U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF EDITORIAL STYLE GUIDE 2016 updated February 2016 Overview House Style
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF house style is based on the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. When in doubt — or for anything not covered within this guide — please refer to AP style. Copies of the AP Stylebook are available from the content team. You can also use the AP Stylebook online at http://www.apstylebook.com/. Please contact the USF Public Relations team for the username and password of AP Stylebook website..
2 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 Editorial Style Guide abbreviations and acronyms Try to avoid overusing abbreviations or acronyms (abbreviations that are pronounced as words) that are not commonly known, especially acronyms for U.N. agencies or UNICEF programs. (For more on the use of USF, U.S. Fund and UNICEF, see below section of this style book.) In most cases, write out the full reference the first time, followed by the acronym in capital letters and parentheses. For the second reference, use the acronym. It is not necessary to use “the” with an acronym. Use periods in most two-letter abbreviations, such as U.S., U.N. and U.K. There are some exceptions, such as EU for the European Union. Use all caps, but no periods, in longer abbreviations, such as MNT, WHO, UNESCO or NBA.
EXAMPLE Jane Smith worked for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) before joining UNICEF. She spent almost two years at UNDP, working on projects in Southeast Asia and Latin America.
addresses Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number: Pennsylvania Avenue. Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues. For more information and examples, refer to the AP Stylebook.
3 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 Ages Whenever possible, include the age of a child mentioned in any text. Always use numerals.
EXAMPLES Sarah, 2, receives help at a UNICEF-supported feeding center in Mali. The 18-year-old mother received prenatal care at a UNICEF-supported health clinic in Bihar. The baby is 3 months old.
All-Star Use initial caps and hyphen.
EXAMPLES All-Star center Tyson Chandler The three-time All-Star and UNICEF Ambassador Tyson Chandler spoke eloquently about UNICEF’s work.
Amid NOT amidst. In general, avoid archaic or overly formal usage.
Annual Meeting Use capital letters when referring to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Annual Meeting, which is usually held in May.
anti-malarial bednet See bednet.
bednet In general, it is preferable to use the phrase anti-malarial bednet on first reference. Use bednet or mosquito net on second reference.
EXAMPLE The UNICEF country office used the funds to buy anti-malarial bednets. The bednets are one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of malaria.
4 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 breastfeeding Do not hyphenate.
British English When adapting text from UNICEF headquarters or field offices, be sure to change British spellings to conform to standard American usage.
EXAMPLES labor NOT labour immunization NOT immunisation diarrhea NOT diarrhoea program NOT programme organization NOT organisation
captions See photo captions.
capitalization See titles.
child care Use two words, no hyphen, in all cases.
child soldiers Acceptable phrase to refer to children involved with armed groups in conflict areas.
5 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 Child-Friendly Spaces Use initial caps and hyphen between Child-Friendly to refer to these specific UNICEF-supported areas, usually set up in refugee camps or disaster zones.
Also, Child-Friendly Schools.
Commas Refer to the AP Stylebook for correct usage. Do not use “serial commas,” i.e., commas before the last item in a series. See the entry for serial comma as well.
EXAMPLE The warm winter clothing kits included blankets, coats and boots.
company names For all U.S. Fund corporate partners, use the preferred spelling of that corporate partner. In all other cases, use the AP Stylebook.
composition titles In general, use quotation marks around the titles of books, movies, songs, etc. Refer to the AP Stylebook for more information on correct usage. Use italics for newspapers.
country names In general, follow UNICEF style for all country names.
EXCEPTION Vietnam NOT Viet Nam
6 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 dash Use a long dash (also known as an “em dash”) to set off a phrase at the end of a sentence or within a sentence. Use spaces around the long dash. Use a hyphen in hyphenated words.
EXAMPLE Jane Smith’s trip to Colombia — her first field visit since becoming a board member — included trips to three UNICEF-supported programs.
How to make an em dash: Type 1 space + 2 hyphens + 1 space. Most word processors will automatically convert two hyphens into an em dash. In Word, you can insert an em dash from the Symbol menu (Insert > Symbol > select em dash).
