Population Connection

Field and outreach: to assist Population Connection activists nationwide in building and sustaining state and local educational, media and lobbying efforts on behalf of Population Connection through organizing and providing training, technical assistance and funding. Represent Population Connection in coalitions focused on grassroots action and at public presentations and exhibitions as needed. 2023 higlights include: out annual, fourth virtual, capitol hill days advocacy event. Activists who attended a variety of sessions including a welcome session and trivia game, a keynote talk from congresswoman susan wild (pa-d/07), an advocacy training, and a virtual lobby day. Hosted virtual events including an instagram live focused on trans rights and reproductive rights featuring a representative from the trans women of color collective and wyandot behavioral health network, and a representative from transgender justice initiative at the human rights campaign and advocates for better care atlanta. Hosted a virtual kickoff of our #fight4her campaign featuring colleagues from various organizations in east africa including tareto africa, naweza tena, awakening horn for inclusive development, tunaweza foundation, the alliance of women advocating for change, and hope for kenya slum adolescents initiative. These colleagues talked about their respective work in sexual and reproductive health and the importance of activists here in the u.s. Working toward reproductive health and rights for all. One of our field staff attended the netroots nation progressive conference, and as an organization we sponsored 10 activists from around the country to attend the event, as well. We also had activists take online action by pledging to #fight4her, and contacting their legislators asking them to support the global her act. We also asked people to sign a "people's pledge" to protect mifepristone (a medication abortion) and to prevent judicial overreach on reproductive health issues.

Membership: success in the areas of advocacy and public education depends largely on the support and dedication of the organization's members. We have 40,000 members across the nation, helping reach our goals through public outreach, such as sharing information at local community events, hosting virtual events, distributing our magazine, or writing letters to the editor of local newspapers. We support our members by providing materials for their distribution, paying registration and logistical fees for local events such as earth day, holding training and information sessions, responding to their correspondence and requests for information, and orders for our products and/or publications. In 2023, we hosted 20 virtual events connecting more than 1,000 individuals. Our events, including guest speakers, a photo contest, global partner presentations, and book club discussions, have fostered a vibrant community dialogue on Population trends, reproductive rights, and sustainable development.

Population education: to promote Population literacy among american youth by (1) providing educators with teaching resources and professional development workshops to help them effectively cover Population dynamics and their impacts in k-12 classrooms; and (2) preparing educators to offer training to other teachers through the Population education training network (petnet). Finally, to provide follow-up assistance and information enabling former trainees to apply their training most effectively. 2023 highlights include:- staff and volunteer teacher trainers conducted 549 pop ed workshops (both in-person and virtual) for educators in 46 u.s. states and territories and 5 canadian provinces. - facilitate 3 leadership institutes to train new workshop facilitators. These were held in new orleans, seattle and st. louis for a total of 58 new trainers.- judged 2,384 student video submissions to the 12th annual world of 7 billion video contest for middle and high school students, covering the topics of climate change, gender equality, and waste - facilitated a graduate-level online course for 30 middle and high school science and social studies teachers through adams state university during the summer and fall semesters (2 offerings).- produced a new world Population map (cartogram) for distribution to teachers- produced a new poster, "a quick trip to 8 billion" (double-sided with a historical timeline and new infographics)- exhibited materials at two major teacher conventions (national science teachers association atlanta; national council for the social studies in nashville).- we had 196 active volunteers in 2023.

Communications: to keep Population Connection members and supporters, federal decisionmakers, and journalists up-to-date on u.s. and global Population issues. Population Connection published:- four issues of Population Connection magazine, circulation ~65,000; hard copies mailed to Population Connection members, every member of congress, and over 3,000 public and university libraries. - five letters to the editor in u.s. newspapers, two of them in the new york times and one in the boston globe- 40 blog posts on the Population Connection website, ranging in topic from long-range Population projections to china's Population peak to deforestation and habitat loss- daily facebook, twitter/x, and instagram social media content - new website content and updatespopulation Connection staff:- gave virtual presentations to over 75 college and university classes around the country- taught a five-week virtual summer class at the university of north carolina greensboro - participated in interviews on three different podcasts- hosted a webinar for members and supporters on world Population day- responded to hundreds of information requests from students, donors, and members of the general public

