Note from the President: Hi everyone, lots of great things occurring right now.
The PEPFAR Extension Act passed in the House this week. The beautiful bill that fights HIV/AIDS in Africa has a great chance of passing in the Senate, but we have less than a month and a half to pass it. Your advocacy emails and mobilizing is crucial right now.
We are $24,000 away from our goal of raising $400,000 this year! We need a strong finish to reach this key goal.
Amazing stats coming out of the Content Team. Over 500,000 people visited borgenproject.org in October. Half a million people!
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in October: 57
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 703
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in October: 3,916
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in October: 98%
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Godson Ighoja with Hatou Camara, Community Liaison Officer for Congressman José E. Serrano (D – NY – 15th).
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
Despite last month’s technical difficulties, we managed to set a new record! More than half a million people visited the website in October.
Leader Board Award (raised $4,000 or more): Katey Reiff, PR/Marketing Team
Chief Closer Award (raised $1,000 or more): Alexandra Bicknell, PR/Marketing Team
President’s Circle: Kevin Fagan, Political Affairs Team
Public Outreach Award: Brigitte Buckholtz, PR/Marketing Team
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
Content Team Member Yumi Wilson raising awareness about TBP.
Content Team member Aquillina Ngowera spreading the word about TBP in South Africa.
HR Team member Andrea Arivella seen raising awareness about TBP.
One-Mile Campaigns
Political Affairs Team member Lucia Badillos Rodriguez posted fliers for her One-Mile Campaign.
“The 1-mile campaign was a good experience. I posted several fliers around the 1-mile space on boards and poles around town. A few people asked me what The Borgen Project was, and I had a conversation with them and gave them a card with the website details and my email address in case they had any more questions.”
PR Team Member Andrew Mathews completing his One-Mile Campaign
PR/Marketing Team member Brion Miller posting flyers for his One-Mile Campaign.
Infographics created by PR/Marketing Team member Brigitte Buckholtz
PR/Marketing Team member Josh Ranft created business cards to help inform and mobilize his peers.
PR/Marketing Team member Ramon Polo’s infographic proves you can make an impact in just 30 seconds.
PR/Marketing Team member Elise El Nouchi created two infographics.
PR/Marketing Team member Rayssa Taiar created an infographic for a Borgen Project event.
PR/Marketing Team member Christina Taylor designed an infographic on the relationship between global poverty and national security.
Fundraising
Happy Halloween! PR/Marketing Team member Elise El Nouche hosted a Halloween bake sale and fundraised $449.
HR Team member Julia Torres took a friend’s dog to the beach to raise money for her fundraising campaign!
Content Team Member Charlene Frett hosted a potluck party to fundraise for her internship.
https://borgenteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg00teamhttps://borgenteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpgteam2018-11-14 09:52:082020-04-24 09:29:50State of the Union November 2018
Note from the President: Hi everyone, I want to apologize if you’ve experienced issues with the website recently. We’ve been told by our web hosting provider that the issue is fixed and we shouldn’t see ads or layout issues. We’ve had a remarkably, smooth run this past 15-years without website disturbances and this glitch was an unexpected headache for everyone. For Content Team members, our Editors weren’t able to access the site for a few days, so Writers hang in there while things get caught up. Mid-term election soon! Go vote! Go vote! Go vote!
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in September: 33
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 641
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in September: 4,018
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in September: 97%
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Kevin Fagan with Collin Tracy, Staff Assistant to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R – WA – 5th).
Political Affairs Team member Vanessa Delgadillo with Nick Kistenmacher, Senior Field Director to Senator Bob Corker (R – TN).
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Bird-dog Award: Brigitte Buckholtz, PR/Marketing Team
Capital Achievement Award (raised $2,000 or more): Morgan Harden, Content Team
Chief Closer Award (raised $1,000 or more):Charlene Frett, Content Team, Noah Bartholomae, Political Affairs Team
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
PR/Marketing Team member Gemise Jones hosted an info session in New York.
Content Team member Massarath Fatima posted flyers to advocate for TBP.
One-Mile Campaigns
Political Affairs Team member Olivia Thomajan asked several cafes to write about The Borgen Project on their cups for her One-Mile Campaign
Political Affairs Team member, Tyler Freeman, completed his one-mile campaign in the center of Los Angeles! Tyler, with the help of some friends, targeted Wilshire Blvd and had flyers at every light post within a dozen blocks of the Congressman’s office.
Michaela Poole, Political Affairs Team member, posted fliers and did chalk art in areas with high foot traffic. Michaela also implemented clothespins into her One-Mile Campaign by attaching them to people’s clothing to spread the word about The Borgen Project.
Political Affairs Team member, Dalvida Palmer, posted fliers in places such as the library, computer labs, the food court, and the dorms. She also targeted “waiting areas” like bus stops and elevators.
Samantha Suib, Political Affairs Team member, took her one-mile campaign to the Great Falls Village Center in Great Falls, VA. She posted signage, reached out those passing through and informed them about The Borgen Project and encouraged the community to contact their congressional leaders.
Bonnie Greer, Political Affairs Team member, undertook her 1-mile campaign in downtown Seattle. Bonnie chose Pike Place as her starting point since this is in-between her Representative and Senator’s offices. She was able to get about 80 flyers up.
PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Beyer designed infographics to compare spending habits with the cost of global poverty reduction.
“Eradicating Poverty Starts with You” designed by PR/Marketing Team member Alex Bicknell
“5 Reasons to Donate to TBP” created by PR/Marketing Team member Rayssa Taiar
Fundraising
HR Team member Julia Torres walked dogs in turn for donations during the first week of her internship!
Julia also hosted a movie and wine night and charged admission as a fundraising event.
Danielle DalPorto, HR Team member, organized a fundraising event in her student union. Danielle sold candy, mobilized people to email their Congressional leaders and answered general questions about TBP and global poverty. In total, she raised $130 and mobilized 64 people!
PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Beyer sold personal artwork and distributed TBP flyers on campus as a part of her fundraising/information campaign.
Videos
PR/Marketing Team member Alexandra Bicknell gives a brief overview of foreign aid in the United States.
PR/Marketing Team member Tori Fejfar reminds us of the importance of the International Affairs Budget.
A PSA created by PR/Marketing Team member David Fladger.
https://borgenteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg00adminhttps://borgenteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpgadmin2018-10-10 14:30:252022-02-21 03:41:14State of the Union October 2018
Note from the President: Register to vote! Enough said. The people voted into Congress in two months will either be allies for the world’s poor or foes. Your advocacy is crucial in getting leaders more engaged in the issue, but electing people from the start who are interested in helping the world’s poor is critical.
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in August: 67
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 608
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in August: 7,129
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in August: 97%
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Zachary Filtz with Patrick Thompson, Congressional Aide to Rep. Rob Wittman (R – VA – 1st).
Political Affairs Team member Kaitlyn Filhart met with Cayla Shreffler, staff assistant to Senator Rob Portman (R – OH).
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
The month’s top 10 magazine articles:
Great work from the Content Team has ensured another fantastic month of website stats:
Website
Magazine
HR Team Updates
Another great month of recruitment from the HR team, with applications to our internship and volunteer programs increasing year on year.
Bird-dog Award: Jasmine Dunklin, PR/Marketing Team.
Capital Achievement Award (raised $2,000 or more): Gavin Isbell, Political Affairs Team.
