Thank you Phi Beta Sigma, for making a difference for babies!

The March of Dimes is proud of our long-standing partnership with Phi Beta Sigma. Together we are building stronger fathers and making a difference for babies everywhere! But, with 1 in 9 babies born too soon each year, we need your help to

make a bigger impact!

Premature birth is the #1 cause of death of children under five. Our babies deserve better! By raising awareness through the Prematurity Awareness Campaign and leading chapters in March for Babies, our signature fundraising event, you are helping us get to a day when no baby is born too soon and no family has to experience the serious effects of prematurity.  This is your exclusive March of Dimes partnership guide. In it you will find tools and ideas for success. We are here to help you and your Phi Beta Sigma Chapter, help babies and make an impact!

Thank you again for supporting stronger, healthier babies!

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 Guide

Building Stronger Fathers

this year with Phi Beta Sigma’s support

By partnering with the March of Dimes you help give all babies a healthy start. Here are just a few ways you can Educate, Give and Serve to make a difference for babies everywhere. Worldwide, every year, 15 million babies are born

too soon. More than one million will not get to celebrate their first birthday. Babies who survive often have lifelong health problems. Educate yourself, your chapter, and your community on the serious effects of preterm birth.

The money you raise supports programs in your community and helps moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies.

Across America, babies need your help. From supporting local community events to providing hope for families, there are a variety of ways to make a difference for all babies.

Educate

Give

Serve

Need more resources? We’re here to help, with everything from ideas to resources. Visit marchofdimes.org/contactus to learn about opportunities in your area and to connect with your local March of Dimes office.

educate

Check out your local prematurity statisticsVisit marchofdimes.org/peristats to find out how many babies are born too soon each year in your community.

Every minute a baby is born too soon. Every day, 72 babies die due to preterm birth complications.

Babies Need Your Help! Prematurity is the #1 leading cause of death in newborns, and affects babies of all races and ethnicities. However, the chances of being born too early are greater for babies from some racial and ethnic groups. Historically, black women have had the highest rates of preterm birth, followed by Native Americans, Hispanics, and whites.

March of Dimes InvestmentWe don’t have the answers yet, but the March of Dimes is very concerned about racial and ethnic inequities in health and health care and is funding innovative practices that aim to address racial and ethnic disparities. With thousands of community based programs and large research programs, over $30 million in the last decade has been dedicated to finding this answer.

Building Stronger FathersAs a dad, you're the most important man in your baby's life. Becoming a dad starts before your partner gets pregnant. Learn as much as you can about pregnancy and childbirth. You can be involved in your partner’s pregnancy by going with your partner to her prenatal care checkups; eat healthy meals together and do something active every day. Help her stay healthy by not smoking, drinking alcohol or abusing drugs -- and don’t do these things around her.

The things you do to keep you and your partner healthy before and during pregnancy can help your baby be born healthy and strong.

Help Phi Beta Sigma reach $150,000 and 40% Participation

Get started at marchforbabies.org/phibetasigma • The first step is you! Register yourself for 2015 March for Babies

• Register your Chapter to gain access to online tools to help reach your goals, including customizable individual and team fundraising pages. Be sure to include “Phi Beta Sigma” and your chapter in your team name.

• As a team, set your fundraising goals (individual and Chapter). Goals are the key to a successful campaign. It’s a great way to motivate members and give them a target to shoot for or excel beyond! A good individual goal is $300 – many pass this number.

Raise funds to help babies • Ask for donations in person, online, and/or send letters. Encourage

members to do the same. Keep in mind that it takes an average of 3 asks to one person to get a donation.

• Maximize your contacts. Keep talking about your chapter’s goal, and the March of Dimes. Follow up with those who said they were interested in giving but haven’t committed.

• Stay motivated. Send updates to your team and donors to celebrate your Chapter's progress and to encourage team members to reach their goals.

Celebrate your success at March for Babies! Thank everyone! Honor top fundraisers, post your Chapter’s total on social media, and let your members know the difference they are making for babies!

give

Region# Chapters Donating

Region Goal

Eastern 44 $33,000

Southeastern

26 $19,500

Gulf Coast 20 $15,000

Great Lakes

38 $28,500

Southern 48 $35,700

Southwestern

23 $17,100

Western 12 $9,300

Phi Beta Sigma has set an incredible goal to raise $150,000 this year and in order to reach it, 40% of active chapters must donate at least $750 through March for Babies or innovative chapter fundraising events.

