The founders’ first activity was to piece together a quilt, which they raffled off to raise money for the fledgling organization. Those funds were used for the founders to travel to an Ovarian Cancer National Alliance conference in Washington, DC. “They learned about the Partner Member program and how to be local advocates,” says Beth Hudson, President of SLOCA.

The group soon became a Partner Member of the Alliance, and continues to value that association. “Being a Partner Member really lends credibility to our organization,” notes Beth. She hopes to take advantage of the benefits and training offered to Partner Members in the coming year.

As its name implies, awareness is a key focus of SLOCA’s programs and activities. Beth says their “number one” awareness activity is the Alliance’s Survivors Teaching Students: Saving Women’s Lives® program. “Through the medical students and nurse practitioner students, we feel we are reaching so many people.” One testament to the program’s strength is that a local nurse practitioner program, which does most of its teaching through online classes, devotes an hour to STS during the one week that students spend on campus.

SLOCA also runs a speaker’s bureau that sends survivors to talk with church groups, community groups, and lunch-and-learns—“Wherever people will listen to our message,” notes Beth. Volunteers also attend health fairs and conferences to get the word out about ovarian cancer.

During National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in September, the Cardinals host an ovarian cancer awareness night at Busch Stadium. This event was one of founder Christina Carr’s ideas, but she passed away before seeing it happen. Now, SLOCA regularly sells out 500 tickets to the game, and raffles off the opportunity to throw out the first pitch that night. In 2011, the group also got permission to turn a large fountain near Busch Stadium teal. During the week that the water was tinted teal, SLOCA volunteers stood near the fountain at lunchtime and handed out information about ovarian cancer.

One event is already in the works for September 2012: a day-long conference for ovarian cancer survivors, scheduled for September 15. SLOCA is hosting the event along with the Cancer Support Community, another Alliance Partner Member. Sessions will cover topics like nutrition, the CA-125 test and changes in sexuality following a cancer diagnosis.

Another key element of SLOCA’s mission is funding research. The group works with the Foundation for Women’s Cancer to pick an ovarian cancer research project to fund, and gives away $25,000-50,000 annually.

The last piece of SLOCA’s mission is providing support to survivors in the greater St. Louis area. In addition to programs like the upcoming conference, the group provides support through “Sister Gifts.” Newly diagnosed women receive a package from SLOCA containing materials like a ball cap, CD, water bottle, list of local resources and an encouraging letter from the organization. The group expects to give away about 200 Sister Gifts this year to women in the St. Louis area.

As SLOCA and the Alliance celebrate anniversaries this year, both groups continue to work as partners, supporting women in St. Louis and across the nation who are facing the challenges of ovarian cancer.

Responsibilities:

• Work with existing Partner Members, staff and grasstops to develop and implement an outreach plan
• Develop and coordinate programs designed to promote the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and its services to the community and the target population
• Help train advocates for policy work, scientific review, etc.
• Cultivate relationship with potential advocates, including new potential Partner Members, grasstops or others
• Coordinate regular meetings and outreach to ensure attendance
• Work with existing team at the Alliance to incorporate social media, Capitol Hill and other efforts as needed
• Create qualification process for Partner Members, grasstops, etc., and provide materials to said constituencies as needed
• Work with advocates to evaluate membership structure and hold processes for changes as needed
• Work closely with Vice President for Policy and External Affairs to coordinate efforts
• Represent the Alliance at various meetings
• Plan, recruit and manage annual Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in conjunction with other staff
• Keep a log of duties, activities and time

Qualifications:

• Prior organizing experience
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent relationship building and people skills
• Experience with campaign strategy development and implementation
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook and Excel
• Detail-oriented
• Self-motivated
• Able to work independently
• Patience, persistence and flexibility
• Enthusiasm and tact
• Positive attitude, high energy and good work ethic

To Apply:

Send resume and cover letter to advocacy@ovariancancer.org by February 15, 2012.
No phone calls please.

Ken Burger, President and CEO of Charity Navigator, notes that “Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that your organization adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way. Only 13% of the charities we rate have received at least 2 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Ovarian Cancer National Alliance outperforms most other charities in America.”

Click here to view our evaluation from Charity Navigator.

You can make a donation to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance here.

As a niche organization, FORCE welcomes opportunities to collaborate with other groups like the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. “We recognize that the power of many is stronger than the power of one,” says Lisa Schlager, FORCE’s Vice President for Community Affairs and Public Policy. “It’s important to team up and have that synergy with other organizations.” Working with the Alliance as a Partner Member is a key way in which FORCE connects to the ovarian cancer community.

At the onset, FORCE was primarily an online support group. “It was a place for people to share,” recalls Lisa. Today, FORCE offers in-person support through 65 outreach groups located throughout the United States. FORCE outreach groups hold at least four support meetings each year, raise funds for FORCE programs and its hereditary cancer research fund, and work to educate the local community and health providers about genetic risks associated with breast and ovarian cancers.

The organization’s website remains a key source of support and information, especially for women who don’t live near an outreach group. “Our goal is to provide support to people no matter where they live,” says Lisa. The FORCE website includes facts about hereditary cancer and other risks, as well as message boards that offer online support. In addition, FORCE operates a telephone help line. In 2011, the help line became bilingual, offering support in Spanish and English.

FORCE also hosts an annual conference where women and health providers can learn more about hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Different tracks address the needs of specific groups, such as young women who want to learn about their options for risk reduction. Nurse navigators and genetic counselors can earn continuing medical education credits for attending scientific sessions at the conference. The next FORCE conference is scheduled for October 18-20 in Orlando, Florida.