Government relations: to inform congress and the administration about Population issues and to advocate the adoption of measures to move the united states and the world towards stabilizing Population; to influence population-related legislation; to mobilize members to take action. 2022 highlights: Population Connection continues to strengthen our relationships with international non-governmental organizations (ngos) in africa and latin america. We look for the type of ngo that's been embedded in its community and is an organic part of the community, with the mission to improve the relationship between people and the environment. The vision of these ngos is complementary with Population Connection's mission to stabilize Population at a level that can be sustained by the environment. International engagement 2023 highlightsthroughout 2023, Population Connection continued to support our global partners in the global partner program. We've financed the gpp for about four years; the program consists of pinpointing (often by word of mouth), and vetting small, indigenous, and grassroots level nonprofit organizations, most of are small in staff and budget. We award grants to about 21 ngos, most of which are in africa and latin america. We require the "gpps" that the ngo "join" (at no cost) the global partners program, sign a grant agreement, and submit annual grant and financial reports. Some of the ngos go on to work with us on various initiatives; others participate in virtual presentations about their work and future plans. These presentations allows our members and supporters a way to meet and become familiar with these amazing groups. There are about 21 nonprofit organizations in the program; we don't plan to take on more than a few new groups (if at all). Having a small, carefully chosen group of 21 allows us to nurture relationships with the organization's team, and encourages our global partners to keep us "in the loop" about both their successes, and challenges. Further, and to our advantage, we've grown familiar with the operational side of a small ngo, and how the ngo responds to challenges and adapts to new objectives. The missions of our global partners are complementary to the Population Connection mission of empowering women, aligning Population numbers with environmental sustainability, and human need. Of course, the groups are not a monolith; they have experience in their niches, whether that is girls' (and boys') education; animal or plant conservation, health care, etc. We look for ngos embedded in, and organic to, their community. Many of the groups's missions are similar, like improving the futures of children via classroom-type education, and offering adult education that improves adult lives, via financial stability. The end goal, of course, of the ngo activities is to nurture healthy families; bring or improve literacy to the community; and create and maintain easy access to health care, including reproductive and maternal health. As noted above, we have a grant portfolio of approximately 21 ngos, including groups we've donated to. (we don't have any requirements for ngos that receive donations, as opposed to grants.) Most gps have goals similar to our own (women's empowerment, environmental stability, etc.) We also include groups doing a range of service work in their communities. We have indigenous groups, groups founded and run by women, and groups that work with youth. All focus on urgent, timely issues. For example, we have ngos distributing contraception to their clients, and providing sexual and reproductive health education to youth and adults. Every community that houses one of the gp's is very poor, whether in latin america or africa. The location lacks basic healthcare, food, and water, and access beyond a primary school education. All have women lack access to basic healthcare, and reproductive health care. What these ngos provide to their stakeholders and clients can be life changing (and life saving) for the people in the community. Population Connection is a vocal and visible advocate for international family planning funding and the kind of issues that especially impact women and families. However, we work in the us, and we aren't service providers to women in africa or latin america. Working with our international partners through grant provision allows us to see groups providing direct service to target populations, and improving the environment.working with under-resourced ngos catches the attention of our stakeholders, members, and staff that there are real world programs successfully operating in very challenging circumstances. We've gotten a significant amount of feedback from the gps that they appreciate our grants. Our relationships with the global partners allows us to assist them in accomplishing their goals viz. Humans, the environment, and animals, raising the quality of life for all.as a condition to becoming and retaining a global partner position, each ngo signs a grant agreement (ga), with several requirements. The most important requirement is they submit an end of year, narrative report and financial report about their activities, challenges, successes, and future plans. The reports together inform us about the status and accomplishments of the ngo's work. As noted earlier in this report, the gpp sometimes donates money to a few ngos. These ngos are new to the global partner program, and/or are a start up with a small budget and a small staff. Depending on how the relationship progresses, we often increase the donation, and sometimes offer a grant. Donations don't have requirements, since we don't know if these ngos will become gpp members. The following case studies are derived from end of year reports from global partners, covering goals and objectives, activities, successes, and challenges encountered in 2023. The following are case studies for several global partners.wings guatemala: wings guatemala provides quality reproductive health education and services to underserved, primarily rural, guatemalan youth, women, and men. Wings was an early global partner, and has been an excellent partner for us. The group serves local communities, providing access to reproductive health. This goal has been met since covid impacted the ngo. Wings' work allows women and families to control their fertility, thereby slowing guatemala's rapidly growing Population, and lowering the use of natural resources. One in three (33%) of indigenous women has no access to health and family planning services. 80% of guatemala's indigenous Population lives in povertyin part due to this unmet need. Population Connection's support helps wings bring essential reproductive health care to the community via mobile medical units, stationary clinics, satellite teams, and by partnering with local hospitals. The organization offers access to the full range of temporary and permanent contraception, as well as general reproductive health services, including cervical cancer prevention services and treatment for commonly occurring sexually transmitted infections (stis). As the pandemic has become less of an immediate threat, and health care is easier to provide in guatemala, wings has gradually increased its level of health care in the community. It has nearly returned to its pre-2020 numbers. Some accomplishments include: three-quarters of the way through 2023, wings reached 66% of their annual projection for tubal ligations, 75% of the projection for vasectomies, and 70% of the annual projection for long-acting reversible contraception (iuds and implants). The organization launched services in jutiapa department in september, and had much more initial demand than anticipated. (a guatemalan department is similar to a state in the us, with jutiapa bordering el salvador and the pacific ocean) wings plans to replicate services in the departments of el progreso and jalapa, bringing their coverage region to a total of 19 areas across guatemala. Wings has two community advisory boards (cab), one based in the central region ad one in alta verapaz. The cabs continued to meet throughout 2023, serving as an avenue to ensuring the meaningful inclusion of community voices in the organization's decision-making processes. The cabs provide insight into community needs and perceptions of wings' services, assist wings in troubleshooting difficulties their programs may be facing, shape the vision for future programming, and help evaluate current activities.