December, 2003

Dear Friends:

Never before has BC/EFA faced the kind of fundraising and grant making challenges that are placed before us today. To keep pace and in order to be responsive and relevant to the continually changing crisis swirling around us all, BC/EFA must once again expand its reach and embrace more – not fewer – people in crisis.

Without question, we will continue our firm commitment to those in our industry receiving social services at The Actors’ Fund of America through The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, the Actors’ Work Program and a new program created this year The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic – which offers primary and specialty care by a full-time family physician and volunteer doctors five days a week to those in our community who are currently uninsured or under-insured. BC/EFA will also continue to fund The Flu Shot Initiative of Physician Volunteers for the Arts.

If last year’s grant requests are to be a guideline, we can expect that social service providers nationwide that are still caught in a fundraising crisis also brought on by the ramifications of current events and the substantial downturn in the economy and employment. More and more people are reaching out to food banks and meal services in particular. This area has become our number one grant-making priority.

It bears repeating: These are challenging times. We cannot falter. In every area of need – health, housing, hunger and support for children and families – social service providers face alarming government budget cuts and decreasing foundation and corporate support, a situation that is not going to change anytime soon. These organizations look to BC/EFA for help more than ever before.

Now is the time for BC/EFA to do what it has always done — embrace more in need as we secure our commitment to those we must continue to assist.

But we cannot face these challenges without you. I hope you will agree this is not the time to do less. We must all do more — so that those we have stood up for in this war against AIDS are not abandoned, as we join in efforts to do all we can for those who do battle on a daily basis against poverty, hopelessness and diminishing resources.

Finally, I would like to salute BC/EFA’s tremendous staff and volunteers….the incredible community of show business professionals who give so much of themselves each and every year…and our dedicated family of individual donors – LIKE YOU – who support our work time and time again and who never fail to inspire us with your generosity.

Together, and with your continued support, the BC/EFA family will reach out to many this coming year. God bless you for being a part of this on-going, special commitment.

Withappreciation and affection,

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