An en dash is an ordinary, shorter dash, not a hyphen.
dates Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using alone, or with a year alone. When a phrase uses only a month and a year, do not set the year off with commas. When a phrase refers to month, day and year, separate the year with commas. For more information on correct usage, refer to the AP Stylebook.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: June 12 or May 3 The coldest month was January 1972. His birthday is Jan. 15, 1972
Incorrect usage: June 12th or May 3rd The coldest month was January, 1972. The coldest month was Jan. 1972. His birthday is January 15, 1972.
7 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 diarrhea Preferred spelling. Do not use the British spelling, diarrhoea.
disease names Do not capitalize the names of diseases.
EXAMPLES polio, measles, diarrhea
EXCEPTION Ebola virus Zika virus
Donate Encourage people to donate or contribute to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and to support UNICEF. Do not write “Donate to UNICEF.” Please note: incorrect usage could jeopardize the U.S. Fund’s status as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.
door-to-door Hyphenate only when using this as an adjective.
EXAMPLES door-to-door solicitation but They went door to door, collecting donations.
dot dot dot see ellipsis
8 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 Ebola virus see disease names
The Eliminate Project UNICEF’s partnership with Kiwanis International to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT). Always use all initial caps, and always use the word project not campaign. Note: The Eliminate Project aims to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. The project does not aim to eliminate tetanus.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: The Eliminate Project
Incorrect usage: the Eliminate Project, the ELIMINATE Project, the Eliminate Campaign
ellipsis Use to indicate the deletion of words when condensing text, such as a quote. To insert in text, use [space] three periods [space]. In most cases, try to avoid the use of ellipses and paraphrase the quote instead.
EXAMPLE “We must … work to eradicate polio.”
email Acceptable in all references for electronic mail. Do not use Email or e-mail or E-mail. Note: use a hyphen with other e-terms, such as e-commerce or e-book.
emdash See dash.
9 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 Early Childhood Development Kit Use initial caps for this and all other UNICEF products.
End Trafficking Use initial caps only for End and Trafficking. It is acceptable to refer to the End Trafficking project or the End Trafficking campaign.
ensure, insure Use ensure to mean guarantee, as in: UNICEF works hard to ensure that help reaches those who need it most. Use insure for references to insurance.
FGM Female genital multilation/cutting refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
financial ratio Use the following to refer to the U.S. Fund’s fundraising and administrative expenses. Note: incorrect usage can jeopardize the U.S. Fund’s status as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: Of every dollar we spend, 90 cents goes to programs that help children. Only 7 cents goes to fundraising and 3 cents to administration. Ninety percent of the money we spend goes to programs that help children.
Incorrect usage: Ninety cents of every dollar you donate/give/donated goes to help children.
10 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 firsthand One word for adjective or adverb. fundraiser, fundraising Do not hyphenate.
hashtag Do not capitalize. health care Use two words, no hyphen, in all cases.
Hyperlinks Use hyperlinks only in communications that are shared electronically. Highlight a short phrase directly related to the URL when inserting a hyperlink. Do add a period after the hyperlink at the end of a sentence, but do not include the period when using the hyperlink.
EXAMPLE View our Bridge Fund interactive presentation on the lower right.
Inspired Gifts Use initial caps. internally displaced persons Individuals who have fled their homes because of conflict, natural disaster or other emergency but remain inside their home countries. Those who have fled their homes under similar circumstances and sought refuge across an international border are referred to as refugees.
11 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 lifesaving Use one word, no hyphen, in all cases.
life-threatening Use hyphen in all cases.
links See URLs.
login, logoff, log in Use one word for the noun and two words for the verb form. Do not use a hyphen in either case.
EXAMPLE Use your login to log in to the website.
metric terms Convert all metric measures (Celsius, kilograms, etc.) to non-metric equivalents (Fahrenheit, pounds, etc.) whenever possible.
micronutrient powder NOT micro-nutrient.
MNT Abbreviation for maternal and neonatal tetanus. Always use the full terminology, using lower case, followed by the abbreviation for the first reference, i.e., maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) and the abbreviation MNT thereafter.
12 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 months See dates. more than Use to refer to quantities. Do not use over.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: The organization donated more than $50,000.
