Thank you Phi Beta Sigma, for making a difference for babies! The March of Dimes is proud of our long-standing partnership with Phi Beta Sigma. Together we are building stronger fathers and making a difference for babies everywhere! But, with 1 in 9 babies born too soon each year, we need your help to make a bigger impact! Premature birth is the #1 cause of death of children under five. Our babies deserve better! By raising awareness through the Prematurity Awareness Campaign and leading chapters in March for Babies, our signature fundraising event, you are helping us get to a day when no baby is born too soon and no family has to experience the serious effects of prematurity. This is your exclusive March of Dimes partnership guide. In it you will find tools and ideas for success. We are here to help you and your Phi Beta Sigma Chapter, help babies and make an impact! Thank you again for supporting stronger, healthier babies! The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. March of Dimes Guide Building Stronger Fathers

this year with Phi Beta Sigma’s support By partnering with the March of Dimes you help give all babies a healthy start. Here are just a few ways you can Educate, Give and Serve to make a difference for babies everywhere. stepping up for healthy babies Worldwide, every year, 15 million babies are born too soon. More than one million will not get to celebrate their first birthday. Babies who survive often have lifelong health problems. Educate yourself, your chapter, and your community on the serious effects of preterm birth. The money you raise supports programs in your community and helps moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. Across America, babies need your help. From supporting local community events to providing hope for families, there are a variety of ways to make a difference for all babies. Educate Give Serve Need more resources? We’re here to help, with everything from ideas to resources. Visit marchofdimes.org/contactus to learn about opportunities in your area and to connect with your local March of Dimes office.

educate Check out your local prematurity statistics Visit marchofdimes.org/peristats to find out how many babies are born too soon each year in your community. Every minute a baby is born too soon. Every day, 72 babies die due to preterm birth complications. Babies Need Your Help! Prematurity is the #1 leading cause of death in newborns, and affects babies of all races and ethnicities. However, the chances of being born too early are greater for babies from some racial and ethnic groups. Historically, black women have had the highest rates of preterm birth, followed by Native Americans, Hispanics, and whites. March of Dimes Investment We don’t have the answers yet, but the March of Dimes is very concerned about racial and ethnic inequities in health and health care and is funding innovative practices that aim to address racial and ethnic disparities. With thousands of community based programs and large research programs, over $30 million in the last decade has been dedicated to finding this answer. Building Stronger Fathers As a dad, you're the most important man in your baby's life. Becoming a dad starts before your partner gets pregnant. Learn as much as you can about pregnancy and childbirth. You can be involved in your partner’s pregnancy by going with your partner to her prenatal care checkups; eat healthy meals together and do something active every day. Help her stay healthy by not smoking, drinking alcohol or abusing drugs -- and don’t do these things around her. The things you do to keep you and your partner healthy before and during pregnancy can help your baby be born healthy and strong.

Help Phi Beta Sigma reach $150,000 and 40% Participation Get started at marchforbabies.org/phibetasigma The first step is you! Register yourself for 2015 March for Babies Register your Chapter to gain access to online tools to help reach your goals, including customizable individual and team fundraising pages. Be sure to include “Phi Beta Sigma” and your chapter in your team name. As a team, set your fundraising goals (individual and Chapter). Goals are the key to a successful campaign. It’s a great way to motivate members and give them a target to shoot for or excel beyond! A good individual goal is $300 – many pass this number. Raise funds to help babies Ask for donations in person, online, and/or send letters. Encourage members to do the same. Keep in mind that it takes an average of 3 asks to one person to get a donation. Maximize your contacts. Keep talking about your chapter’s goal, and the March of Dimes. Follow up with those who said they were interested in giving but haven’t committed. Stay motivated. Send updates to your team and donors to celebrate your Chapter's progress and to encourage team members to reach their goals. Celebrate your success at March for Babies! Thank everyone! Honor top fundraisers, post your Chapter’s total on social media, and let your members know the difference they are making for babies! give Region # Chapters Donating Region Goal Eastern44$33,000 Southeaster n 26$19,500 Gulf Coast20$15,000 Great Lakes38$28,500 Southern48$35,700 Southwester n 23$17,100 Western12$9,300 Phi Beta Sigma has set an incredible goal to raise $150,000 this year and in order to reach it, 40% of active chapters must donate at least $750 through March for Babies or innovative chapter fundraising events. Help your region reach (and exceed) it’s goal this year. Utilize this graph of participation to lead your Chapter to success as you make a difference for babies, help moms, and fund research. The money you raise is giving hope to nearly half a million babies born too soon each year!

We need your help to give every baby a healthy start in life. Your Phi Beta Sigma Chapter can work together to support your local community, raise awareness and make a difference! March for Babies – day of support At March for Babies, more than 3 million people join their family and friends in nearly 700 communities across the nation, and we need hands-on service to make it a success. Contact your local March of Dimes for more information. Connect With Your Local March of Dimes Office From volunteer boards to event committees to community programs providing help for families, your local March of Dimes staff may have a variety of volunteer opportunities for you, your chapter and its members. Visit marchofdimes.org/contactus to find your local office. Partners in Advocacy Make our voices heard on Capitol Hill and in state houses across the country. Become an eAdvocate, get informed, and take action to improve the health of women, infants and children. Sign up today at marchofdimes.org/advocacy and select “Take Action.” Opportunities for the Next Generation of Leaders From being a March for Babies team captain to sitting on youth leadership boards, we have a variety of leadership opportunities for your Sigma Beta Clubs and College Chapters. Visit marchforbabies.org/students for resources, guides and best practices specifically for High School and College students to host their own March for Babies campaign. March of Dimes National Youth Council consists of 19 college leaders across the country passionate about our mission and committed to promoting, supporting and implementing youth leadership development on a national level. Nominations open annually in January. To learn more visit marchofdimes.org/youth. serve

Speaking Points What do you say when talking about the March of Dimes? Check out these speaking points. Go the extra mile and use post on Facebook and Twitter. Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide. More than a million of them die before their first birthday. In the United States, almost half a million babies are born too soon each year — that’s 1 in 9. The premature birth rate in our country is higher than that in many other developed nations. Premature birth is the # 1 cause of death during the first month of life. Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk for lifelong disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, lung problems, and vision and hearing loss. Premature birth means a baby is born too early. Babies aren’t fully developed until at least 39 weeks of pregnancy. Important development of their brains, lungs and eyes occurs in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Local, National and Global Resources There are a variety of resources about the serious effects of preterm birth (some included in this guide). Share these resources with your Jack and Jill members, chapter and community. These include: Utilize the Starting Your Team – Step By Step guide available on the next page for tips and help in registering for March for Babies. In an average week in the United States, more than 8,700 babies are born preterm. The Born Too Soon and Too Small in the United States report (available in this Toolkit provides important statistics about preterm birth across the nation. To find your State’s Prematurity Report Card and state-wide prematurity reports visit marchofdimes.org/peristats. The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth, entitled Born Too Soon, provides the first-ever comparable country-level estimates for preterm birth in 184 countries. To find out how your country’s preterm birth rate compares to others across the world, visit marchofdimes.org/BornTooSoon. speaking points and resources

The first step is you! Utilize this step-by-step timeline to get register, raise funds and be successful as you make a difference for all babies. starting your team – step by step Walked last year? Just sign in at marchforbabies.org. Sign up at marchforbabies.org/phibetasigma Select your state from the list to find your Team or Chapter. Team/Chapter not listed? Select “sign up” and create a team on the next page New to March for Babies? 1 2 3

Contact your state March of Dimes Office for more opportunities to get involved For the most up to date March of Dimes office listing please visit marchofdimes.org/contactus