Subject: Monthly Board Update
From: "Rick Leach" <[email-masked]>
To: "Allison Sapp " <[email-masked]>,Allyson Alvaré <[email-masked]>, "Bonnie Raquet" <[email-masked]>, "Carl W. Stern" <[email-masked]>, "Carrie P. Morgan" <[email-masked]>, "Dan Glickman" <[email-masked]>, "Danley Laurenceau" <[email-masked]>, "Gina Gallardo" <[email-masked]>, "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Joan Mayer" <[email-masked]>, "Joe Stone" <[email-masked]>, "Larry Darrow" <[email-masked]>, "Lauren Smith" <[email-masked]>, "Marshall Matz" <[email-masked]>, "Matthew J. Harrington" <matth
Cc: "Shannon Hiskey" <[email-masked]>, "Marianne Berner" <[email-masked]>, "Debbie Saidy" <[email-masked]>, "Richard Ades" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2017 19:38:07 +0000

Dear Members of the Board,
Following is an update on some key activities at WFP USA.  Please contact me if you have any questions or want additional information.  Thank you.

Finances
Revenue

·         We generated almost $12 million in revenue through August, slightly above total projections through the end of the 3rd quarter (January- September).  We expect to secure over $1 million in September, ending the 3rd quarter approximately $1.1 million above projections.

YTD Actuals (Jan –Aug)

Q1 to Q3 Projected (Jan-Sep)

Corporate

$4,723,484

$5,492,875

Digital

$4,503,174

$3,981,992

Individual

$2,288,361

$2,291,752

In-Kind

$282,961

$0

Investment Income

$195,199

$112,500

Total

$11,933,179

$11,879,119

Expenses

·         Expenses through August are under budget ($4,366,081 actual vs. $4,704,735 projected).

·         We generated sufficient unrestricted funds to cover our monthly operating costs.
Reserve

·         The reserve increased from $7.4 million in January to $7.6 million at the end of August, sufficient to provide a 12 month reserve and over $1 million in operating capital.

Congressional Appropriations
Annual Appropriations

·         The final appropriations for FY18 will likely include increases or maintain last year’s robust funding levels in the key global food security accounts that support WFP.  The bills were passed by the House and Senate appropriations committees, with the Senate bills providing higher levels in all of the accounts (listed in the attached chart).  All funding levels in these accounts are far in excess of the President’s budget request.  WFP USA continues to advocate for the Senate’s higher funding levels in the final FY18 agreement, and indications are very positive that these efforts will be successful. Continuing increases of this magnitude during times of extraordinary spending constraints reflect the continued deep bipartisan support for US leadership in the fight against global hunger.
Supplemental Funding

·         WFP USA continues to monitor growing global food-related shortfalls in anticipation of opportunities to secure supplemental funding as part of a final appropriations measure this fall.  With continued attention to the four famine-prone areas, ongoing conflict in much of the world, and historic levels of natural disasters, it is appropriate for Congress to provide supplemental funding for food assistance, as they have in recent years.
High Level Briefings

·         In furtherance of WFP USA’s ongoing efforts to build support among Congressional leaders for our policy and appropriations goals, an increased number of senior WFP officials have been available for Hill briefings.  For example, last week, WFP USA facilitated joint meetings with Muhannad Haddi and Valerie Guarnieri (WFP Regional Directors for the Mideast and East/Central Africa, respectively) with senior staff of the House and Senate Agriculture and State/Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees. Next week, Executive Director David Beasley will meet with leading appropriators including Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Cochran and Ranking Member Leahy, as well as Chairmen Graham and Aderholt of the relevant subcommittees.  This increased involvement of WFP officials significantly enhances our advocacy efforts.

WFP USA Biweekly Hill Bulletin

·         As part of our efforts to provide regular information to established contacts and other staffers on the Hill concerning WFP developments and relevant reports/information related to global hunger, we have begun distribution of a biweekly update to the Hill.  As part of an expanded congressional outreach effort, the bulletin will help further raise our profile as a go-to source of information on hunger challenges and responses.

National Security Initiative

·         We participated in a high-level conference, Food and Security: Pathways to Stability, that was convened jointly by WFP and Oxford University on September 8th at Oxford.  WFP USA was engaged in the preparatory consultations and invited to share a summary of our report, Winning the Peace: Hunger and Instability with participants as part of the background materials. Approximately 50 senior-level academics and practitioners came together to discuss the links between food and instability, using Syria as a case study. Among the topics addressed during the meeting were: the individual motivations for engaging in food-related violence; the role of safety nets in conflict prevention; and principles for rebuilding Syria’s food system. Our full report will be rolled out in DC in November.  The participant list and Report Summary are attached (our specific US policy recommendations were not included in the Summary).

Meeting of WFP and WFP USA Private Sector Fundraising Teams

·         The leadership of WFP’s Private Sector teams from Rome and New York will be at WFP USA on September 25 and 26 to meet with WFP USA’s leadership and fundraising teams to discuss fully integrating fundraising efforts in the U.S. and to outline a joint growth plan.  This meeting is an important step in our collective effort to significantly expand private sector funding from the U.S. market and follows up on our discussions at WFP HQ during the last WFP Executive Board meeting in November.

Upcoming Meetings in Atlanta via UPS

·         Thanks to our friends at UPS, a CEO Roundtable Breakfast with me/Rick will be held on the morning of October 12th.  The breakfast is co-hosted by David Abney, CEO of UPS, and the Mayor of Atlanta for a conversation about WFP’s work, the four famines and UPS’s comprehensive partnership with WFP.  Guests will include business executives such as CEOs from Home Depot, Cox and Coca-Cola.

·         During the evening of October 12, I/Rick will participate in a panel discussion with UPS Foundation President Ed Martinez at the Atlanta World Affairs Council (WAC). The audience of approximately 120 members of the WAC will hear from Rick, Ed, and Kyle Waide, CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, about how we can achieve zero hunger both in the US and abroad. The panel will be moderated by Ambassador Charles Shapiro, President of the WAC-Atlanta.

·         Thank you Larry and the UPS Team!

SOFI Report

·         The number of people hungry around the world has increased for the first time in more than a decade, according to a new United Nations report issued last Friday, pointing to violent conflicts and climate change as the major drivers. The report is the first UN global assessment on food security and nutrition to be released following adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which aims to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

·         Approximately 815 million people were hungry last year – an increase of 38 million from the previous year – affecting approximately 11% of the world’s population, according to UN figures. Some of the highest proportions of food-insecure and malnourished children in the world are now concentrated in conflict zones.

·         Following is the link to the Report:  The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World<https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000022419/download/?_ga=2.66376046.1370852863.1505482365-1879253830.1499355505>.

Thanks again for your support and commitment to alleviating global hunger.
All the Best,
Rick

Richard Leach
President & CEO

World Food Program USA
1725 Eye Street NW, Suite 510
Washington, DC 20006
T 202.627.3737
F 202.530.1698
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>