
Assistant Treasurer
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*Served Until December 2011
**Effective December 2011
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treasurer’s report
This year marked another period of improvement
and stability for our program and revenue campaigns.
During this time we were able to increase the issuance
of grants and awards by almost $2 million and grow our
program ratio to more than 75.8 percent of expenses.
On the ensuing pages, we present the 2011 and 2010
financial results for the Foundation. Total Operating
Revenue came in at $211.1 million, a slight decrease of
$0.9 million compared to the prior year. This decrease
was mainly due to the expiration of a large state grant in
California. However, through timely and efficient expense
controls, we achieved a net operating gain of $1.3 million.
Two non-revenue items impacted our financial results for
the year, investment losses and an adjustment in pension
liabilities. The net loss on investments from operating and
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non-operating activities of $(4.4) million was attributable
to the volatility and decline in global markets in the Foundation’s Investment Portfolio. Pension liability increased
by $33.7 million as required by pension accounting rules
and was attributable to the historically low interest rate
environment and decline in Pension investments noted
above. Excluding these items, our balance sheet remains
in a strong position as current assets of $119.2 million
greatly exceed our current liabilities of $33.6 million.
As we plan for 2012, we are confident that the economy
will continue to improve and allow us to expand our revenues, and our research and programs to those areas that
need it the most.
funding the mission
In 2011, gross contributions to the March of Dimes included:
• March for Babies — $106.0 million
• Direct response — $48.8 million
• Special events — $41.3 million
• M
ajor gifts, including Bequests, President’s Society
and Government Grants — $15.3 million
expense allocations for 2011
program services for 2011
Management
and General
10.8%
We thank our many volunteers and donors and ask for
their continued support.
Community Services
23.5%
Fundraising
13.4%
Program Services
75.8%
Public and
Professional
Education
37.6%
Research and
Medical Support
14.7%
Al Childs
Treasurer April 10, 2012
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statement of financial position*
Assets
Investments, cash and
cash equivalents
statement of financial activities**
2011 2010
$119,196
$130,627
9,136
8,918
Land, building and equipment – net
15,003
15,207
Other assets
12,845
14,896
$156,180
$169,648
Assets held in trust by others
Total assets
Liabilities
Grants and awards payable
Accounts payable and
accrued expenses
Accrued postretirement
and pension benefit costs
Other liabilities
Total liabilities
$22,317
$23,333
11,242
12,968
108,462
74,980
2,226
4,671
$144,247
$115,952
Net Assets
2011 2010
$106,846
Operating
$115,368
Accrued postretirement
and pension benefit costs
(108,462)
(74,980)
Total unrestricted
$(1,616)
$40,388
Temporarily restricted
$2,204
$1,736
Permanently restricted
11,345
11,572
$11,933
$53,696
$156,180
$169,648
Total net assets
Total liabilities and net assets
Expenses
Operating activities:
Revenue
Contributions
Research and medical support
2011 2010
$185,102
$187,214
Bequests and major gifts
12,138
10,165
Government, foundation
and corporate grants
3,117
4,341
Investment return
appropriated for operations
5,000
5,000
Other
5,785
5,332
$211,142
$212,052
Total operating revenue
$29,846
Public and professional education
79,030
77,922
Community services
49,252
49,819
Management and general
22,646
22,359
Fundraising
28,098
28,548
$209,879
$208,494
$1,263
$3,558
Investment return (less)
greater than appropriated
($9,372)
$8,614
Adjustment in pension liability
(33,654)
(1,885)
$(41,763)
$10,287
Total expenses
Excess operating
revenue over expenses
Non-operating activities:
A complete copy of financial statements audited by KPMG, LLP
is available upon request from the March of Dimes Foundation,
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605 or on our
website at marchofdimes.com/annualreport
Change in net assets
* As of December 31, 2011 and 2010 (amounts in thousands)
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2011 2010
$30,853
** Years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 (amounts in thousands)
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2011 ambassador
Lauren Fleming traveled the country sharing the
story of her early birth and raising awareness.
Densel Fleming of Marvin, North Carolina, had been a
March of Dimes volunteer for 16 years with the Alpha Phi
Alpha Fraternity when his daughter, Lauren, was born 3
months early, weighing only 2 pounds, 1 ounce. Lauren
spent 5 months in newborn intensive care where she was
treated for respiratory distress and underwent multiple
surgeries related to a damaged vocal cord and a heart
defect.
Doctors prepared Densel and his wife, Nikki, for the worst.
“Lauren did everything doctors said she wouldn’t be able
to do — like cry and breathe on her own,” Densel says.
“I knew she was saying to me, if I’m willing to
fight, then, Daddy, you better be man enough
to fight as well.”
Lauren is now a loving
8-year-old who makes friends
easily. It’s a trait that came
in handy as she traveled the
country with her family as the
2011 March of Dimes National Ambassador. The family’s
travels included celebrating Farmers® Insurance Be a Hero
for Babies Day® in Los Angeles and taking part in North
Carolina’s Signature Chefs Auctions® in Charlotte and
Raleigh. They walked in March for Babies in both Houston
and Chicago and joined Kmart to celebrate Babies on
Broadway. Lauren’s highlight? Meeting President Barack
Obama in the Oval Office of the White House.
Above: Densel, Nikki, Erin, Corbin and Lauren.
Lauren Fleming, 2011 National Ambassador, with dad, Densel, a 16-year March of Dimes volunteer.
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thank you!
Almost home: Staci’s daughter was born at just 29 weeks at UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the
health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature
birth and infant mortality.
March of Dimes | National Office
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue | White Plains, NY 10605
marchofdimes.com | nacersano.org
The March of Dimes is proud to offer a mom- and family-friendly work environment.
We value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer.
© 2012 March of Dimes Foundation 41-2594-12
4/12
marchofdimes.com/annualreport