Chief Closer Award (raised $1,000 or more): Alyssa Ince, Political Affairs Team; Cadin Truesdale, Political Affairs Team; Cassandra Rice, Political Affairs Team; Taylor Jennings, Content Team and Liesl Hostetter, Content Team.
President’s Circle: Andrew Wedeking, Political Affairs Team; Heidi Harris, Political Affairs Team; Maija Olson, Political Affairs Team; David Fladger PR/Marketing Team and Mar Lopez Barreiro, Political Affairs Team.
Public Outreach Award: Mar Lopez Barreiro, Political Affairs Team.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
Political Affairs Team member Dalvida Palmer tabled at an event held by Rep. Donald McEachin (D – VA 4th).
One-Mile Campaigns
PR/Marketing Team member Rose Austin prepping for her One-Mile Campaign.
PR/Marketing Team member Meredith Touhy.
Content Team member Orcun Dogmar with a Borgen Project flyer in Istanbul, Turkey.
Political Affairs Team member Sierra Arral used chalk art and fliers for her campaign throughout Saco, Maine.
Check out some of the infographs PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Fejfar designed using Canva!
Fundraising
Political Affairs Team member Kaitlyn Fillhart collected and cashed in over 150 lbs. of aluminum cans for The Borgen Project!
Videos
Check out this video created by PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Beyer for her diverting branding campaign.
https://borgenteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg00adminhttps://borgenteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpgadmin2018-09-12 07:48:282022-02-21 03:38:16State of the Union September 2018
Note from the President: Amazing work everyone! July was a record month for both grassroots lobbying and fundraising. We’ve already had more lobbying meetings this year than all of last year! Let’s keep this momentum going. With Congressional leaders back in their districts and the mid-term election approaching, this is a crucial time of year to make sure leaders are hearing from you. The entire House of Representatives is up for re-election and many previously “easy win” districts are now up for grabs. Most leaders are feeling vulnerable and they are going out of their way to keep voters in their district happy. Every call, email and letter you can mobilize into their office makes a huge difference in getting them supporting poverty-reduction efforts. As a member of The Borgen Project, you are an ambassador for the world’s poor, giving them a voice in your district… Make it a loud voice!
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in July: 89
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 541
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in July: 10,510
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in July: 96%
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Andrew Wedeking met with Michael Callesen – Legislative Correspondent for Senator Rob Portman (R – OH).
Political Affairs Team member Michaela Poole with Megan Sims and her intern. Megan is District Director to Representative Andre Carson (D – IN 7th).
PR/Mktg Team member Yoolim Jeon with Anthony Nguyen – District Director for Representative Scott Peters (D – CA 52nd).
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
Here are the Top 10 Articles for July on BORGEN Magazine.
HR Team Updates
There is an 11.6% increase in applicants – July 2017 vs. July 2018.
Capital Achievement Award (raised $2,000 or more): Abigail Dunn, Content Team; Katey Reiff, PR/Marketing Team (August); and Megan Maxwell, Content Team (August).
Chief Closer Award (raised $1,000 or more): Andrew Wedeking, Political Affairs Team (August); Gavin Isbell, Political Affairs Team (August); Ian Greenwood, Content Team (August); Jenna Walmer, Content Team; Jessie Serody, Content Team (August); Molly Dunn, Political Affairs Team (August); and Sara Olk, Content Team (August).
Honors Award (raised $3,000 or more): Katey Reiff, PR/Marketing Team (August).
President’s Circle: Addison Engelbrecht, PR/Marketing Team and Sierra Arral, Political Affairs Team.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
Regional Director Amy Ramirez was featured by Craftimatis on Instagram and Facebook.
Political Affairs Team member Alex Bicknell held “A Week of Advocacy: Educate. Advocate. Mobilize.” Alex taught her friends how to call, write, and email Congress.
Here’s a photo of one of the interviewees that Political Affairs Team member Qui “Kelly” Mai spoke with at a local shopping district. Kelly asked them about their opinions on the current foreign aid dollar usage and their opinions on current bills in session such as the Global Food Reauthorization Act.
Political Affairs Team member Tyler Adams held a BBQ Living Room Summit.
And here is PR/Mktg Team member Zhiyuan Zhang and the sign she created to get the word out in her community about The Borgen Project.
On the Radio
PR/Mktg Team member Tyler Greene was interviewed by The Beat KOSP 92.9 in Springfield, Missouri.
Instagram
PR/Mktg Team member Anna Zagorski posted to IG about “Write to Congress Wednesdays” and she held an Insta Live Info Session.
One-Mile Campaigns
Check out some of the photos from this summer’s One-Mile campaigns.
PR/Mktg Team member Juliana Mangano.
PR/Mktg Team member Marie Gigliotti.
Political Affairs Team member Sabrina Angel.
Political Affairs Team member Xiaohang “Violet” Wang.
PR/Mktg Team member Grant Yeatts played “Congress Pong”.
Designed by HR Team member Rashi Mahato.
Designed by PR/Mktg Team member Tyler Greene.
Designed by PR/Mktg Team member Victoria Beyer.
Fundraising
Here are some of this summer’s fundraising activities and ideas.
Donor Relations Team member Anna Taylor created this brochure to send out with her fundraising letters.
“Selling homemade bracelets in a local shoe store in my hometown. My campaign idea has the bracelets next to a sign stating how 100% of the sale will go to The Borgen Project. When there is a purchase, a homemade card about the Borgen Project goes with them and a link to the website to learn more about us. ” – PR/Mktg Team member Danielle Johnson
Political Affairs Team member Jared Francis held a fundraising event at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.
PR/Mktg Team member John Schmitz designed this flyer to encourage others to divert coffee money towards helping others.
Political Affairs Team member Maria Cortazar held a bowling fundraiser and raised $306!
HR Team member Rashi Mahato auctioned off artwork for donations of $30 or more.
HR Team member Shanita Howard auctioned her time and helped a friend move.
“This is the art piece that I’m currently raffling off to raise money. I went ahead with the idea of “tribes” and one animal renowned for its dedication to looking out for all in its fellow tribe members. Additionally, the spirit of the wolf embraces the curiosity I find comes with being engaged about the realities of the world around us as an advocate.” – PR/Mktg Team member Taylor Jennings
And PR/Mktg Team member Victoria Beyer set-up an Etsy shop to sell her artwork.
Videos
PR/Mktg Team member Marie Gigliotti created this video addressed to Senator Chris Murphy.
Check out this animated video created by fellow PR/Mktg Team member Meena Pyatt.
Advocate Sarah Chocron created this video about supporting the International Affairs Budget.
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Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 452 – We are already 80% to our goal this year!
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in June: 11,610 – A new record! The highest number of emails sent in one month.
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in June: 94%
Congressional Office Meetings
PR/Marketing Team member Ani Gevorkian with Hiep Nguyen, Human Rights & Immigration Coordinator for Rep. Ro Khanna (D – CA 17th).
Political Affairs Team member Arthur Buchanan with Mallory Tyee, Outreach Director for Senator Tim Kaine (D – VA).
Political Affairs Team member Tom Crawford attended a town hall meeting and met with Nermina Mujkanovic, Congressional Aide to Rep. Diana DeGette (D – CO – 1st).
Warren’s Address
Here’s the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
Here are the Top 10 Articles for June on BORGEN Magazine.
HR Team Updates
There was a 110% increase in applicants – First Quarter 2017 vs. First Quarter 2018. Only 7% of applicants for internships are selected to join The Borgen Project. The outstanding recruitment effort allows the movement to grow while bringing on diverse individuals who possess a wide range of skills and talents – all of whom are passionate and committed to helping those less fortunate on a global scale.
