State of the Union August 2025

Stepping for Change Challenge

Summer 2025 Competition

Win a Trip to Lobby or Dine with The Borgen Project!

The Borgen Project’s Stepping for Change Challenge is a global fundraising competition that turns your physical steps into advocacy for ending extreme poverty.

By tracking your steps, you can raise donations to support our lobbying efforts to protect and grow foreign aid budgets.

The person who raises the most will win a two-night trip to either lobby their Government officials or meet and have dinner with Clint Borgen! Ask your manager for further details.

Political Updates

Lobbying and Advocacy Efforts

Total # of Lobbying Meetings in July: 49
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2025: 269
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2025: 325

Advocacy Emails

- Total # of Advocacy Emails in July: 6,015
- Total # of Advocacy Emails in 2025: 25,062
- Advocacy Emails Goal for 2025: 50,000
- % of Congress Emailed Year to Date: 91%

Congressional Office Meetings and Bird Dogging

Kim Thelwell & various team members met with Senator Cornyn’s staffer, Brett Bauman (R-TX)

Political Affairs Team member, Sandhra Jose held a meeting with Representative Mike Flood (R-NE-01)’s District Representative, Monica Battreall

Political Affairs Team member, Mat de Vera held a meeting with MP Shuvaloy Majumdar’s (Calgary Heritage) Constituency Assistant, Josh Heuberger

Political Affairs Team member, Vijay Deshaboina, bird-dogging Representative Herb Conaway (D-CA-37)

Updates from DC

Listen in to hear all of the latest updates from DC.

Recognition

Congratulations to the following team members who have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition

- Honors Award (raised $3000 or more):
  - Nonprofit Leadership Team: Breanda Williams
- Chief Closer Award (raised $1,000 or more):
  - Political Team: Dakshata Anand, Avinash Shah, Max Wachter, Nicole Fehner
  - Content Team: Axtin Bullock, Klara Jones
  - Nonprofit Leadership Team: Ainsley Thornborrow, Ellen Kimbler
- Bird-Dog Award:
  - Political Team: Vijay Deshaboina
- President’s Circle Award (mobilized 50 or more people)
  - Political Team: Samuel Karp
- Article of the Month: Virtual Reality Surgical Training by Hayden Chedid

Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.

Getting the Word Out

Political Affairs Team

Political Affairs Team member, Victoria Trinh gave a presentation

Elise Howe, gave a presentation to her local Rotary Club (4th from left)

Political Affairs Team member, Jadyn Ocampo held a Zoom information event with 11 attendees

Political Affairs Team members, Claire Zinnen and Isadora Soares on their way to do their presentation

Savannah Cunningham tabling. The event took place next to a local gym. Savannah happened to notice Congressman Greg Casar leaving, so had an impromptu lobbying meeting!

Gregorie Marincas-Bucy gave a presentation

1-Mile Campaigns & Mobilizing

Nonprofit Leadership Team

James Gosnell

Alexandra Ruiz

Content Team

Damilola Omokanye, Getting the word out in Nigeria

Letters to the Editor

Political Affairs Team

Sandhra Jose – Omaha World-Herald

PR/Marketing Team

Carter Parker – The FREEMAN and GM Today

Nonprofit Leadership Team

Mary Torgerson

Ellen Kimbler had her letter published in the Sacramento Bee, following which she received an email via the editor from the 2nd Vice Chair of the Placer County Democratic Party Central Committee, thanking her for the great letter.