Incorrect usage: The organization donated over $50,000.
mosquito net See bednet. movie titles See composition titles.
names Wherever possible, identify all adults by their first and last names and all children by their first name. Names may be withheld or pseudonyms used to protect the privacy of children who are living with HIV/AIDS or who have been victims of abuse. In the second reference, refer to adults by their last name only. In more informal types of communication, first names may be used in the second reference. In that case, first names must be used in the second reference for all adults mentioned in the text.
EXAMPLE Jane Smith has been a volunteer with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for decades. Smith first got involved with the organization when she was in college.
13 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 nonprofit Do not hyphenate.
numbers Except when referring to age, spell out numbers zero to ten. Above ten, use figures. Always use a figure before “million” or “billion.” When items in the same category are treated within the same context, they should be treated alike. For more information on usage, refer to the AP Stylebook.
EXAMPLES eight children 15 boxes 3 million The emergency shipment included 50 tents, but 5 were damaged.
Ongoing Do not hyphenate.
Over Do not use to refer to quantities. See more than.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: The organization donated more than $50,000.
Incorrect usage: The organization donated over $50,000.
14 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 percent Use numerals and write out percent. In tabular data, graphics or display type, such as pullquotes in print and online, use % rather than percent. For amounts less than 1 percent, precede the decimal with a zero. For a range, use percent at the end of the phrase.
EXAMPLES 10 percent The cost of living rose 0.6 percent. An estimated 12 to 15 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Between 12 and 15 percent of the country was affected by the storm.
phone numbers When including a phone number in print or online, use parentheses around the area code and a hyphen between the prefix and the line number.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: To learn more, call (212) 555-1212.
Incorrect usage: To learn more, call 212-555-1212. To learn more, call 212.555.1212.
photo captions Except when used for the purposes of illustration, all photos should have a caption. The caption should include specific information about who is in the photo and what the photo depicts.
EXAMPLE Maria, 5, spends time with her friends at a UNICEF-supported education center in Tacloban, Philippines.
15 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 Plumpy’nut See ready-to-use therapeutic food. In second reference, use “fortified peanut paste.”
polio See disease names.
P.S. Not PS quotation marks Use to indicate a direct quote and for some composition titles. Always place commas and periods inside quotation marks.
EXAMPLES “The rain came so suddenly we had to leave everything behind,” said Jenny, 15. Jenny, 15, said, “The rain came so suddenly we had to leave everything behind.”
ratio See financial ratio.
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) Always upper case. This is the preferred term for specially formulated high-calorie, nutrient-dense food developed as a therapy for malnourished children. In the second reference, it can be called “fortified peanut paste” or RUTF. Do not use Plumpy’nut or Plumpy’Nut unless specifically referring to the Nutriset product.
16 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 refugee A person who has fled his or her home because of conflict, natural disaster or other emergency and sought refuge across an international border. Those who have fled their homes under similar circumstances but remain inside their home countries are called “internally displaced persons.”
RSVP Use all caps, no periods.
serial commas In a simple series of words or phrases, do not use a comma before “and.” However, use a comma if the series is long or complex and confusion may result without it.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: The U.S. Fund supports UNICEF through fundraising, advocacy and education.
Incorrect usage: The U.S. Fund supports UNICEF through fundraising, advocacy, and education.
But in more complex series like the following: I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast. And The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the trainin, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.
School-in-a-Box kit Use hyphens and capitals for School-in-a-Box; lowercase for kit. single space Always use a single space after a period. Never use double spaces after periods.
17 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 slavery, slaves, sex slave, modern-day slavery Do not use these terms to refer to children or adults who are the victims of human trafficking or who have been forced to work against their will. Slavery and human trafficking are not the same, although slavery is one form of human trafficking. While trafficking victims have experiences in common with antebellum American slaves — a key purpose of slavery and trafficking being cheap labor — it is important to acknowledge that today’s victims of trafficking are not the equivalent of antebellum American slaves. Antebellum slavery was state- sanctioned, while human trafficking is not. In theory, today’s victims of trafficking have legal rights, whereas slaves during the antebellum period had none.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: victims of human trafficking, child trafficking or trafficking children vulnerable to trafficking trafficked children
Incorrect usage: Find out how many slaves work for you.
