Track Record
To ensure orphans and vulnerable children would always have a voice and dedicated advocates, these organizations created Global Action for Children as a coalition of faith-based, nongovernmental, and student groups. GAC has made significant progress since its inception:
- In 2003, GAC partners and others recognized the dire need for increased funding for orphansand vulnerable children and convinced key policymakers to propose an earmark in The United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-25). The earmark dedicates 10 percent of total U.S. global AIDS spending for the care and support of orphans and vulnerable children. The UK and Ireland followed the U.S. lead by committing 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively, of their AIDS funding for OVC.
- In 2004 and 2005, GAC worked with Congressional allies to pass into law the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act, P.L. 109-95, the first-ever comprehensive legislative response to the global OVC crisis.
- From 2005 to 2007, Congress appropriated $15 million annually to help poor countries eliminate school fees.This was largely due to advocacy by GAC and its partners.
- In 2006, to ensure a comprehensive approach to implementing the aforementioned OVC legislation, GAC convened more than 30 key OVC stakeholders to develop a series of joint recommendations for ensuring the Administration develops a strategic plan for coordinating, implementing, and monitoring OVC programs.
- In late 2006, GAC’s work on behalf of OVC was recognized by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. A grant of $1 million from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation enabled GAC to establish independent, non-profit status, set up an office, and hire a full-time staff to carry out a children’s advocacy agenda.
- In early 2007, as in other years, GAC galvanized 30 child-focused NGOs behind watchdog efforts, including meetings on Capitol Hill and a sign-on letter, calling on Congress to provide the full 10 percent of overall HIV/AIDS funding for orphans and vulnerable children in 2008, which is estimated to be $415M. This would be an increase from $213M spent in FY06 and $288.9M spent in FY07.
- In March and April, 2007, GAC had several meetings with the White House and State Department, urging increased funding for orphans and vulnerable children and U.S. support of international basic education through the World Bank’s Fast Track Initiative. President Bush subsequently pledged funding to cover an additional 5 million children, and pledged an additional $5.25 million for international basic education over five years.
- To officially launch Global Action for Children, a press conference was held April 26, 2007 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Executive Director Jennifer Delaney was joined by Angelina Jolie, GAC Honorary Board Chair, Kay Warren of Saddleback Church, Gene Sperling of the Center on Universal Education at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Rev. Mpho Tutu, Chairperson of the Global AIDS Alliance Board.
- Later that spring, GAC and partners convened an OVC guidance meeting, providing implementers in Africa the opportunity to tell the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator what their critical issues were. This led to changes in U.S. policy and improvements for children on the ground.
- In August, 2007 GAC and partners in the AIDS Free Generation Coalition led a multifaceted advocacy effort, ultimately increasing the UNAIDS resource needs assessment from $1.2 to $4.5 billion to cover 19 million orphans from 2008-2015.
- Throughout the fall of 2007, GAC, the International Center for Research on Women, and U.S. Fund for UNICEF met with dozens of key members of the House of Representatives to bring attention to the negative health and human rights implications of child marriage. GAC has assisted in securing a total of 35 cosponsors for The International Protecting Girls by Preventing Marriage Act (H.R. 3175).
- GAC appeared in more than 50 news stories in 2007 in outlets such as The Boston Globe, Washington Post, People, Parade, MSNBC.com, Access Hollywood Georgetown University Public Policy Institute’s Policy Perspectives magazine. Letters to the Editor by Executive Director Jennifer Delaney were published in The Washington Post and The Christian Science Monitor. Delaney was an invited speaker at the Global Health Council Conference, Georgetown University, Saddleback Church’s AIDS Conference, and the United Methodist Church AIDS Conference.
- By the end of the 2007, GAC achieved official 501 (c) (3) status, established a Board of Directors and Advisory Board, set up offices, hired a full time staff of four (and several high quality interns and volunteers), and completed strategic planning for 2008-2010.
- In the spring of 2008, GAC cosponsored Northern Uganda Lobby Day, the Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse Race, and World AIDS Orphan Day in May. These efforts - aimed at educating policymakers on issues affecting orphans and vulnerable children - included media outreach, grass tops and grassroots efforts, briefings and hearings on Capitol Hill, press conferences, lobby visits, and public policy.
- In May 2008, the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington named Global Action for Children (GAC) as one of the best charities in the greater Washington region.