Chief Closer Award: Abigail Dunn, Content Team (July); Jared Williard, Political Affairs Team (July); Nathan Ghelli, Political Affairs Team (July); Sabrina Angel, Political Affairs Team; Sadie Amonino, Political Affairs Team; Samantha Lane Stroud, PR/Marketing Team; Tucker Pettigrew, Political Affairs Team; and Zhiyuan Zhang, PR/Marketing Team.
President’s Circle: Lauren McNamara, Political Affairs Team (July) and Tucker Pettigrew, Political Affairs Team (July).
Public Outreach Award: Isabelle Kiehl, PR/Marketing Team (July); Lauren McNamara, Political Affairs Team (July); Peyton Miller, PR/Marketing Team (July); and Taylor Beightol, PR/Marketing Team (July).
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Team members have been very busy creating outreach materials to mobilize and raise awareness about global poverty issues.
Political Affairs Team member Britney Andrews with her outreach poster and booklet at ComFest.
Infograph designed by PR/Marketing Team member Hannah Myers.
Meme created by PR/Marketing Team member Lenna Iskenderian.
PR/Marketing Team member Ruchira Ravirala composed this poem for a Reddit post.
Infograph designed by PR/Marketing Team member Robert Schacht.
Infograph designed by PR/Marketing Team member Tyler Greene.
PR/Marketing Team member Juliana Mangano designed this Gas Rewards Card for her friends to encourage them to call and email Congress.
And fellow PR/Marketing Team member Taylor Beightol created these Instagram stories.
Mobilizing Others to Contact Congress
Here are photos from PR/Marketing Team member Peyton Miller’s information session and of her One-Mile Campaign chalk art.
PR/Marketing Team member Angela Tate used chalk art and fliers in her One-Mile Campaign.
[hr_invisible] Political Affairs Team member Caroline Hickey organized a dinner party swarm where they contacted Congress about the REACH Act.
Fundraising
Political Affairs Team member Sabrina Angel held a 1920’s themed Murder Mystery Party Fundraiser and raised over $200.
PR/Marketing Team member Ruchira Ravirala designed beautifully intricate mehendi applications for her friends in exchange for donations.
And PR/Marketing Team member Theresa Marino created this piece for her grandfather in exchange for his donation. Theresa’s grandfather asked her to create a piece that connects their family since they are located between two different states.
YouTube
Check out this animated video created by PR/Marketing Team member Anna Zagorski about the Protecting Girls’ Access to Education Act.
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Note from the President: Welcome to summer excitement! When it comes to advocacy this is my favorite time of year. Members of Congress spend the majority of the summer back in their districts meeting with constituents and finding out what issues to focus on. What makes this year extra interesting is the mid-term election in November. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for election and 33 out of 100 Senate seats are being voted on. Be sure to focus on candidates as well as current Members of Congress. Many of these candidates will be elected and serving in Congress next year. Below are a handful of items we need everyone doing this summer. Even if you’re not on the political team, you can expand your skillset and participate.
Lobby Members and Candidates: Beyond the normal channels for setting up a lobbying meeting with Members of Congress, you can also contact the campaigns of candidates and request a meeting.
Mobilize: It always amazes me the impact 7-10 people emailing a leader can have in getting that leader to support a bill. The more people emailing the more engaged leaders tend to get in fighting global poverty.
Bird-Dog: Members of Congress hold town halls to talk to constituents and find out what issues are important to them. Attending these and asking them what they’re doing to address global poverty is a highly effective way to put them in the “hot seat” in front of their voters. As always, be polite and know the leader’s background on the issue before the event. Many leaders are doing wonderful work when it comes to fighting poverty and you’ll want to thank them.
Send Thank-Yous to leaders: If there is anything your Members of Congress have done related to global poverty that you can thank them for, please do (co-sponsored one of our bills). Ideally, send a handwritten note. We hear this frequently from congressional staffers that are friendly to the cause, but leaders really appreciate Thank-Yous and it tends to get them more active on the issue.
– Clint Borgen
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in May: 71
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 373
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in May: 8,013
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in May: 91%
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Congressional Office Meetings
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Political Affairs Team members Alexander Klein and Cheyenne Roinestead met with Nicole Frazier, the Greater Denver area Regional Director for Senator Cory Gardner (R – CO).
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Regional Director Chivia Horton met with Rep. Bill Foster (D – IL 11th).
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PR/Marketing Team member Ani Gevorkian met with her congressional leaders in California at a town hall and through bird-dogging.
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Ani with Rep. Adrin Nazarian (D – CA 46th).
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Ani with Rep. Jim Beall (D – CA 11th).
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Ani with Rep. Ro Khanna (D – CA 17th) at a town hall event in Cupertino.
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Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
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Content Team Updates
Here are the Top 10 Articles for May on BORGEN Magazine.
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HR Team Updates
There is a 96% increase in applicants – May 2017 vs. May 2018.
PR/Mktg Team member Ana Paola Soria Galvarro held an information event where participants were very interested in supporting the International Affairs Budget and calling & writing to Congress in support of our cause.
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Letters to the Editor
Cade Phillips, Political Affairs Team, in the Letters section of ArkansasOnline.
Infographs designed by PR/Marketing Team member Anna Zagorski.
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PR/Mktg Team member Grant Yeatts added some additional info to the “What Happens As People Transition Out of Poverty” infograph.
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And PR/Mktg Team member Juliana Mangano created an infograph and a poem about The Borgen Project.
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Fundraising
Check out photos from Political Affairs Team member Cade Phillips’ fundraising concert at a local coffee shop.
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PR/Marketing Team member Jenna Kobular created this flyer for her fundraiser.
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YouTube
Here’s a video created by PR/Mktg Team member Lenna Iskenderian.
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The May recess is the perfect time to schedule meetings with your congressional leaders, since they will be back from D.C. and in their home district and state. For all team members who are required to lobby during the program, please schedule meetings with your leaders or members of their staff either by personal appointment or via phone meeting.
Let’s get our lobbying efforts doubled this year!
Remember to email [email protected] and cc your Team Manager with your report.
Top Priority Bills in the House of Representatives
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 302 – Within just the first quarter of this year, we are already 53% of the way to our 2018 goal!
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in April: 5,095
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in April: 86%
[hr]
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Courtney Yorks with Representative Pramila Jayapal (D – WA 7th).
[hr]
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
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Content Team Updates
In April we had our single biggest increase in web traffic… 58,000 more people visited the website in April than in March!!! More than 434,000 people visited borgenproject.org. We’re already at 1.4 million total visitors this year. Great work everyone!
Here are the Top 10 Articles for April on BORGEN Magazine.
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HR Team Updates
There is a 50% increase in applicants – April 2017 vs. April 2018.
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Note from the President: The AGOA and MCA Modernization Act just passed in the Senate! The bill now heads to the President to be signed into law. We’ve done lots of lobbying on this bill and it’s great to see it pass in Congress. Great work to everybody who has emailed Congress in support of the bill and mobilized others to do the same.
~ Clint Borgen
[hr]
Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in March: 72
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 219
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in March: 5,021
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in March: 81%
[hr]
Congressional Office Meetings
Advocate Paul Benedict met with Morgan Brand. Morgan is a Legislative Aide for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D – NY).
