The vision of the END7 campaign – to see the seven most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) controlled and eliminated by 2020  – is a tall order. But every day, END7 supporters inspire me to believe that we can achieve this goal. I’m encouraged by the generosity of people like Jaycee, a 12-year-old END7 supporter who gave up birthday presents to collect donations to our campaign. Joining Jaycee and becoming part of the movement to end NTDs is easy.  You can make a difference by starting your own campaign to end NTDs.

Special occasions like birthdays, weddings, graduations or Bar/Bat Mitzvahs are great opportunities to set up a personal fundraising page and ask for donations instead of gifts – for instance, our supporters Tiffany and Steven have set up a page for their wedding, and a group of freshmen at Notre Dame have raised almost $700 on their page for a class project. The commitment and generosity of these and so many other individuals I’ve met in my role at END7 makes me confident that if we work together, we can make NTDs history. No matter the occasion, we all have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those suffering from painful and debilitating NTDs.

END7 supporters have the opportunity to directly contribute to the success of NTD treatment programs around the world by donating to our campaign. This year’s donations supported three major mass drug administrations in Honduras, Kenya, and Myanmar, that collectively reached millions of people. We know we can do even more in 2014 with your help. By creating a personal fundraising page and inviting your friends and family to donate to END7, you are helping us accomplish both of our essential and interrelated campaign goals: increasing awareness of NTDs among the general public and financially supporting treatment programs to make them more effective, wide-reaching, and sustainable. By creating your own page, you can become not just a supporter of END7, but a leader in the fight against NTDs.

Interested in starting your own fundraising campaign? It’s easier than you think! Just click this link to get started – it only takes a few minutes to get your page ready. I’ll get you started with a few tips:

• Don’t be shy about asking your friends and family to support END7. In my four years of experience fundraising for this cause, I’ve found that most people are eager to support this effort once they are educated about the impact of NTDs – so be sure to personalize your page with some of our or information from our factsheets that you find most compelling. Then, you’re ready to share the link to your page via email or social media, helping us spread the word about NTDs to an even wider audience.
• Include a personal explanation of why END7 is important to you so people understand why you are asking for their support. A martial arts studio in Indiana that recently created their own END7 fundraising page included this personal message: “We started this fundraising campaign as a way for our martial arts family to give something back to the world community. Many of the arts we practice originated in areas affected by these diseases. This is a way for us to help END7 end the suffering of more than half a billion children.” That’s a great example of a specific and personal reason for supporting END7 – what’s yours?
• Asking for donations in lieu of birthday, holiday, or wedding gifts gives your fundraising a specific and timely focus that makes people even more likely to give. In the same way, asking friends and family to sponsor your participation in an athletic event is a fun and time-limited way to rally support for our campaign. Our online fundraising pages are also great as a second means of collecting donations if you’re interested in planning an event to fundraise for END7, as many of our student groups do. The students of Creativity for Change at Illinois Wesleyan University collected $300 in donations at their recent talent show fundraiser on campus, but they collected an additional $500 online from friends and family who couldn’t make it to the event but wanted to support the cause!
• Finally, remember to say thank you! We are so grateful to every person who contributes to END7. While we will be sure to send each person that donates to your page a thank-you by email, it means so much for them to hear a personal thank-you from you as well. You might even consider posting a thank-you on social media and tagging everyone who has contributed to your page – this will likely encourage even more people to join in, too!

Creating your own fundraising page for END7 is a simple but powerful way to become a leader of the NTD elimination effort.  Are you ready to get started?

Emily is here to support you if you want to create a fundraising page or get your school, community group, or house of worship involved with END7! Email her at if you have any questions or ideas.