I want you to know that we’re all thinking of you and your loved ones during these uncertain times and hope that you are well. At MSF-USA here in New York City, we are all adjusting to working from home–many of us also juggling unexpected second jobs as school teachers. Even as we are encouraged to socially distance ourselves, we all need to reach out and take care of one another now more than ever.

That is why, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Doctors Without Borders is supporting efforts and preparing for potential COVID-19 cases throughout our projects in areas as diverse as Italy and Iraq, Spain and Syria, Greece and Gaza, Brazil and Bangladesh, Côte d'Ivoire and Cambodia—and the list grows on a nearly daily basis.

As that list of regions where our support and operations are expanding continues to grow, so does the need to fund these lifesaving efforts. And yet, as we work to respond to these urgent medical humanitarian needs, we’re also following public health recommendations. That’s why we made the difficult decision two weeks ago to suspend all of our face-to-face fundraising here in the United States, the young and enthusiastic teams that hit the streets every day to recruit new supporters of our mission.

We know this was the right choice—for the safety of our own teams and for the general public—but it comes with financial consequences: We rely on contributions from individual supporters—not governments or corporations—to do our work. Suspending face-to-face fundraising eliminates a significant source of revenue at a moment of tremendous need and puts us at serious risk of missing our goal this month of recruiting 4,700 new monthly donors, whose support allows us to respond to emergencies like COVID-19 at a moment’s notice. With our end-of-quarter fundraising deadline tomorrow, we’re still trying our hardest to meet that goal.

That’s why we’re asking for your help. If you are currently able, please make your first monthly gift to Doctors Without Borders today and make sure our teams are prepared to respond to emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic.

Our monthly donors ensure that our teams on the ground can react quickly and deliver medical care wherever it is needed most. We are already treating some of the world’s most vulnerable people, and we are preparing for when the pandemic reaches the communities where Doctors Without Borders is already working, such as crowded refugee camps and countries without strong public health systems. 

Now that we have had to roll back our face-to-face fundraising, we urgently need those who are able to step up in order for this vital work to press forward. Help us respond to emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic: Make your first monthly gift—before the end-of-quarter deadline on March 31—to allow Doctors Without Borders to continue saving lives around the world.

We hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. If you’re able, please help us keep other families safe and healthy as well during these difficult times. 

Sincerely, 
Thomas Kurmann
Director of Development
Doctors Without Borders USA