EMSP capacity-building seminar: Fundraising and patient advocacy

EMSP organised a capacity-building seminar for six national MS societies in Central and Eastern Europe. The event took place on 17 November in Bucharest, Romania.

Patient representatives from the Czech Republic, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia were in attendance. A guest speaker from the UK MS Society also joined.

The seminar focused on the most effective fundraising and advocacy tools in relation to the needs of the MS organisations.

Fundraising: donors, diversity and digital tools

Professional fundraising trainer Peter Gustafik emphasised on the following points:

• Diversifying funding
• The AICDA strategy: Attention, Interest, Conviction, Desire, Action
• Donor relationship
• Digital tools

Patient advocacy: UK examples

The seminar agenda also included a presentation by Georgina Carr, External Relations Manager with the UK MS Society. She outlined two successful patient advocacy stories:

• Treat Me Right, a campaign fighting for every person with MS to have access to the right treatment at the right time;
• MS: Enough, an initiative trying to shape the UK welfare system so as not to represent an extra burden to people with MS.