Health Care for all Washington had big hopes this year for the annual GiveBIG campaign. Created around Giving Tuesday, GiveBIG has become an important part of the sustainability of Washington’s nonprofit community. This year more than $19 million was collected through this giving platform. We are happy for all the fine organizations and causes, but we are especially thrilled that HCFA-WA “played above our weight” in relation to the 1,637 organizations participating.

We have two arms: HCFA-WA is a 501c4 advocacy organization that engages in lobbying, and our 501c3 nonprofit affiliate, the HCFA Education Fund, provides credible research and education that enables our advocacy success. Both were involved in GiveBIG. And the results? Well, they were MASSIVE. 

On every metric, GiveBIG was a tremendously successful campaign for us. 25% of our donors were first timers, bringing new people into our critically important mission at an essential time. We had a 360% increase in the number of donors from 2019. And in the most important show of our success, we raised 1,110% more funds than last year.

We know that frequent appeals for funding can be tedious. But not only did each email bring in thousands of dollars, but perhaps more importantly, we were able to talk about the urgency of what we do, why our work is so essential, and provide evidence of our successes.

When the GiveBIG campaign began, deaths from COVID-19 in the United States equaled that of Americans killed combat during the 21 years-long Vietnam War. 15 days later, the COVID-19 death toll equals deaths from both the American Revolution and the Vietnam War. Sadly, there will be more than 100,000 dead from COVID-19 in the United States within days.

More than thirty million people are unemployed, and 60% lost health coverage at the worst possible time. ​ Even with health insurance, high deductibles, and copays, plus job loss, impact Americans. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2019 found that 66.5% of bankruptcies in the US were due to medical issues. That was before COVID-19.

The US has but 4% of the global population, but 29% of all COVID-19 deaths. Aside from the horribly bungled federal response, this crisis has demonstrated that a health care system based upon having the right job is the wrong health care system. Health Care for All Washington (HCFA-WA) works to change our health care system. And if we have learned one thing this year, it is just how badly we need to change our health care system.

We have passed eight bills in just the past two years, and most importantly, put us on the pathway to universal health care. HCFA-WA is fighting hard to protect what we won and charge ahead to ensure that people will have health coverage.

This is the greatest opportunity in a generation to create a new paradigm in health care. If you want to change our healthcare system, we ask that you join in our efforts, in our research, our education, our outreach, our advocacy, and our lobbying by investing in Health Care for All Washington.

If you missed out on donating through GiveBIG, it is never too late.

Donate to our 501c3 HCFA Education Fund here, and our 501c4 advocacy and lobbying here.