Thank you for supporting the work of Proof Alliance.
When you give to Proof, you help create powerful change in people’s lives. Together, we are creating greater public awareness of the harms of prenatal alcohol exposure and improving outcomes for those impacted by an FASD.
A Message from Board President, Adrienne Oesterle
“During a challenging year, your support motivated our staff, board members, partners, advocates and families to keep going, keep persevering, and keep making an impact as we work to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and support all impacted in Minnesota and beyond.”
We are Proof Alliance.
Since 1998, we’ve been delivering awareness and education to pregnant individuals, and hands-on hope to those living with an FASD.
The proof is unchallenged; prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to lifelong physical and mental disabilities. We at Proof Alliance are undaunted in our mission to help these individuals and their families thrive. We partner, collaborate and advocate for greater funding of services, further development of awareness, and an FASD-free future. We are proof that better is possible.
Mission
To eliminate disability caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy and to improve the quality of life for those living with FASD throughout Minnesota
Vision
A world in which individuals do not drink alcohol during pregnancy and people living with FASD are identified, supported and valued
In 2021, we prioritized our community's needs.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, the year 2021 brought many hurdles, hoops and hard- stops. Through it all, Proof Alliance remained committed to meeting the needs of our community.
In 2021, we:
- Reached 28,141 people with life-changing prevention information about the importance of alcohol-free pregnancies, nearly 6 times as many people as we did in 2020
- Trained over 3,000 professionals in Minnesota to become FASD-informed
- Provided support, outreach and sometimes just a listening ear to over 600 caregivers of children with an FASD who faced more challenges than ever before
Program Highlight: Families Healing Together
This program offers a variety of supports for people in recovery that are pregnant or may have a child with an FASD, featuring our most effective programs that have been piloted over the last decade.
Progress in 2021:
- Attendance at Fresh Start Forum, a support group for people who used alcohol during pregnancy, increased by 72% in 2021
- Our private Facebook group for Minnesota birth mothers saw an 18% increase in members in 2021
- In 2021, we worked with community partners like Division of Indian Work, Family Services Rochester and Wayside Recovery Center. Thanks to funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), we provided grants to these agencies that work to support pregnant people and people in recovery
Program Highlight: Prevention
At Proof Alliance, we’re committed to preventing FASD across Minnesota and beyond. In 2021, we maximized our outreach efforts using variety of methods to share prevention education.
Progress in 2021:
- In 2021, our website expanded its reach by 26%
- Using short-form video content on social media allowed us to reach nearly 6 times as many people as we did in 2020
- During this reporting period, 53,329 materials were sent to organizations serving 54% of all counties in Minnesota – more than twice the number of counties we reached in 2020
- We created an FASD prevention toolkit that other organizations can use to share prevention messaging
- Guided by a co-creation team consisting of 11 Indigenous leaders, our work to prevent FASD in Indian Country and support those impacted was branded Our Children Are Sacred
Program Highlight: Proof Policy
Change can happen when we all work together! We need you and your voice to advocate for FASD services and supports
Progress in 2021:
- We worked closely with partner organizations to advocate for students with an FASD and other disabilities who were severely impacted by the pandemic to ensure the availability of long-term support resources
- We advocated to maintain our current funding from MDH and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)
- Our team educated hundreds of legislators and advocates about issues that impact both our prevention work and people living with an FASD
- During the legislative session, we protected funding for FASD resources and effectively educated hundreds of advocates across the state at our virtual “Log In Speak Out” event
Putting a bold strategic plan into action.
In 2021, we took our most road-tested, successful programs and began sharing them beyond the borders of Minnesota.
These programs include:
- Our Children are Sacred (OCAS): An initiative to bring culturally informed information and programs to Indian Country. Guided by Elders and the Co-Creation Team, this initiative is reaching Native American communities throughout the country with innovative technology and education strategies. In 2021, we worked with KAT Marketing to develop a mobile app for Native American caregivers and played the OCAS public services announcements in tribal health centers. Learn more about the Our Children are Sacred program at Proof Alliance. The free Our Children Are Sacred mobile app is available on iPhone and Android.
- FASD Train the Trainer Certification Program: We are providing research-based information on FASD prevention and intervention along with strategies, materials and skills to educate a wide array of audiences in a variety of settings. Our first site for this program is with partner Proof Alliance North Carolina and their first Train the Trainer session will be held in Spring 2022
- Diagnosis and screening for FASD: By working with partners throughout the country Proof Alliance began expanding opportunities for screening for both prenatal alcohol exposure and FASD in pediatric settings. In 2021, we launched Safest Choice, a project funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration in partnership with our partner Boston Medical Center
- Prevention Partnerships: Several partnerships have been launched outside of Minnesota, including the Proof Alliance North Carolina partnership which incorporates ongoing virtual in-services for the trainers and an in-person meeting scheduled for May 2022
Board of Directors
Adrienne Oesterle
President ,
Retired Cardiovascular Clinical Nurse Specialist
Julie Rossman
Secretary ,
Parent to Individual with an FASD
Ted Chien
Treasurer ,
President and CEO, SullivanCotter, Inc.
Lynne Redleaf
President, Lynne & Andrew Redleaf Foundation
Ashley Booker
VP of Community Education & Engagement, Planned Parenthood North Central States
Mary Gilbert Lawrence, M.D.
Director, Lawrence Family Foundation
Sara Crotteau
Child Protection Social Worker in the Indian Child Welfare Act Unit Hennepin County
Senka Hadzic, MPH
Program Manager, Stratis Health
Eric Gonzaga
Partner, Compensation & Benefits Counseling, Grant Thornton
Bill Ludwig
Parent to Individual with an FASD Liquor Store Manager, Paynesville Municipal Liquor Store Representative, MMBA
Anne McKeig
Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court
Jessica Larscheid
Director of HealthPartners OB/GYN, Urology, Urogynecology and Sexual Medicine
Jordan Narvey
Digital Project Manager, Fjorge Digital
Hutton Phillips
Chicago Public School Foundation; Co-Chair, We Day Minnesota; Philanthropist
Mark Wentworth
VP of Quality & Performance Improvement, United Healthcare Government
Sari Witzke, M.D.
Physician, OB-GYN, Park Nicollet
Thank you to all 2021 donors!
You make it possible!
Anonymous
Greg Page and Kathleen Blatz
Ted Chien and Courtney Dutton
Jim and Mary Lawrence
Stephen and Adrienne Oesterle
Peter and Susan DeMaris
Ilo and Peggy Leppik
Rich and Sue O’Reskie
Randolph Peterson and Jennifer Bloom
Tom and Mary Racciatti
Mark Wentworth
| Evelyn Ahlberg |
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| Erin Zolotukhin-Ridgway |
More info:
Ways to Give
Proof Alliance has several ways you can make a contribution. Find our all of our ways to give below.
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The Proof Alliance Mission
To prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and to support all impacted throughout Minnesota and beyond
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Board of Directors
The Proof Alliance Board is comprised of 20 members from diverse backgrounds in Minnesota and across the nation.
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