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America’s Role in the World: Why Leading Globally Matters for Washington – USGLC event
In-Office staff Alisa Yamaguchi, Amy Pettigrew, and Maja Stamenkovska, as well as Political Affairs Team member Pamela Lara Perez attended last month’s U.S. Global Leadership Conference (USGLC) event. Each of them were all able to meet Representative Derek Kilmer (D – WA 6th) who was the event’s featured speaker. Below are photos from the event courtesy of Pamela. For more information about USGLC and the full reel of photos – visit the event’s page here.
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Rep. Derek Kilmer (D – WA 6th).
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Pamela Lara Perez, Political Affairs Team member, with Rep. Kilmer.
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The panel of featured guest speakers.
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[hr] Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
[hr]
Content Team Updates
This March borgenproject.org had 376,416 visitors. This is the new all-time record for our website!
Here are the Top 10 Articles for March on BORGEN Magazine.
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HR Team Updates
There is an 80% increase in applicants – March 2017 vs. March 2018.
Bird-dog Award: Abby Jones, Political Affairs Team; Amy Ramirez, Political Affairs Team; Michael Langley, Regional Director; and Pamela Lara Perez, Political Affairs Team.
Chief Closer Award (raised $1,000 or more): David Parau, Advocate; Michael Israel, Content Team; and Paul Benedict, Advocate.
Public Outreach Award: Abby Jones, Political Affairs Team; Ivanna Chumatschko, Political Affairs Team; and Johanna Simpson, Political Affairs Team (April 2018).
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Here are some of the fliers designed by our team members.
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Designed by PR/Marketing Team member Barak BenYehuda for his Information Event.
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PR/Marketing Team member Celeste Gomez for her One-Mile Campaign.
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Written by Advocate Sarah Chocron to mobilize others to call congressional leaders in Kansas.
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Designed by Political Affairs Team member Sehej Singh.
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Bearathon at Baylor University
PR/Marketing Team member Paul Brastrom ran the Bearathon road race at Baylor University. He and his friends wore Borgen Project t-shirts throughout the event and Paul was interviewed by his school’s newspaper the Baylor Lauriat – Bearathon runners race to shine light on the Borgen Project.
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Fundraising
PR/Marketing Team member Emiliano Zapata designed this suite of materials for his fundraising campaign.
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Social Media cover
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[hr_invisible] Emiliano also created an Instagram story.
Here are the latest videos made by Social Media Team member Elizabeth Gasciogne.
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Note from the President: Bitter sweet news out of the State Department. For those of us passionate about the International Affairs Budget, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been a major disappointment. During his brief time at the State Department, more than 60 percent of the organization’s top personnel have left the agency. Imagine if 60 percent of the military’s 4-star General’s left the military in one year! Needless to say, I’m personally glad his tenure is over. But what’s next? This is where things get interesting.
The President’s new pick Mike Pompeo would not be my first choice for Secretary of State… or my 800th. During his time in Congress, Pompeo did little to advocate for the world’s poor and the International Affairs Budget. We’ll get a better sense of his views during his confirmation hearing, but keep in mind that Congress holds all of the power when it comes to funding the programs we care about. Your work is more important than ever! Last year we saw the President’s proposed 30 percent cuts to the International Affairs Budget get shot down in Congress. Emails, mobilizing others to email and in-district Congressional meetings are crucial right now for keeping the pressure on Members of Congress and preventing cuts to programs that help the world’s poor.
~ Clint Borgen
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Secretary of State
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[one_half]The President has announced via Twitter the departure of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been nominated by the President to be Mr. Tillerson’s successor.[/one_half]
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Watch Secretary of State Tillerson’s Press Briefing regarding the transition here. Mr. Tillerson’s commission as Secretary of State will terminate at midnight on March 31st. During this transition period, all responsibilities have been delegated to Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan.
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Below is the full press release from the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce.
Chairman Royce Statement on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued the following statement after the president announced the departure of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson:
“Rex Tillerson has served our country with great energy and determination. He is a good man, a thoughtful leader and a business titan. Thanks to his diplomatic efforts, we have charted a new course to counter the full range of threats from Iran and apply maximum pressure on Kim Jong Un. I wish Rex well and look forward to working with our next Secretary of State. There are many serious challenges ahead.”
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in February: 103
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 147
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in February: 4,937
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in February: 73%
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Congressional Office Meetings
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Political Affairs Team member Abby Jones met with Representative Marcia Fudge (D – OH 11th). Representative Fudge held a Town Hall meeting and Abby was able to hold an impromptu meeting with her about the International Affairs Budget.
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Advocate Kishan Venkataramu met with Representative Ro Khanna (D – CA 17th).
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Political Affairs Team member Sehej Singh met with Representative Zoe Lofgren (D – CA 19th) and discussed the International Affairs Budget.
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Warren’s Address
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Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Here are the Top 10 Articles for February on BORGEN Magazine. Because of the power of SEO, many articles receiving the most views each month were actually written 2-3 years ago.
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HR Team Updates
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The Borgen Project only hires 7% of intern applicants so it goes without saying that strong recruitment is incredibly important for making sure we have the numbers to select the best. There is a 98% increase in applicants – February 2017 vs. February 2018.
Content Team member Natasha Komen held a Pug Party fundraiser!
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YouTube
Here are the latest videos made by our in-office team. And don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos on The Borgen Project YouTube channel. Watch, like, and share!
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Forbes recently published a story that utilized a Borgen Project article written by Sarah Prellwitz of Idaho. We see this happen frequently, where a major news site references an article written by our Content Team members. Keep up the great writing! You never know who is reading your article.
We recently learned that the sponsors of the Economic Growth and Development Act will be introducing a larger bill that incorporates the EGDA while tackling more issues. This will ultimately be a good thing, but in the short-term, we’re going to scale back our advocacy efforts around EGDA. Look for the news on the new bill in 2-3 weeks.
~ Clint Borgen
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Total # of LobbyingMeetings in January: 44
Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 44
Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
Number of Advocacy Emails in January: 4,681 emails sent.
Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
% of Congress Emailed in January: 62%. We emailed all 535 members of Congress in 2017. Let’s do the same for 2018!
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Sen. Johnny Isakson gave a Twitter shout-out to The Borgen Project last week.
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Congressional Office Meetings
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Advocate Eshaan Agrawal met with Martha Zoller, Policy Director for Senator David Perdue (R – GA).
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Warren’s Address
Here’s the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
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Content Team Updates
These are the Top Ten Articles for January on BORGEN Magazine.
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HR Team Updates
There is a 157% increase in applicants for January 2017 vs. January 2018.
Bird-dog Award: Danielle Robinson, Political Affairs Team.
Capital Achievement Award (raised $2,000 or more): Nikita Iyer, Content Team.
Chief Closer Award (raised $1,000 or more): Bronti DeRoche, Content Team and Lea Sacca, Content Team.
President’s Circle Award: Charlene Preston, Political Affairs Team.
Public Outreach Award: Mikayla Merchant, PR/Marketing Team.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
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Getting the Word Out
Check out these business cards designed by Political Affairs Team member Abby Jones.
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PR/Marketing Team member Chloe Allen used chalk art and fliers as part of her One-Mile Campaign.
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Political Affairs Team member Pamela Lara Perez participated in this year’s Women’s March and created this sign and handed out these Borgen Project fliers.
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Check out this Instagram post from Political Affairs Team member Melissa Balke. Melissa attended January’s fundraising event held in San Francisco that was hosted by Board Member Rachel Bell. Clint spoke at the event and was accompanied by his wife Kate.