Tap Project Use in the second reference. Use the full form, the UNICEF Tap Project, in the first reference for this U.S. Fund campaign to raise awareness and funds for UNICEF water and sanitation programs.
tax deductible/tax-deductible your gift is tax deductible (no hyphen) OR make a tax-deductible donation (use hyphen for adjective modifying a noun).
television program titles See composition titles.
18 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 time Always use lower case and periods for a.m. and p.m., and include a space between the number and “p.m.” or “a.m.” It is not required to show minutes when referring to time. Both 6 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. are correct. For ranges of time, separate the times with [space] n-dash [space]. If showing minutes in one part of a range of time, show minutes for both.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: 6 p.m. not 6 pm 6:00 a.m. not 6:00 am 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Incorrect usage: 6 pm 6:00 am 6p.m. 8:30 a.m. – 5 pm
time, units of Spell out hours, minutes and seconds.
EXAMPLE The refugees traveled for 50 hours over rough roads to reach safety.
time zones Capitalize the full name. Capitalize the region when using the short forms. Abbreviations are acceptable for zones used within continental U.S.
EXAMPLES Eastern Standard Time Central Daylight Time Eastern time zone, Mountain time EST, CDT
19 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 titles Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as chancellor, chairman, etc., only when they precede a name. Use lowercase elsewhere.
EXAMPLES U.S. Fund for UNICEF President and CEO Caryl M. Stern Caryl M. Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake Chancellor Jane Smith Jane Smith, chancellor of State University
For signing an eNewsletter or eAppeal use the following: Caryl M. Stern President and CEO U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Use hyphens in the term Trick-or-Treat. Do not use TOT, which is for internal use at the U.S.Fund for UNICEF only.
underway one word in all instances. units of measure Convert all units of measure into U.S. customary units.
U.N. Use periods. See abbreviations.
20 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 UNICEF Acceptable in all references to the United Nations Children’s Fund. Always capitalize and do not use periods. Never hyphenate or split “UNICEF” at the end of a line. Do not use “we” to refer UNICEF or “our work” to refer the work of UNICEF. UNICEF and UNICEF’s work must always be treated in the third person. Use “we” or “our work” only when referring to the U.S. Fund and its activities. Please Note: incorrect use of these phrases can jeopardize the U.S. Fund’s status as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: UNICEF has been on the ground in the Philippines since 1948. We have been supporting UNICEF’s work there for many years.
Incorrect usage: We have been on the ground in the Philippines since 1948. The U.S Fund is very proud of our work there.
UNICEF program areas Do not capitalize references to UNICEF program areas such as child protection, nutrition, education, etc.
UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories UNICEF conducts programs to help children in more than 190 countries and territories. Currently, there are 35 UNICEF national committees that support UNICEF by conducting fundraising, education and advocacy activities in their respective countries as independent local non-governmental organizations. Use the following language when referring to the programmatic work of UNICEF only, not the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
EXAMPLE Your gift will help children in one of the more than 190 countries and territories where UNICEF works.
21 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 UNICEF Kid Power A U.S. Fund for UNICEF fundraising initiative, UNICEF Kid Power gives kids the power to save lives. By getting active with the UNICEF Kid Power Band, kids go on missions to learn about new cultures, earn points and unlock Ready- to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) packets for severely malnourished children around the world.
UNICEF Next Generation A diverse group of young professionals, ages 21 to 40, who are committed to helping UNICEF save and improve children’s lives.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: In formal documents the term NextGen can be used following the initial reference to UNICEF Next Generation, i.e., UNICEF Next Generation (NextGen). Use NextGen, not Next Gen or Next Generation. When referring to members: UNICEF Next Generation Steering Committee member UNICEF Next Generation member for first reference, then NextGen member thereafter (except when referring to Steering Committee members).
Incorrect usage: UNICEF’s Next Generation (Please note that the ‘s is a common error.)
Up to date/up-to-date No hyphen unless used as an adjective before a noun, i.e., “Please keep me up to date on your progress,” but up-to-date technology.
