Date: December 4th 2009

Dear friends and colleagues �

I just want to say, here at the beginning of this letter, that this is a bit of an unusual holiday/fundraising letter� It�s an honest reflection on some of the things I�ve been wrestling with, and I want to thank you at the outset for being willing to consider these thoughts with me. I�d be very interested in your thoughts, too � whether or not the Aftermath Project is on your list of causes to support this year�

So, here goes:

It�s just been Thanksgiving here in the United States, and I have indeed been counting many blessings � including the wonderful momentum of the Aftermath Project and the conversation that continues to build.

But this being the end of the year, I�ve also been counting the money that�s in our bank account. And I�m going to have to confess that I was momentarily seized by a teeny bit of fundraising envy. I�m in awe of my colleagues in journalism and humanitarian efforts who�ve been able to raise substantial amounts of cash for some very worthy projects over the past year.

And in addition to being a little envious, I was stumped. How were these other organizations doing it? Raising tens of thousands of dollars? A lot of hard work and some seriously good causes, that�s for sure.

But why, I had to ask myself, is it such a struggle to raise even $10,000 to support the work of the Aftermath Project? We�ve got amazing donor support from Open Society Institute and the Compton Foundation who make our yearly grants possible. And we have a few loyal donors who contribute each year. I�m more appreciative than I can say for this generosity. Still�we�re not bringing in the money we need to build and grow.

I think I found an answer that may provide part of the explanation. And it�s this: I can�t promise that your $20 donation to the Aftermath Project is going to buy 10 mosquito nets that will keep 10 children safe from malaria. Or that your $300 will pay for a child�s school fees for a year. Or that your $500 will help drill a well.

In other words, I can�t say that your donation to the Aftermath Project is going to directly affect specific change in the world. But that�s because the Aftermath Project is addressing something else, something that can�t be pinned down to numbers of mosquito nets, or statistics about education: the Aftermath Project is trying to change the way we think about war.

I believe this is work that matters � that we must, of course, address the immediate human conditions that demand our care, but that we also must focus on the bigger picture, on the very culture of thought that leads us to the disasters that we spend so much time and money trying to fix. If we don�t change the way we think about war, we�ll be writing checks to support worthy humanitarian causes for the rest of our lives. And so will our children. And our children�s children.

Here�s how George Slade put it in a recent review on photoeye.com of our current book, �War is Only Half the Story, Vol Two:�

�This project, and the work it supports, deserves on-going recognition and kudos; our world is constantly in a post-war state, and everyone suffers. Photographers can help; if nothing else, as clarion reminders that war and its effects are a self-inflicted part of human life on Earth. We will be free of the need for The Aftermath Project only when war itself vanishes from memory, when all generations have lived without its pernicious, pervasive impact and these volumes offer the only records.�

Our goal, of changing the way we think about war, is a long-term one. But every year � through the work of our grant winners and finalists, our publication, our educational outreach � we make some progress.

The work takes time and money. This is my passion, so I�ve been more than willing to donate the time over these past several years to run the Aftermath Project (though my goal is to have a part-time paid director who can handle the many hours of organizing, outreach and planning that are the foundation of making the rest of the work happen).

The money part is something that I need help with. If you can help, please do. As I�ve said, I can�t tell you that your donation is going to feed the hungry. But I can give you an idea of how it will help:

�       $300 pays the cost of postage to send a free copy of �War is Only Half the Story,� to every US senator.
�       $1,000 pays the fee to a bookkeeper who compiles all the tax information required of non-profits by the IRS each year.
�       $15 an hour pays for help to organize each year�s grant applications � a process that takes 40 to 60 hours of time. 
�       $900 pays for help to compile each year�s mailing of 400 pro bono copies of �War is Only Half the Story� to journalism programs, peacebuilding programs, museum curators, legislators and others � a process that takes about 2 weeks.
�       $20,000 covers the annual cost of printing 1,500 copies of �War is Only Half the Story.�
�       $59 a month covers the cost of storage space for the books.
�       $50,000 would provide the salary to hire a paid part-time director.
�       $25,000 would cover the cost of a pilot project now beig planned with one of the nation�s leading curriculum developers, which would bring the Aftermath Project and aftermath issues to schools around the country.

Don�t be scared by the big numbers � though if you�ve got the money, please feel free to step up for the big-ticket items like our book, curriculum development, or a part-time director�s salary. That would be a wonderful holiday gift!

If you don�t have that kind of money, please remember that small donations still make a BIG difference. They�re critical to our survival. If everyone on this list gave $25, our modest 2010 operating budget would be fully funded. And if you don�t feel you can contribute right now, that�s okay, too. Remember us for the future!

So� thank you, very much, for reading this, and for considering making a donation to the Aftermath Project this year. Donations are fully tax deductible. Checks can be sent to:

The Aftermath Project
4900 Glenalbyn Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90065

Or you can make a donation via Paypal, on our website, www.theaftermathproject.org

Also, another great way to support the Aftermath Project is to buy our book, which is available online at our website -- $20 plus shipping and handling gets you a beautiful book and supports the organization at the same time.

With warm best wishes for a new year that brings each of you unexpected good.

Kind regards,

Sara Terry
Founder/Director

PS If you want to read George Slade�s full review of �War is Only Half the Story, Vol Two,� you can find it here:

http://photoeye.com/magazine/reviews/2009/11_24_War_Is_Only_Half_the_Story.cfm