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YouTube
Here are the latest videos from our Social Media Team member Elizabeth Gasciogne.
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State of the Union November 2018
Note from the President: Hi everyone, lots of great things occurring right now.
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Godson Ighoja with Hatou Camara, Community Liaison Officer for Congressman José E. Serrano (D – NY – 15th).
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
Despite last month’s technical difficulties, we managed to set a new record! More than half a million people visited the website in October.
Professional Development Help
We are pleased to offer professional development help to our interns. To find out more go to: https://borgenteam.org/professional-development-help/
Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
Content Team Member Yumi Wilson raising awareness about TBP.
Content Team member Aquillina Ngowera spreading the word about TBP in South Africa.
HR Team member Andrea Arivella seen raising awareness about TBP.
One-Mile Campaigns
Political Affairs Team member Lucia Badillos Rodriguez posted fliers for her One-Mile Campaign.
“The 1-mile campaign was a good experience. I posted several fliers around the 1-mile space on boards and poles around town. A few people asked me what The Borgen Project was, and I had a conversation with them and gave them a card with the website details and my email address in case they had any more questions.”
PR Team Member Andrew Mathews completing his One-Mile Campaign
PR/Marketing Team member Brion Miller posting flyers for his One-Mile Campaign.
Letters to the Editor
Claire Jordan, Political Affairs Team, in Lincoln Journal Star: Spare International Affairs Budget from cuts
Noah Bartholomae, Political Affairs Team, in Gazette-Times: U.S. lags behind in aiding world
Ilana Holmes, PR/Marketing Team, in The Oregonian: Portlanders don’t understand poverty
Outreach & Mobilizing Materials
Infographics created by PR/Marketing Team member Brigitte Buckholtz
PR/Marketing Team member Josh Ranft created business cards to help inform and mobilize his peers.
PR/Marketing Team member Ramon Polo’s infographic proves you can make an impact in just 30 seconds.
PR/Marketing Team member Elise El Nouchi created two infographics.
PR/Marketing Team member Rayssa Taiar created an infographic for a Borgen Project event.
PR/Marketing Team member Christina Taylor designed an infographic on the relationship between global poverty and national security.
Fundraising
Happy Halloween! PR/Marketing Team member Elise El Nouche hosted a Halloween bake sale and fundraised $449.
HR Team member Julia Torres took a friend’s dog to the beach to raise money for her fundraising campaign!
Content Team Member Charlene Frett hosted a potluck party to fundraise for her internship.
State of the Union October 2018
Note from the President: Hi everyone, I want to apologize if you’ve experienced issues with the website recently. We’ve been told by our web hosting provider that the issue is fixed and we shouldn’t see ads or layout issues. We’ve had a remarkably, smooth run this past 15-years without website disturbances and this glitch was an unexpected headache for everyone. For Content Team members, our Editors weren’t able to access the site for a few days, so Writers hang in there while things get caught up. Mid-term election soon! Go vote! Go vote! Go vote!
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Kevin Fagan with Collin Tracy, Staff Assistant to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R – WA – 5th).
Political Affairs Team member Vanessa Delgadillo with Nick Kistenmacher, Senior Field Director to Senator Bob Corker (R – TN).
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
The month’s top 10 magazine articles:
Professional Development Help
We are pleased to offer professional development help to our interns. To find out more go to: https://borgenteam.org/professional-development-help/
Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
PR/Marketing Team member Gemise Jones hosted an info session in New York.
Content Team member Massarath Fatima posted flyers to advocate for TBP.
One-Mile Campaigns
Political Affairs Team member Olivia Thomajan asked several cafes to write about The Borgen Project on their cups for her One-Mile Campaign
Political Affairs Team member, Tyler Freeman, completed his one-mile campaign in the center of Los Angeles! Tyler, with the help of some friends, targeted Wilshire Blvd and had flyers at every light post within a dozen blocks of the Congressman’s office.
Michaela Poole, Political Affairs Team member, posted fliers and did chalk art in areas with high foot traffic. Michaela also implemented clothespins into her One-Mile Campaign by attaching them to people’s clothing to spread the word about The Borgen Project.
Political Affairs Team member, Dalvida Palmer, posted fliers in places such as the library, computer labs, the food court, and the dorms. She also targeted “waiting areas” like bus stops and elevators.
Samantha Suib, Political Affairs Team member, took her one-mile campaign to the Great Falls Village Center in Great Falls, VA. She posted signage, reached out those passing through and informed them about The Borgen Project and encouraged the community to contact their congressional leaders.
Bonnie Greer, Political Affairs Team member, undertook her 1-mile campaign in downtown Seattle. Bonnie chose Pike Place as her starting point since this is in-between her Representative and Senator’s offices. She was able to get about 80 flyers up.
Letters to the Editor
Victoria Beyer, PR/Marketing Team, in The Telegram & Gazette: Support bill to help assure world maternal, child survival
Cameron Johnson, Regional Director, in Bristol Herald Courier: Trump’s budget cuts funds needed for development, jobs
Evann Orleck-Jetter, Content Team, in Valley News: Aid Cuts May Cost More Later
Zachary Filtz, Political Affairs Team, in Fredericksburg: Tackling global poverty
Outreach & Mobilizing Materials
PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Beyer designed infographics to compare spending habits with the cost of global poverty reduction.
“Eradicating Poverty Starts with You” designed by PR/Marketing Team member Alex Bicknell
“5 Reasons to Donate to TBP” created by PR/Marketing Team member Rayssa Taiar
Fundraising
HR Team member Julia Torres walked dogs in turn for donations during the first week of her internship!
Julia also hosted a movie and wine night and charged admission as a fundraising event.
Danielle DalPorto, HR Team member, organized a fundraising event in her student union. Danielle sold candy, mobilized people to email their Congressional leaders and answered general questions about TBP and global poverty. In total, she raised $130 and mobilized 64 people!
PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Beyer sold personal artwork and distributed TBP flyers on campus as a part of her fundraising/information campaign.
Videos
PR/Marketing Team member Alexandra Bicknell gives a brief overview of foreign aid in the United States.
PR/Marketing Team member Tori Fejfar reminds us of the importance of the International Affairs Budget.
A PSA created by PR/Marketing Team member David Fladger.
State of the Union September 2018
Note from the President: Register to vote! Enough said. The people voted into Congress in two months will either be allies for the world’s poor or foes. Your advocacy is crucial in getting leaders more engaged in the issue, but electing people from the start who are interested in helping the world’s poor is critical.
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Zachary Filtz with Patrick Thompson, Congressional Aide to Rep. Rob Wittman (R – VA – 1st).
Political Affairs Team member Kaitlyn Filhart met with Cayla Shreffler, staff assistant to Senator Rob Portman (R – OH).
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
The month’s top 10 magazine articles:
Great work from the Content Team has ensured another fantastic month of website stats:
Website
Magazine
HR Team Updates
Another great month of recruitment from the HR team, with applications to our internship and volunteer programs increasing year on year.
Professional Development Help
We are pleased to offer professional development help to our interns. To find out more go to: https://borgenteam.org/professional-development-help/
Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
Political Affairs Team member Dalvida Palmer tabled at an event held by Rep. Donald McEachin (D – VA 4th).
One-Mile Campaigns
PR/Marketing Team member Rose Austin prepping for her One-Mile Campaign.
PR/Marketing Team member Meredith Touhy.
Content Team member Orcun Dogmar with a Borgen Project flyer in Istanbul, Turkey.