Since FORCE works with families at increased risk of both breast and ovarian cancer, the group spearheaded the creation of National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week, which spans the week between September (Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month) and October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month). Wednesday of that week is National Previvor Day, recognizing those who are living with a high risk of cancer but have not developed the disease. Many outreach groups across the country organize events where they “pass the torch” from ovarian to breast cancer, raising awareness of the link between the two diseases.

Lisa notes that there are “still a lot of misconceptions about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer,” but thanks to groups like FORCE and a partner like the Alliance, women and health care providers are learning more about this issue every day.

We’re ending 2011 on a high note, having just secured more than $25 million in federal funding for ovarian cancer research and education programs. That doesn’t mean our work is done, though–we need your help so we can fight for $30 million (or more!) in 2012.

When you give to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, you can rest assured that your money is going to programs that help women with ovarian cancer. We were recently awarded four stars from Charity Navigator–the top rating they give to nonprofits.

As 2011 draws to a close, help us make 2012 a year of advancement for women with ovarian cancer. Together we can make a difference.

Click here to make a secure online donation to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.

The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance fought for funding to support critical ovarian cancer research and education programs. Despite the difficult economy, we won!

• We won $5 million for Johanna’s Law: The Gynecologic Education and Awareness Act, which received no funding in last year’s appropriations bill.

• We won $4.9 million for the Ovarian Cancer Control Initiative, which was initially cut from the funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• We won $16 million for the Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) run by the Department of Defense. This is a tremendous victory, as the Senate initially proposed funding of just $10 million. The Alliance organized a letter, signed by our Partner Members and colleague organizations, that urged Congress to support the House funding level of $16 million. The letter noted that “the OCRP’s unique method of funding ovarian cancer research has yielded tremendous breakthroughs in the fight against ovarian cancer.”

We are grateful to the many members of Congress who supported our requests, especially Representatives Dan Burton and Rosa DeLauro. They took the lead on a letter that encouraged funding for the OCRP, saying “Designed to promote increased flexibility, OCRP research produces innovative, high impact and valuable results through strategic partnerships between advocates, lab scientists and clinicians.”

Thank you to all the advocates who sent thousands of emails and made scores of calls to Congress this year, letting them know just how many Americans are touched by ovarian cancer–and why we need dedicated funding for education and research. We could not have done this without you.

Here’s to a successful 2011 and looking forward to what we can achieve in 2012!

Read about ways you can support the Alliance this holiday season.

Today, Ovar’Coming Together focuses on providing support and education for survivors and caregivers in Indiana. Newly diagnosed women are given H.O.P.E. packets—an acronym for Helping Ovarian Patients Endure—which include “all the resources a woman might need on her journey,” Robin says. “We give women a list of gynecologic oncologists in Indiana, resource listings, symptom cards—even wig catalogs.” The group also offers a lending library of books about all aspects of cancer; the catalog will soon be available to browse online for women who live outside Indianapolis. They can then pick up the books at the Indianapolis office or have them mailed anywhere in the state.

In addition to resources, Ovar’Coming Together assists survivors with two support groups, including one called the “Lunch Bunch.” “It’s a lighter option—more of a social meeting than a traditional support group,” explains Robin. The organization uses its network to connect women having similar experiences with ovarian cancer, like young survivors or women experiencing side effects from their treatment. By talking to others in comparable situations, women are able to find comfort and practical solutions to problems they may be facing.

Quarterly educational meetings provide resources for survivors and caregivers. Topics for presentations are drawn from a twice-yearly survey sent to survivors, and have included clinical trials, genetic risks associated with ovarian cancer, nutrition and survivorship. In the next year, Robin hopes to increase the number of educational speakers and host sessions every two months.

As well as working with survivors, Ovar’Coming Together educates the community about ovarian cancer through a speakers’ bureau and participation in local health fairs and workshops. The impact of the speakers’ bureau can be seen through a quiz given out before and after each presentation: “People go from getting three out of fourteen answers to knowing all of them,” says Robin. Ovar’Coming Together trains volunteers to deliver these presentations.

Two projects will expand educational outreach to the medical community in Indiana next year. Ovar’Coming Together is working with the Alliance to start the Survivors Teaching Students: Saving Women’s Lives® program in local medical and nursing schools. Through a partnership with Indiana University Hospital, the organization is also developing a continuing medical education program on ovarian cancer for frontline physicians. Both projects will be up and running in the first half of 2012.

True to its origins, Ovar’Coming Together continues to work closely with the Alliance. The two groups are working together—along with other Partner Members in the region—to host a regional conference in March 2012.

“Being a Partner Member gives us credibility and emphasizes that there’s a national effort,” says Robin. “But the Alliance also recognizes that each state is different. As a Partner Member, we have the freedom to do what works best in our community, rather than having to use a cookie cutter approach.” As a result, Ovar’Coming Together can rely on the Alliance as a national resource, but is still able to provide the specific services needed by women in Indiana.

Learn more about Ovar’Coming Together.

View a map of all our Partner Members.

It’s so easy to give while you shop!

• Visit our online mall and check out more than 700 participating retailers.
• Click on a link to a retailer and shop.
• Your donation is made automatically–there are no special codes and no cost for you!

It’s even easier if you download our EZ Shopper App. Once you download the app (for Firefox or Internet Explorer), your browser will automatically detect any online retailer that gives to the Alliance.

We are thankful for everyone who supports us throughout the year. As you begin your holiday shopping, please consider this easy way to support the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance–at no cost to you.