moms and babies you annual report 2008 the year 2008 The March of Dimes helps moms have full-term • The first-ever Premature Birth Report Card pregnancies and healthy babies. And if something brought much-needed attention to the growing goes wrong, we offer information and comfort to problem of prematurity. families. We research the problems that threaten We invested $26.8 million in new research grants our babies and work on preventing them. • to better understand and eventually prevent birth Despite a down economy, we were able to count defects, premature birth and infant mortality. on the dedication of our volunteers and donors. To continue making progress, we extended our With $241.8 million in revenue, we ended the year Prematurity Campaign to 2020 and will work to slightly behind last year, but we are determined to address the problem of premature birth globally. continue funding research, helping moms, support- ing families and promoting the health of babies. With everyone’s support, we look forward to doing even more to help give every baby a healthy start. In 2008, we made progress in the following areas: • NICU Family Support® sites across the country now reach more than 50,000 families with a baby in newborn intensive care every year. Dr. Jennifer L. Howse Kenneth A. May • Advocacy efforts for newborn screening paid off, President Chair of the Board and every state now mandates testing for at least 21 serious but treatable conditions. For the 2008 online annual report, visit marchofdimes.com/annualreport • The Surgeon General’s Conference on Preterm Birth resulted in an action agenda to reduce the prematurity rate. • Millions of people supported the first-ever March for Babies® event. They walked with their families, friends and co-workers in 900 communities across the country. 1 2008 Annual Report marchofdimes.com moms speak out Moms of preemies and those thankful for their healthy funding for research, expanded access to health babies are taking a stand against premature birth. coverage, support for smoking cessation programs, hospital quality-improvement programs, and In 2006, their voices resulted in the passage of the maternity-friendly workplace policies. PREEMIE Act, which called for the Surgeon General’s Conference on Preterm Birth to be held in 2008. The The March of Dimes also released the first Premature March of Dimes helped lead the conference and the Birth Report Card. No state received an “A,” and development of an action agenda to help reduce only Vermont received a “B.” The nation received the rate of premature birth in the U.S. a “D,” based on a prematurity rate of 12.7% of all babies, compared to the Healthy People 2010 goal ® During November, Prematurity Awareness Month , of 7.6%. Widespread media coverage helped galva- moms mobilized to raise awareness of ways to fight nize new interest and action in many states to work premature birth. More than 120,000 people signed to help moms go full term. the Petition for Preemies, which called for more hope for babies In 2008, the March of Dimes invested $26.8 million Two studies are looking into “prematurity genes” in many areas of research related to our mission that can help predict a woman’s chances of having to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant her baby early. Scientists believe there is a heredi- mortality. Investigations include basic biological tary factor to prematurity. If we can tell if a woman processes of development, genetics and new is at risk, we can do more to help her and her baby treatments. during pregnancy. We committed almost $4 million of our total research There are 35 March of Dimes PRI grantees busy budget to new Prematurity Research Initiative (PRI) working on promising studies. Every success in the grants to uncover the causes of premature birth and lab brings us closer to the day when all babies are find ways to prevent it. born healthy. stronger families Across America, we increased funding for intensive care. And now, hospitals can customize a CenteringPregnancy® programs that provide moms- program that best meets their needs and those of to-be with regular prenatal care in a warm and friend- the NICU families they serve. ly group setting. Growing evidence shows this special community service helps women have healthier Families also can rest assured that, after years pregnancies, and that moms leave the program ready of work by public affairs staff and volunteers, we to take good care of themselves and their babies. reached our goal of expanding newborn screening nationwide. Almost every baby born in this country If something should go wrong, March of Dimes now lives in a state that requires newborn screening NICU Family Support® projects in every state, for at least 21 of 29 recommended tests for serious Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico provide informa- but treatable conditions. This is a huge victory for tion and comfort to families with a baby in newborn families and babies. 