Political Affairs Team member Sierra Arral used chalk art and fliers for her campaign throughout Saco, Maine.
Letters to the Editor
Ishita Garg, PR/Marketing Team, in the Loudon Times-Mirror Letter to the Editor – Garg: House should pass the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act.
Jenna Walmer, Content Team, in Lancaster Online: Pass international aid budget.
Laura Turner, Content Team, in the Press Herald – Letter to the editor: Pressure Maine delegation to maintain foreign aid budget.
Emily Torjusen, HR Team, in The Reflector – Murray and Cantwell must support the Food for Peace Modernization Act.
And PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Beyer had two letters published:
Milford Daily News – Letter: Support bill to monitor foreign aid
Sentinel & Enterprise Letters: Tariffs won’t help U.S. workers or grow jobs
Outreach & Mobilizing Materials
Check out some of the infographs PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Fejfar designed using Canva!
Fundraising
Political Affairs Team member Kaitlyn Fillhart collected and cashed in over 150 lbs. of aluminum cans for The Borgen Project!
Videos
Check out this video created by PR/Marketing Team member Victoria Beyer for her diverting branding campaign.
State of the Union August 2018
Note from the President: Amazing work everyone! July was a record month for both grassroots lobbying and fundraising. We’ve already had more lobbying meetings this year than all of last year! Let’s keep this momentum going. With Congressional leaders back in their districts and the mid-term election approaching, this is a crucial time of year to make sure leaders are hearing from you. The entire House of Representatives is up for re-election and many previously “easy win” districts are now up for grabs. Most leaders are feeling vulnerable and they are going out of their way to keep voters in their district happy. Every call, email and letter you can mobilize into their office makes a huge difference in getting them supporting poverty-reduction efforts. As a member of The Borgen Project, you are an ambassador for the world’s poor, giving them a voice in your district… Make it a loud voice!
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Andrew Wedeking met with Michael Callesen – Legislative Correspondent for Senator Rob Portman (R – OH).
Political Affairs Team member Michaela Poole with Megan Sims
and her intern. Megan is District Director to Representative Andre Carson (D – IN 7th).
PR/Mktg Team member Yoolim Jeon with Anthony Nguyen – District Director for Representative Scott Peters (D – CA 52nd).
Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
Here are the Top 10 Articles for July on BORGEN Magazine.
HR Team Updates
There is an 11.6% increase in applicants – July 2017 vs. July 2018.
Professional Development Help
We are pleased to offer professional development help to our interns. To find out more go to: https://borgenteam.org/professional-development-help/
Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
Regional Director Amy Ramirez was featured by Craftimatis on Instagram and Facebook.
Political Affairs Team member Alex Bicknell held “A Week of Advocacy: Educate. Advocate. Mobilize.” Alex taught her friends how to call, write, and email Congress.
Here’s a photo of one of the interviewees that Political Affairs Team member Qui “Kelly” Mai spoke with at a local shopping district. Kelly asked them about their opinions on the current foreign aid dollar usage and their opinions on current bills in session such as the Global Food Reauthorization Act.
Political Affairs Team member Tyler Adams held a BBQ Living Room Summit.
And here is PR/Mktg Team member Zhiyuan Zhang and the sign she created to get the word out in her community about The Borgen Project.
On the Radio
PR/Mktg Team member Tyler Greene was interviewed by The Beat KOSP 92.9 in Springfield, Missouri.
Instagram
PR/Mktg Team member Anna Zagorski posted to IG about “Write to Congress Wednesdays” and she held an Insta Live Info Session.
One-Mile Campaigns
Check out some of the photos from this summer’s One-Mile campaigns.
PR/Mktg Team member Juliana Mangano.
PR/Mktg Team member Marie Gigliotti.
Political Affairs Team member Sabrina Angel.
Political Affairs Team member Xiaohang “Violet” Wang.
Letters to the Editor
Anna Zagorski, PR/Mktg Team, in the Odyssey Online: The Myths of Global Poverty.
Gavin Isbell, Political Affairs Team, in The Mercury News – Letter: What US actually spends on foreign aid is shocking.
Henry Colyer, Political Affairs Team, in the VT Digger: Henry Colyer – International affairs budget needs rebalancing.
Kelli Ryan, Political Affairs Team in the Northern Kentucky Tribune: Letter to the Editor: As Americans, we must be part of the initiative to end global poverty, says Kelly Ryan.
Rashi Mahato, HR Team, in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Letters to the Editor – Foreign aid isn’t charity; it’s an investment.
Outreach & Mobilizing Materials
PR/Mktg Team member Grant Yeatts played “Congress Pong”.
Designed by HR Team member Rashi Mahato.
Designed by PR/Mktg Team member Tyler Greene.
Designed by PR/Mktg Team member Victoria Beyer.
Fundraising
Here are some of this summer’s fundraising activities and ideas.
Donor Relations Team member Anna Taylor created this brochure to send out with her fundraising letters.
“Selling homemade bracelets in a local shoe store in my hometown. My campaign idea has the bracelets next to a sign stating how 100% of the sale will go to The Borgen Project. When there is a purchase, a homemade card about the Borgen Project goes with them and a link to the website to learn more about us. ” – PR/Mktg Team member Danielle Johnson
Political Affairs Team member Jared Francis held a fundraising event at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.
PR/Mktg Team member John Schmitz designed this flyer to encourage others to divert coffee money towards helping others.
Political Affairs Team member Maria Cortazar held a bowling fundraiser and raised $306!
HR Team member Rashi Mahato auctioned off artwork for donations of $30 or more.
HR Team member Shanita Howard auctioned her time and helped a friend move.
“This is the art piece that I’m currently raffling off to raise money. I went ahead with the idea of “tribes” and one animal renowned for its dedication to looking out for all in its fellow tribe members. Additionally, the spirit of the wolf embraces the curiosity I find comes with being engaged about the realities of the world around us as an advocate.” – PR/Mktg Team member Taylor Jennings
And PR/Mktg Team member Victoria Beyer set-up an Etsy shop to sell her artwork.
Videos
PR/Mktg Team member Marie Gigliotti created this video addressed to Senator Chris Murphy.
Check out this animated video created by fellow PR/Mktg Team member Meena Pyatt.
Advocate Sarah Chocron created this video about supporting the International Affairs Budget.
Click here to view the video.
State of the Union July 2018
Political Updates
Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
Congressional Office Meetings
PR/Marketing Team member Ani Gevorkian with Hiep Nguyen, Human Rights & Immigration Coordinator for Rep. Ro Khanna (D – CA 17th).
Political Affairs Team member Arthur Buchanan with Mallory Tyee, Outreach Director for Senator Tim Kaine (D – VA).
Political Affairs Team member Tom Crawford attended a town hall meeting and met with Nermina Mujkanovic, Congressional Aide to Rep. Diana DeGette (D – CO – 1st).
Warren’s Address
Here’s the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Content Team Updates
Here are the Top 10 Articles for June on BORGEN Magazine.
HR Team Updates
There was a 110% increase in applicants – First Quarter 2017 vs. First Quarter 2018. Only 7% of applicants for internships are selected to join The Borgen Project. The outstanding recruitment effort allows the movement to grow while bringing on diverse individuals who possess a wide range of skills and talents – all of whom are passionate and committed to helping those less fortunate on a global scale.
