December 2010

Poverty Amidst Plenty

On Thanksgiving, I thought of how much I have to be grateful for. But I also thought of others, and how in our wealthy nation the poorest of the poor are women like Marge R. who can't even afford to heat her tiny apartment in this cold weather. She has no pension or other retirement income, just her small widow's social security check. Marge devoted most of her life to caring for others: her husband, her daughter, an ill neighbor. But instead of being rewarded for this care work, poverty is her reality. 

Our rich nation has the highest poverty, infant mortality, maternal mortality, and incarceration rates of all industrialized nations. A major reason is that our policies have not supported caring and caregiving. This failure is also why we've been falling behind in human capacity development - the most critical factor for economic success in the knowledge/service postindustrial era.

Double Your Giving - Match Challenge

To support our work to fundamentally change economic thinking and policy, CPS has received a generous matching grant from the NoVo Foundation. I'm writing so we can take advantage of this generous grant that doubles every donation. Please become a partner with me in our groundbreaking initiatives to fundamentally change economics and politics and donate now.

State of the USA

In an unprecedented breakthrough, CPS is working with the State of the USA (SUSA) and the National Academy of Sciences on a new set of indicators for the Congressionally-approved new Key National Indicator System. Our proposed Social Wealth indicators will fill a major gap in how economic success and human well-being are measured by focusing on women, children, and human capacity development. 

30 Million Strong 

CPS has to date enlisted organizations representing more than 30 million women, children, caregivers, teachers, socially responsible businesses, environmental and progressive faith-based activists, and others to support these changes in measurements, which are critical for changing thinking and policies.

Caring Economics Leadership Training

CPS is also mobilizing a movement to change economic thinking and policies on the grassroots level through our online leadership training programs.  

Invest in a Future of Caring

Please help me bring these initiatives to fruition and invest in them now - when donations will be doubled by the challenge grant from the NoVo Foundation. This is an investment that will yield enormous returns for us all.

As documented in The State of Society: Measuring Economic Success and Human Well-Being, the 2010 report of the Urban Institute commissioned by CPS, even new indicators proposed as GDP alternatives to guide policy still marginalize women, children, and the enormous value of the work of caring for nature and people. The policy train is again about to leave the station without giving value to care work or representing the majority: women and children. We can't let this happen!

We have a short window of opportunity: the old economic approaches are not working, and people are hungry for solutions. CPS's unique initiatives are vital for women and families - and foundational to building an economic system that gives visibility and value to the work of caring for nature and for people, starting in childhood. 

Each person CPS trains - including the people your donation supports - will train dozens of others to change thinking and policies. Your donation will help ensure that Social Wealth indicators are fully developed demonstrating the urgent need for investing in women, children, and our future.  Your investment will help women like Marge, who have given so much to our society and our economy.

Help prioritize what really matters. Please donate now and your donation will be doubled! I need your financial support. Make your donation a holiday gift to honor someone you care about, or someone who has cared for you. 

Thank you!

I thank you for your investment in our future, and wish you the very best for the holidays!

Riane Eisler
President, Center for Partnership Studies