Help your region reach (and exceed) it’s goal this year. Utilize this graph of participation to lead your Chapter to success as you make a difference for babies, help moms, and fund research.

The money you raise is giving hope to nearly half a million babies born too soon each year!

We need your help to give every baby a healthy start in life. Your Phi Beta Sigma Chapter can work together to support your local community, raise awareness and make a difference!

March for Babies – day of support At March for Babies, more than 3 million people join their family and friends in nearly 700 communities across the nation, and we need hands-on service to make it a success. Contact your local March of Dimes for more information.

Connect With Your Local March of Dimes Office From volunteer boards to event committees to community programs providing help for families, your local March of Dimes staff may have a variety of volunteer opportunities for you, your chapter and its members. Visit marchofdimes.org/contactus to find your local office.

Partners in AdvocacyMake our voices heard on Capitol Hill and in state houses across the country. Become an eAdvocate, get informed, and take action to improve the health of women, infants and children. Sign up today at marchofdimes.org/advocacy and select “Take Action.”

Opportunities for the Next Generation of Leaders From being a March for Babies team captain to sitting on youth leadership boards, we have a variety of leadership opportunities for your Sigma Beta Clubs and College Chapters.

• Visit marchforbabies.org/students for resources, guides and best practices specifically for High School and College students to host their own March for Babies campaign.

• March of Dimes National Youth Council consists of 19 college leaders across the country passionate about our mission and committed to promoting, supporting and implementing youth leadership development on a national level. Nominations open annually in January. To learn more visit marchofdimes.org/youth.

serve

Speaking Points What do you say when talking about the March of Dimes? Check out these speaking points. Go the extra mile and use post on Facebook and Twitter.

• Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide. More than a million of them die before their first birthday.

• In the United States, almost half a million babies are born too soon each year — that’s 1 in 9. The premature birth rate in our country is higher than that in many other developed nations.

• Premature birth is the # 1 cause of death during the first month of life. Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk for lifelong disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, lung problems, and vision and hearing loss.

• Premature birth means a baby is born too early. Babies aren’t fully developed until at least 39 weeks of pregnancy. Important development of their brains, lungs and eyes occurs in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Local, National and Global ResourcesThere are a variety of resources about the serious effects of preterm birth (some included in this guide). Share these resources with your Jack and Jill members, chapter and community. These include:

• Utilize the Starting Your Team – Step By Step guide available on the next page for tips and help in registering for March for Babies.

• In an average week in the United States, more than 8,700 babies are born preterm. The Born Too Soon and Too Small in the United States report (available in this Toolkit provides important statistics about preterm birth across the nation.

• To find your State’s Prematurity Report Card and state-wide prematurity reports visit marchofdimes.org/peristats.

• The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth, entitled Born Too Soon, provides the first-ever comparable country-level estimates for preterm birth in 184 countries. To find out how your country’s preterm birth rate compares to others across the world, visit marchofdimes.org/BornTooSoon.

speaking points and resources

The first step is you! Utilize this step-by-step timeline to get register, raise funds and be successful as you make a difference for all babies.

starting your team – step by stepWalked last year?

Just sign in at marchforbabies.org.

Sign up at marchforbabies.org/phibetasigma Select your state from

the list to find your Team or Chapter.

Team/Chapter not listed?Select “sign up” and create a team on the next page

New to March for Babies?

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Alabama 450 Century Park SouthSuite 200-BBirmingham, AL 35226Phone: 205-824-0103

Alaska 3209 Denali StreetSuite 200Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-276-4111

Arizona3550 N. Central Avenue Suite 610Phoenix, AZ 85012Phone: 602-266-9933

Arkansas1501 N. PierceSuite 106Little Rock, AR 72207Phone: 501-663-3100

California101 Montgomery StreetSuite 300San Francisco, CA 94104Phone: 415-788-2202

Colorado1325 S Colorado Blvd.Suite B-308Denver, CO 80222Phone: 303-692-0011

Connecticut500 Winding Brook DriveSuite 8Glastonbury, CT 06033Phone: 860-815-9365