Professional Development Help
We are pleased to offer professional development help to our interns. To find out more go to: https://borgenteam.org/professional-development-help/
Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
Getting the Word Out
Letters to the Editor
Outreach Materials
Team members have been very busy creating outreach materials to mobilize and raise awareness about global poverty issues.
Political Affairs Team member Britney Andrews with her outreach poster and booklet at ComFest.
Infograph designed by PR/Marketing Team member Hannah Myers.
Meme created by PR/Marketing Team member Lenna Iskenderian.
PR/Marketing Team member Ruchira Ravirala composed this poem for a Reddit post.
Infograph designed by PR/Marketing Team member Robert Schacht.
Infograph designed by PR/Marketing Team member Tyler Greene.
PR/Marketing Team member Juliana Mangano designed this Gas Rewards Card for her friends to encourage them to call and email Congress.
And fellow PR/Marketing Team member Taylor Beightol created these Instagram stories.
Mobilizing Others to Contact Congress
Here are photos from PR/Marketing Team member Peyton Miller’s information session and of her One-Mile Campaign chalk art.
PR/Marketing Team member Angela Tate used chalk art and fliers in her One-Mile Campaign.
[hr_invisible] Political Affairs Team member Caroline Hickey organized a dinner party swarm where they contacted Congress about the REACH Act.
Fundraising
Political Affairs Team member Sabrina Angel held a 1920’s themed Murder Mystery Party Fundraiser and raised over $200.
PR/Marketing Team member Ruchira Ravirala designed beautifully intricate mehendi applications for her friends in exchange for donations.
And PR/Marketing Team member Theresa Marino created this piece for her grandfather in exchange for his donation. Theresa’s grandfather asked her to create a piece that connects their family since they are located between two different states.
YouTube
Check out this animated video created by PR/Marketing Team member Anna Zagorski about the Protecting Girls’ Access to Education Act.
State of the Union June 2018
Note from the President: Welcome to summer excitement! When it comes to advocacy this is my favorite time of year. Members of Congress spend the majority of the summer back in their districts meeting with constituents and finding out what issues to focus on. What makes this year extra interesting is the mid-term election in November. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for election and 33 out of 100 Senate seats are being voted on. Be sure to focus on candidates as well as current Members of Congress. Many of these candidates will be elected and serving in Congress next year. Below are a handful of items we need everyone doing this summer. Even if you’re not on the political team, you can expand your skillset and participate.
– Clint Borgen
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
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Congressional Office Meetings
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Political Affairs Team members Alexander Klein and Cheyenne Roinestead met with Nicole Frazier, the Greater Denver area Regional Director for Senator Cory Gardner (R – CO).
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Regional Director Chivia Horton met with Rep. Bill Foster (D – IL 11th).
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PR/Marketing Team member Ani Gevorkian met with her congressional leaders in California at a town hall and through bird-dogging.
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Ani with Rep. Adrin Nazarian (D – CA 46th).
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Ani with Rep. Jim Beall (D – CA 11th).
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Ani with Rep. Ro Khanna (D – CA 17th) at a town hall event in Cupertino.
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Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
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Content Team Updates
Here are the Top 10 Articles for May on BORGEN Magazine.
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HR Team Updates
There is a 96% increase in applicants – May 2017 vs. May 2018.
Professional Development Help
We are pleased to offer professional development help to our interns. To find out more go to: https://borgenteam.org/professional-development-help/
[hr]
Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
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Getting the Word Out
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In The News
The Borgen Project was cited this week in Newsweek! Kim Jong Un Stays in Luxury 5-Star Singapore Hotel While His People Starve
Information Events & Group Presentations
PR/Mktg Team member Ana Paola Soria Galvarro held an information event where participants were very interested in supporting the International Affairs Budget and calling & writing to Congress in support of our cause.
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Letters to the Editor
Cade Phillips, Political Affairs Team, in the Letters section of ArkansasOnline.
Olivia Booth, Content Team, in The Fairfax County Times – Let’s not be so parochial in our thoughts about foreign aid.
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Outreach Materials
Infographs designed by PR/Marketing Team member Anna Zagorski.
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PR/Mktg Team member Grant Yeatts added some additional info to the “What Happens As People Transition Out of Poverty” infograph.
And PR/Mktg Team member Juliana Mangano created an infograph and a poem about The Borgen Project.
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Fundraising
Check out photos from Political Affairs Team member Cade Phillips’ fundraising concert at a local coffee shop.
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PR/Marketing Team member Jenna Kobular created this flyer for her fundraiser.
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YouTube
Here’s a video created by PR/Mktg Team member Lenna Iskenderian.
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State of the Union May 2018
District Work Periods: May 25th through June 1st
The May recess is the perfect time to schedule meetings with your congressional leaders, since they will be back from D.C. and in their home district and state. For all team members who are required to lobby during the program, please schedule meetings with your leaders or members of their staff either by personal appointment or via phone meeting.
Let’s get our lobbying efforts doubled this year!
Remember to email [email protected] and cc your Team Manager with your report.
Top Priority Bills in the House of Representatives
Top Priority Bills in the Senate
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
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Congressional Office Meetings
Political Affairs Team member Courtney Yorks with Representative Pramila Jayapal (D – WA 7th).
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Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
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Content Team Updates
In April we had our single biggest increase in web traffic… 58,000 more people visited the website in April than in March!!! More than 434,000 people visited borgenproject.org. We’re already at 1.4 million total visitors this year. Great work everyone!
Here are the Top 10 Articles for April on BORGEN Magazine.
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HR Team Updates
There is a 50% increase in applicants – April 2017 vs. April 2018.
Professional Development Help
We are pleased to offer professional development help to our interns. To find out more go to: https://borgenteam.org/professional-development-help/
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Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
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Getting the Word Out
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Editor in Chief Brendan McBryde was featured in The Hill for his piece – Rethinking how we handle development finance.
Letters to the Editor
Barak BenYehuda, PR/Marketing Team, in The Record – Opinion: Email your government officials to enact real change in global poverty.
Joel Anderson, Political Affairs Team, in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Congress must continue to protect and fight for foreign aid.
Sarah Chocron, Advocate, in The Wichita Eagle – Enhancing Kansas exports.
Tyler Quinn Fiske, Political Affairs Team, in The Frederick News-Post – Looking at foreign aid differently.
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Fliers
Here are some of the fliers designed by our team members.
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Created by PR/Marketing Team member Bora Yang
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Created by Political Affairs Team member Hagar Hafez.
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Created by PR/Marketing Team member Kelley O’Conor Morgan.
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Fundraising
Check out Political Affairs Team member Matt Smeriglio’s video about his upcoming Borgen Project fundraiser.
View the video by clicking here.
Here are images from PR/Marketing Team member Kelly O’Conor Morgan’s fundraising campaign.
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Videos
Matt Smeriglio, Political Affairs Team member, created another great video. This one is about emailing Congress.
View the video by clicking here.
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State of the Union April 2018
Note from the President: The AGOA and MCA Modernization Act just passed in the Senate! The bill now heads to the President to be signed into law. We’ve done lots of lobbying on this bill and it’s great to see it pass in Congress. Great work to everybody who has emailed Congress in support of the bill and mobilized others to do the same.
~ Clint Borgen
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
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Congressional Office Meetings
Advocate Paul Benedict met with Morgan Brand. Morgan is a Legislative Aide for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D – NY).