22 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 URLs, in print When referring to URLs in printed text, make sure you are including a user-friendly version of the URL, also known as a “friendly URL.” If you do not have a friendly URL for your web page, ask the digital team to create one for you. Do not use www or http:// before URLs. Do include a period at the end of a sentence terminating in a URL. Ask the digital team to make sure that the web redirects will work with and without the period.
EXAMPLE To learn more about how to help, visit unicefusa.org/kind.
URLs, online Do not spell out entire URLs in text on web pages. Instead, use a hyperlink to the title of that page. This will improve the usability of the page and help maximize reader engagement with the page and with our website. There may be exceptions for digital campaigns that are closely associated with a specific domain or URL, such as healthcare.gov. In these cases, it is acceptable to use the URL in print and online.
EXAMPLES Correct usage (online): To get involved, go to UNICEF Tap Project.
Incorrect usage (online): To get involved, go to tap.unicefusa.org.
When inserting linking to other web pages, the hyperlink should be salient, descriptive and start with a keyword. The best links start with the most important words. Use as many words as you need to accurately describe the page being referenced, while still being concise, and ensure that the text reflects what the destination page contains. Finally, if the hyperlink involves a download, make it known in the hyperlink. Learn more about hyperlinking at: http://www.nngroup.com/articles/writing-links/.
Correct usage: A new UNICEF report, Four Months After [pdf], describes both the progress made and the challenges that lie ahead for Filipino children.
Incorrect usage: A new UNICEF report describes both the progress made and the challenges that lie ahead for Filipino children.
23 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 U.S. Use periods. See abbreviations.
U.S. Fund for UNICEF Always use periods after U and S. In second reference, use “U.S. Fund.” The abbreviation USF is for internal use only. Do not use “USF” in any external communications. The U.S. Fund supports the work of UNICEF through fundraising, advocacy and education. These organizational goals should always be listed in that order. Do not use “we” to refer UNICEF or “our work” to refer to the work of UNICEF. UNICEF and UNICEF’s work must always be referenced in the third person. Use “we” or “our work” only when referring to the U.S. Fund and its activities. Please note: incorrect use of these phrases can jeopardize the U.S. Fund’s status as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: UNICEF has been on the ground in the Philippines since 1948. We have been supporting UNICEF’s work in the country for many years.
Incorrect usage: We have been on the ground in the Philippines since 1948. The U.S Fund is very proud of our work there.
24 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 U.S. Fund for UNICEF Global Citizen Fellowship Launched in 2012, this program empowers American youth and volunteers in service on behalf of the world’s children and prepares them for effective leadership in public service.
EXAMPLES Correct usage: For internal references: use Global Citizenship Fellowship (GCF). When referencing Fellows, use Global Citizenship Fellow or Fellows; always capitalize the F.
Do not use the word program in most situations; it’s redundant with Fellowship. Do not capitalize the when citing the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Global Citizen Fellowship. Do not use Global Fellows, Global Citizen Fellows, or GCF Fellows; use either GCF or Fellows.
Vietnam Preferred spelling. Do not use Viet Nam. See country names.
Vitamin lowercase v, dash between specific letter and number, no hyphen in multivitamin
EXAMPLES vitamin A NOT Vitamin A multivitamin NOT multi-vitamin or multi vitamin vitamin B-6 NOT vitamin B6
war In most cases, avoid when referring to armed conflicts where UNICEF is providing humanitarian assistance. It’s preferable to use conflict.
EXAMPLE Children’s lives have been disrupted by the conflict in Syria.
25 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016 waterborne Write as one word, ending in “e.” website Write as one word, lowercase. well-being Use hyphen.
year-old Always hyphenate. See ages.
EXAMPLES 5-year-old girl 15-year-old treaty the 7-year-old
years old Do not use hyphens. See ages.
EXAMPLES Howard is 36 years old. The DNA fragment is 36 million years old.
year to year Separate two years in a range of time with an ordinary dash (also known as an “en dash”) and include a space around the dash. Do not use a hyphen.
EXAMPLES 2012 – 2013 Audrey Hepburn, 1929 – 1993
26 U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF Editorial Style Guide 2016