Please read: Our next big challenge - and OPPORTUNITY - 7/27/06

Fri Jul 28 12:43:24 EDT 2006

Here is an important message from Chris Gersten. I hope you'll read it, go
to www.famli.us and sign up (they've made it so easy), and start organizing
your state.  I know we're worn out from the big TANF grant application push,
but this is the obvious next step. We need to suck it up and get back in the
saddle. It's also exciting to have a new target.  I think we're at a tipping
point - not only communities, the feds, corporations - but state officials
are now ready to do something preventive about marriage.  And, we're lucky
to have Chris Gersten so engaged and so determined to make this work.  He
was closely involved in leading the search for ACF money for marriage and in
implementing passage of the TANF marriage money, and he'll apply what he's
learned to this next effort. I STRONGLY encourage you to order the recording
of his Smart Marriages "1% Solution" workshop. It clearly spells out what we
need to do. It's also inspirational!  Share it in your team and you'll get
everyone fired up. 
- diane 

> #756-516 - order at 800-241-7785 or at http://www.iplaybacksmartmarriages.com
> Getting State Money: The 1% Solution
> Chris Gersten, Krista Sisterhen, Mary Myrick
> Learn how to access state marriage money - how to open doors and build
> relationships with state and federal elected and appointed officials.

You can order this on a CD for $15 or you can download it for $9.95 -
immediate gratification. Order at 800-241-7785 or at
http://www.iplaybacksmartmarriages.com
Or go directly to session #756-516 at:
http://www.iplaybacksmartmarriages.com/product/277/3

--------------------------

The One Percent Solution--Chris Gersten

Now that the Federal marriage grant applications are in and we are eagerly
waiting to see who wins, we have another exciting challenge before us.  It
is crucial that we seize the moment and redirect our efforts at a new
target: state TANF* money.  Since the passage of the 1996 Welfare Reform
Act,
state governments have had the authority to use a portion of their TANF
money to 1) strengthen marriages and 2) reduce out-of-wedlock births.

Yet, almost no states are applying this money to marriage strengthening.
This is primarily our fault, not the states'. We have not informed state
officials
about the exciting, research-based marriage education programs that can make
a dramatic difference in reducing welfare costs in their states.

Oklahoma was the first state to tap this funding stream in 2001 and is now
spending 3% of its TANF funds on marriage strengthening programs.  Ohio
launched a campaign this year, allocating 1% ($22 million for two years)
to strengthening marriage. Texas, Florida, Colorado, North Carolina, West
Virginia and a few others have allocated very modest funds for marriage
programs.

We can, and must, do better. If our state officials don't know the potential
of marriage education, it's our fault, not theirs.

The federal and state governments COMBINED spend over $38 BILLION dollars a
year on TANF.  One percent of $38 Billion is $380 million dollars a year.
This is an obvious next step, next target.  We will see significant
increases in state TANF marriage education funding IF WE ORGANIZE

BUT only if we organize.

The 1% SOLUTION campaign is designed to build coalitions and teach state and
local marriage activists how to get state leaders to allocate allowable,
EXISTING resources for marriage skills-building programs.

This campaign will be launched with a series of biweekly conference calls
which I will host.

The campaign will target ten states the first three months; then add ten
more states, and so on, until all states are engaged.

These conference calls will help you:

- Connect to other marriage activists in your state
- Build important ties with necessary non-marriage movement allies
- Provide step-by-step directions for building political clout and access
- Raise money needed to contribute to state elected officials
- Provide ready made materials to distribute to elected officials.

Sign up today at the FAMLI site
http://www.famli.us/signup.php

to 1) create critical mass for your state
and 2) to receive notice of when your state will be included in conference
calls. Ten states will be selected in the next few weeks depending on the
number of people in each state who sign up.

It took four years of very hard work to win $100,000,000 in Federal money
through Congress.
Now we need to focus on strengthening and growing the marriage movement by
engaging state officials and getting them to commit to allocate the already
approved state funding for marriage.

Chris Gersten

PS:  If you do not sign up, we will not be able to invite you to join the
conference calls.

* TANF - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

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11th Annual Smart Marriages Conference, Denver Adam's Mark Hotel,
June 28-July 1, 2007
Pre-Conference Training Institutes June 26-28
Post-Conference Training Institutes July 2-3
Details: http://www.smartmarriages.com/conferencedetails.html

List your program in the Directory of Classes at
http://www.smartmarriages.com

Order conference audio & videos/CD/DVD/MP3s: 800-241-7785 or at
http://www.iPlaybackSmartMarriages.com

Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE)
Diane Sollee, Director
5310 Belt Rd NW
Washington, DC 20015-1961
http://www.smartmarriages.com
202-362-3332 
diane at smartmarriages.com