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America’s Role in the World: Why Leading Globally Matters for Washington – USGLC event
In-Office staff Alisa Yamaguchi, Amy Pettigrew, and Maja Stamenkovska, as well as Political Affairs Team member Pamela Lara Perez attended last month’s U.S. Global Leadership Conference (USGLC) event. Each of them were all able to meet Representative Derek Kilmer (D – WA 6th) who was the event’s featured speaker. Below are photos from the event courtesy of Pamela. For more information about USGLC and the full reel of photos – visit the event’s page here.
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Rep. Derek Kilmer (D – WA 6th).
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Pamela Lara Perez, Political Affairs Team member, with Rep. Kilmer.
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The panel of featured guest speakers.
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[hr] Warren’s Address
Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
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Content Team Updates
This March borgenproject.org had 376,416 visitors. This is the new all-time record for our website!
Here are the Top 10 Articles for March on BORGEN Magazine.
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HR Team Updates
There is an 80% increase in applicants – March 2017 vs. March 2018.
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Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
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Getting the Word Out
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Letters to the Editor
Frank Young, Regional Director, in Santa Maria Times – Letters to the Editor: Pondering our country’s global role.
Lauren Baker, HR Team, in The State Journal-Register – Letter: U.S. should do more to end global poverty.
Sehej Singh, Political Affairs Team, in The Mercury News – Letter: The power of foreign aid must not be compromised.[hr_invisible]
Fliers
Here are some of the fliers designed by our team members.
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Designed by PR/Marketing Team member Barak BenYehuda for his Information Event.
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PR/Marketing Team member Celeste Gomez for her One-Mile Campaign.
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Written by Advocate Sarah Chocron to mobilize others to call congressional leaders in Kansas.
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Designed by Political Affairs Team member Sehej Singh.
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Bearathon at Baylor University
PR/Marketing Team member Paul Brastrom ran the Bearathon road race at Baylor University. He and his friends wore Borgen Project t-shirts throughout the event and Paul was interviewed by his school’s newspaper the Baylor Lauriat – Bearathon runners race to shine light on the Borgen Project.
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Fundraising
PR/Marketing Team member Emiliano Zapata designed this suite of materials for his fundraising campaign.
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Social Media cover
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Front cover of card
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Back cover of card
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[hr_invisible] Emiliano also created an Instagram story.
View the story by clicking here.
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Videos
Political Affairs Team member Matt Smeriglio created an animated video about The Borgen Project and posted it on his Facebook page.
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View the video by clicking here.
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Here are the latest videos made by Social Media Team member Elizabeth Gasciogne.
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State of the Union March 2018
Note from the President: Bitter sweet news out of the State Department. For those of us passionate about the International Affairs Budget, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been a major disappointment. During his brief time at the State Department, more than 60 percent of the organization’s top personnel have left the agency. Imagine if 60 percent of the military’s 4-star General’s left the military in one year! Needless to say, I’m personally glad his tenure is over. But what’s next? This is where things get interesting.
The President’s new pick Mike Pompeo would not be my first choice for Secretary of State… or my 800th. During his time in Congress, Pompeo did little to advocate for the world’s poor and the International Affairs Budget. We’ll get a better sense of his views during his confirmation hearing, but keep in mind that Congress holds all of the power when it comes to funding the programs we care about. Your work is more important than ever! Last year we saw the President’s proposed 30 percent cuts to the International Affairs Budget get shot down in Congress. Emails, mobilizing others to email and in-district Congressional meetings are crucial right now for keeping the pressure on Members of Congress and preventing cuts to programs that help the world’s poor.
~ Clint Borgen
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Secretary of State
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[one_half]The President has announced via Twitter the departure of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been nominated by the President to be Mr. Tillerson’s successor.[/one_half]
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Watch Secretary of State Tillerson’s Press Briefing regarding the transition here. Mr. Tillerson’s commission as Secretary of State will terminate at midnight on March 31st. During this transition period, all responsibilities have been delegated to Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan.
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Below is the full press release from the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce.
Chairman Royce Statement on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Press Release
Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued the following statement after the president announced the departure of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson:
“Rex Tillerson has served our country with great energy and determination. He is a good man, a thoughtful leader and a business titan. Thanks to his diplomatic efforts, we have charted a new course to counter the full range of threats from Iran and apply maximum pressure on Kim Jong Un. I wish Rex well and look forward to working with our next Secretary of State. There are many serious challenges ahead.”
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
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Congressional Office Meetings
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Political Affairs Team member Abby Jones met with Representative Marcia Fudge (D – OH 11th). Representative Fudge held a Town Hall meeting and Abby was able to hold an impromptu meeting with her about the International Affairs Budget.
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Advocate Kishan Venkataramu met with Representative Ro Khanna (D – CA 17th).
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Political Affairs Team member Sehej Singh met with Representative Zoe Lofgren (D – CA 19th) and discussed the International Affairs Budget.
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Warren’s Address
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Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
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Content Team Updates
Here are the Top 10 Articles for February on BORGEN Magazine. Because of the power of SEO, many articles receiving the most views each month were actually written 2-3 years ago.
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HR Team Updates
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The Borgen Project only hires 7% of intern applicants so it goes without saying that strong recruitment is incredibly important for making sure we have the numbers to select the best. There is a 98% increase in applicants – February 2017 vs. February 2018.
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Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition in February.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
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Getting the Word Out
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The Borgen Project in Newsweek
The Borgen Project was mentioned in a Newsweek piece about poverty conditions in North Korea – People in North Korea Are Starving While Kim Jong Un’s Sister Travels in Luxury.
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Letters to the Editor
Alexander Chaves, PR/Marketing Team, in morningdt.com – Why Congressional Support for Foreign Aid Matters.
Courtney Hambrecht, Content Team, in The Virginia Gazette – Second Chance for Taylor, Second Chance for Budgets
Cassidy Caudill, Political Affairs Team, in TheHeraldBulletin.com – Letter: More U.S. funds should go to foreign aid.
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Pets for The Borgen Project
Content Team member Natasha Komen held a Pug Party fundraiser!
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YouTube
Here are the latest videos made by our in-office team. And don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos on The Borgen Project YouTube channel. Watch, like, and share!
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State of the Union February 2018
Note from the President:
~ Clint Borgen
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
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Sen. Johnny Isakson gave a Twitter shout-out to The Borgen Project last week.
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Congressional Office Meetings
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Advocate Eshaan Agrawal met with Martha Zoller, Policy Director for Senator David Perdue (R – GA).
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Warren’s Address
Here’s the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
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Content Team Updates
These are the Top Ten Articles for January on BORGEN Magazine.
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HR Team Updates
There is a 157% increase in applicants for January 2017 vs. January 2018.
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Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
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Getting the Word Out
Check out these business cards designed by Political Affairs Team member Abby Jones.
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PR/Marketing Team member Chloe Allen used chalk art and fliers as part of her One-Mile Campaign.
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Political Affairs Team member Pamela Lara Perez participated in this year’s Women’s March and created this sign and handed out these Borgen Project fliers.
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Letters to the Editor
Katherine Thomas, PR/Marketing Team, in the Daily Tar Heel – Local Government Affects Global Issues.
Sameen Oboudiyat, Political Affairs Team, in the Centre Daily Times – Create conversation about global health.
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Fundraising
Check out this Instagram post from Political Affairs Team member Melissa Balke. Melissa attended January’s fundraising event held in San Francisco that was hosted by Board Member Rachel Bell. Clint spoke at the event and was accompanied by his wife Kate.
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YouTube
Here are the latest videos from our Social Media Team member Elizabeth Gasciogne.
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