2 2008 Annual Report marchofdimes.com thanks to you Moms, dads, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, Together with your co-workers and friends, you par- grandparents — and you. You’re volunteers. You’re ticipated in our March for Babies® event. Here are the donors. You’re sponsors. Most of all, you are the top 10 teams for March for Babies: March of Dimes. You care about your babies, and you care about all babies. Each of you shines like a star • Kmart • Knowledge Learning for everything you do. • Farmers Corporation • Citi • FedEx In 2008, stars like Kelly Clarkson, Sherri Shepherd, • Publix Super • CIGNA Tom Bergeron, Thalia, Gretchen Carlson, Chef Rock Markets, Inc. • Famous Footwear Harper, Dee Snider and many others also supported • Bank of America • Wachovia our mission. Hosting events and appearing in public Corporation Corporation service announcements, our celebrities helped bring in more than 150 million in revenue and sponsorship dollars. That money is already making a difference to hundreds of thousands of babies and their families. 3 2008 Annual Report marchofdimes.com thanks to annual report 2008 our partners Kmart “We truly owe the success of this campaign to March of Dimes is proud to recognize Kmart as the Kmart’s customers and associates who so gener- Foundation’s longest standing corporate partner and ously embrace March of Dimes and its mission largest contributor to its mission, having raised $71 million to discover new ways of giving every baby a healthy start.” over the past 25 years. In 2008 Kmart and March of Dimes celebrated 25 years of a partnership that continues to reach Don Germano Senior Vice President and General Manager new heights and has yet to be attained by any corporation Kmart Retail, Sears Holdings Corporation in March of Dimes history. March for Babies® 2008 saw Kmart customers and associates raise an astounding $8 million. The strength of this partnership, the desire to ensure the health of all babies and the sheer passion and compassion of Kmart customers and associates continues to inspire us all. Farmers “For more than 20 years, Farmers has supported Through their unique Be a Hero for Babies DaySM, Bikers the March of Dimes by raising awareness and for Babies®, March for Babies and sponsorship of our millions of dollars for the sake of infants and their ® families. In 2008, the Farmers Family raised more NICU Family Support program, Farmers agents, district than $4.8 million and our agents and employees managers and employees ended 2008 by delivering plan to deliver another heroic effort in 2009.“ $4.8 million — a record-breaking total. In its 21-year F. Robert Woudstra history of partnership with the March of Dimes, Farmers Chief Executive Officer has raised nearly $25 million in support of healthy babies. Farmers Group, Inc. 1 2008 Annual Report — Thanks to our Partners marchofdimes.com FedEx Corporation “FedEx is proud to share with March of Dimes a FedEx promotes a culture that values community service commitment to on-time, healthy deliveries. Over and good corporate citizenship. Since 1979, FedEx has the years, March of Dimes has helped thousands, supported March of Dimes through participation in March including many FedEx employees, who have had premature babies or have been connected to for Babies. During this time, FedEx has raised millions of someone who has. We hope that through this dollars for our common mission of “Deliveries, on Time.” national sponsorship we can continue to support As a National March for Babies Sponsor in 2008, tens of the March of Dimes in their mission to reduce the number of premature births.” thousands of FedEx employees from all operating compa- nies joined their local FedEx March for Babies team to David Bronczek CEO contribute more than $1.6 million, ranking the company as FedEx Express the No. 8 team nationwide. 2008 also brought the March of Dimes first appearance on the NASCAR® circuit thanks to the FedEx Office No. 11 car, which was painted “March for Babies” during a spring race. FedEx is a national sponsor of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign as well. CIGNA “Our sole focus at CIGNA — the reason we’re CIGNA has been a national sponsor of March of Dimes March in business as a health services company — is to for Babies for the last 14 years. Since 1995, CIGNA and its do all we can to improve the health, well-being employees have contributed more than $22 million to help and security of the millions of people around the globe who depend on us. We’re all about March of Dimes improve the health of babies and their enhancing the quality of life for men and women, families, and foster healthier communities.