CHF: Putting the FUN in Health Funding
Posted by: Emily J. Holubowich, Executive Director, Coalition for Health Funding
Allow me to welcome you to the Coalition for Health Funding (CHF), our new website, and our new blog!
It was nearly 10 years ago that the Board of Directors selected me as CHF’s new Executive Director—among the greatest honors of my career. Since then, CHF has done more than I ever would’ve dreamed. We nearly doubled our membership and tripled our revenue, expanded our member offerings, secured three budget deals to #RaiseTheCaps by founding and leading the NDD United campaign, and created a respected brand identity in Capitol Hill and beyond. Perhaps most importantly we’ve had fun doing it, as our members will attest in these testimonials.
If you are not currently a member, now is a great time to join CHF. Every June, our dues are reduced by 50 percent. Since Congress never wraps up the budget appropriations process on time by October 1 (the last time they did so was more than 20 years ago…sadly before my time) there are plenty of CHF activities and services that will help you get more than your money’s worth between now and the end of the calendar year:
1. We will host our third annual Public Health Fair on September 12, where every member is invited to host a booth for free. This event draws more than 250 attendees, including Members of Congress and many congressional staff.
2. Our daily e-newsletter, the “Member Update,” will keep you up to date on all the latest breaking health and appropriations news in a convenient format. You can also advertise your congressional briefings and other free events, as well as sign-on letters and publications to a listserv of more than 300 public health and health research advocates.
3. We will lead delegations on agency tours of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda. These tours help members gain a deeper understanding of the missions of these agencies by visiting with agency officials and exploring labs.
4. We will host members-only meetings featuring senior administration officials, Members of Congress, committee staff, and experts.
The overarching goal of CHF’s strategic plan is to be the “biggest, best coalition around.” If you’re not already a member, we hope you will consider joining us. If you are a member, I thank you for your continued your support. We couldn’t do what we do without you.
Together, let’s keep putting the FUN in health funding!