Delaware5620 Kirkwood HighwayWilmington, DE 19808Phone: 302-225-1020

Florida555 Winderley Place #105/109Maitland, FL 32751Phone: 407-599-5077

Georgia1776 Peachtree StreetSuite 100Atlanta, GA 30309Phone: 404-350-9800

Hawaii1580 Makaloa StreetSuite 1200Honolulu, HI 96814Phone: 808-973-2155

Idaho3222 West Overland Road Boise, ID 83705Phone: 208-336-5421

Illinois11 West Jackson Blvd.Suite 1650Chicago, IL 60604Phone: 312-435-4007

Indiana6330 E. 75th Street Suite 306Indianapolis, IN 46250Phone: 317-262-4668

Iowa425 2nd Street SESuite #605 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401Phone: 319-247-5643

Kansas4400 College Blvd.Suite 180Overland Park, KS 66211Phone: 913-469-3611

Kentucky4802 Sherburn Lane Suite 103 Louisville, KY 40207Phone: 800-255-5857

Louisiana11960 Bricksome Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70816Phone: 225-295-0655

Maine136 US Route One Scarborough, ME 04074Phone: 207-289-2080

Maryland-DC2120 Washington Blvd.Suite 425Arlington, VA 22204Phone: 571-257-2330

Massachusetts112 Turnpike RoadSuite 300Westborough, MA 01581Phone: 508-366-9066

Michigan26261 Evergreen Road, Suite 290Southfield, MI 48076Phone: 248-359-1550

Minnesota5233 Edina Industrial BoulevardEdina, MN 55439Phone: 952-835-3033

Mississippi1991 Lakeland DriveSuite G Jackson, MS 39216Phone: 601-933-1071

Missouri11829 Dorsett Road Maryland Heights, MO 63043Phone: 314-513-9990

Montana807 Grand Avenue Billings, MT 59102Phone: 406-252-7480

Nebraska11640 Arbor Street Suite 102Omaha, NE 68144Phone: 402-496-7111

Nevada5564 S. Ft. Apache RoadSuite 100Las Vegas, NV 89148Phone: 702-732-9255

New Hampshire25 Lowell Street Suite 304Manchester, NH 03101Phone: 603-228-0317

New Jersey2400 Main Street Ext.Suite 1Sayreville, NJ 08872Phone: 732-952-9010

New Mexico7007 Wyoming Blvd. NESuite E-2Albuquerque, NM 87109Phone: 505-344-5150

New York515 Madison Avenue 20th Floor New York, NY 10022Phone: 212-353-8353

North Carolina6504 Falls of Neuse RoadRaleigh, NC 27615Phone: 919-781-2481

North Dakota1712 Main Ave. Suite 101Fargo, ND 58102Phone: 701-235-5530

Ohio10806 Kenwood Road Cincinnati, OH 45242Phone: 513-769-3588

Oklahoma5100 N BrooklineSuite 850Oklahoma City, OK 73112Phone: 405-943-1025

Oregon1220 SW MorrisonSuite 510 Portland, OR 97205Phone: 503-222-9434

Pennsylvania435 Devon Park Drive, Bldg 300Wayne, PA 19087Phone: 610-945-6050

Puerto RicoUrb. Perez MorrisCalle Ponce 40Hato Rey, PR 00918Phone: 787-765-6052

Rhode Island220 West Exchange StreetSuite 003Providence, RI 02903Phone: 401-454-1911

South Carolina240 Stoneridge DriveSuite 206Columbia, SC 29210Phone: 803-403-8530

South Dakota1000 N. West Avenue Suite 230 Sioux Falls, SD 57104Phone: 605-334-8203

Tennessee1101 Kermit Drive The Oaks 201Nashville, TN 37217Phone: 615-399-3200

Texas3000 WeslayanSuite 100 Houston, TX 77027Phone: 713-623-2020

Utah670 East 3900 SouthSuite 1-105Salt Lake City, UT 84107Phone: 801-327-9464

Vermont57 South Main Street Waterbury, VT 05676 Phone: 802-560-4822

Virginia4191 Innslake DriveSuite 201Glen Allen, VA 23060Phone: 804-968-4120

Washington1904 3rd AveSuite 230 Seattle, WA 98101Phone: 206-624-1373

West Virginia3508 Staunton Avenue SE2nd Floor Charleston, WV 25304Phone: 304-720-2229

Wisconsin5215 N. Ironwood RoadSuite 101 Milwaukee, WI 53217Phone: 414-778-3500

Wyoming1325 S Colorado Blvd., Suite B-308Denver, CO 80222Phone: 307-554-0820

Contact your state March of Dimes Office for more opportunities to get involved

For the most up to date March of Dimes office listing please visit marchofdimes.org/contactus