75 examples of associations advancing America.

A salute to voluntary initiatives that make society better.

The anniversary celebration would not be complete without a glimpse of the many actions associations take to make America better. So, in celebration of ASAE's 75th anniversary, we salute and showcase 75 great programs that demonstrate how associations advance America. The initiatives highlighted here are only a few examples of the many society-enriching activities in which associations engage. Each of these initiatives is an award winner in the Associations Advance America Awards program started in 1991. They are in no particular order.

1. Chemical Manufacturers Association, Washington, D.C. CMA initiated Responsible Care, a voluntary initiative by member companies to improve performance in health, safety, and environmental quality. Participation in Responsible Care is an obligation of membership. A public advisory panel, which includes representation by groups like the Sierra Club, monitors progress.

2. Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Washington, D.C. CASE developed a pilot program to encourage college and university alumnae clubs to adopt inner-city schools and thereby provide personal support from college-educated adults to help disadvantaged youth to pursue education.

3. Alabama Propane Gas Association, Montgomery, Alabama. APGA created a specially equipped disaster assistance unit - a 45-foot trailer completely outfitted as a mobile kitchen capable of cooking hundreds of meals while on location at natural disaster sites. The van is staffed by association volunteers.

4. American Apparel Manufacturers Association, Arlington, Virginia. AAMA created the Apparel Foundation in 1988 to facilitate and increase the donation of surplus apparel to the needy and homeless in this country and to disaster victims around the world. To date, the foundation has donated more than $54 million worth of surplus apparel to more than 250 charitable organizations in the United States and 15 other countries.

5. Massachusetts Software Council, Inc., Boston. MSC started a fellowship program to help experienced professionals laid off from the hardware, defense, and electronics industries obtain jobs in the software industry. Three public agencies cooperated in this program, which includes a three-week orientation to the industry and a five-month assignment at a local company. Twenty out of 36 fellows now have jobs in the industry.

6. American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C. APHA collaborated with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, to develop the first-ever standards for out-of-home child care facilities. After their five-year development, the standards were reviewed by care givers, legislators, and educators in five states and two cities. The standards manual, entitled Caring for Our Children, was distributed to the child care director in each state and to child care advocates and public officials.

7. American Society of Civil Engineers, Washington, D.C. The society designed the "ASCE Standard for Buildings and Other Structures." Post-storm investigations in Florida proved time and time again that structures adhering to ASCE guidelines successfully withstood Hurricane Andrew's high winds and gusts.

8. Medical Association of Atlanta. MAA has operated a free homeless health care clinic since 1986. Staffed each year by more than 100 volunteer physicians, the clinic is open three evenings each week and is fully stocked with supplies, drugs and equipment - all contributed by physicians, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.

9. Partnership for A Drug Free America, New York City. The partnership produces and airs pro-bono television, radio and print ads about the dangers of illegal drugs. Partnership for a Drug Free America is a partnership of volunteers from the advertising, public relations, production, research, and media industries began working together. When the partnership's media program began, its anti-drug messages were being placed at the equivalent air time or advertising space of $1 million per day.

10. Imperial Council A.A.O.N.M.S. (The Shrine of North America), Tampa, Florida. The council has operated the Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children for more than 69 years. Although this charity is not part of the overall mission of the Shriners of North America, more than 725,000 volunteers have contributed a great deal of time and money to help provide free medical care and treatment to more than 400,000 children, relieving the American taxpayer of a $1.8 billion burden during those years.

11. Mobile Air Conditioning Society, Alabama. MACS offers a recycling program for refrigerants, eliminating the need to dispose of atmospheric-ozone-depleting chlorofluoro-carbons (CFCs). MACS has been cited by the Environmental Protection Agency for association leadership in CFC recycling.

12. National Society of Professional Engineers, Alexandria, Virginia. NSPE formed a task force to assess how the glass ceiling affects women engineers. NSPE conducted research to determine the perceptions of women engineers and distributed the findings to Congress and the Department of Labor's Glass Ceiling Commission on Women and Minorities.

13. American Marketing Association, Chicago. Through the Czechmate Project, AMA shared the marketing expertise of members with key industry and government leaders in Czechoslovakia and met with the leaders to assess Czechoslovakian training and educational needs. Using donated books, AMA also established the country's first comprehensive marketing and business library/ information center.

14. Arizona Cable Television Association, Phoenix. Through the "Number 1 Without Drugs & Alcohol" awareness program, ACTA communicated an anti-substance-abuse message to junior-high- and high-school-aged children through video public service announcements (PSAs) with correlating posters. Air time, cost of production, posters, mailing, ads, and video PSAs were donated.

15. Associated Builders & Contractors of Metropolitan Washington, Calverton, Maryland. The association organized more than 600 volunteers from 130 member companies to repair and renovate 22 homes lived in by low-income and elderly people and people with disabilities. This effort is part of the annual Christmas in April program.

16. Illinois Corn Growers Association, Bloomington. ICGA built a $4.5 million research project on using the first 95-percent-ethanol-powered engines in city buses. After more than two years of planning, buses hit the streets in August 1992. If successful, the project could put clean-burning ethanol buses in all of the nation's major urban centers.

17. United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association, Alexandria, Virginia. The association created the United Emergency Services Fresh Food Bank to provide and deliver fresh produce. Companies volunteer to provide and/or transport the produce to the disaster site. The food bank was responsible for bringing an estimated 240,000 pounds of produce to areas devastated by Hurricane Andrew.

18. National Association of American Business Clubs, High Point, North Carolina. NAABC designed a vehicle for physically challenged children aged 3-14. The vehicle can be propelled using either arms or legs. It gives the child freedom of movement and builds self-esteem. The Longview Chapter makes them and sells them to the clubs, which in turn give them away to children.

19. South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers' Association and South Carolina Restaurant Association, Columbia. The associations raise funds for children and adults with disabilities. Each year, more than 10,000 law enforcement officers raise funds by selling lapel buttons. Participating restaurants serve free coffee to anyone wearing the button. Since 1958, the program has generated more than $6 million for South Carolina's children and adults with disabilities.

20. Iowa Bankers Association, Des Moines. IBA set up an 800-number hot line for victims of the Great Flood of '93. The hotline functioned as a consumer clearinghouse of Iowa banks' special flood-relief services: low-interest loans, deferred payments, and help with federal disaster-relief applications. Working with a skeleton crew and no running water, association staffers quickly compiled the information into a database. Callers received timely and necessary information.

21. Minnesota Medical Association, Minneapolis. MMA started the Stop the Violence campaign to teach consumers about the unique role physicians can play in patient intervention in domestic-abuse situations. Radio announcements and posters urged abuse victims to talk to their physicians when confronted with domestic violence. In addition, diagnostic guidelines and referral numbers were sent to all state physicians, clinics and hospitals, and judges were trained on what to look for in court.

22. Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association Foundation, Washington, D.C. The foundation conducts the "Look Good . . . Feel Better" program nationally with the American Cancer Society and the National Cosmetology Association to teach female cancer patients, through make-over workshops, techniques to help restore appearance and self-image. The program, which has helped 20,000 women per year since 1989, is administered in hospitals, community clinics, and salons, and has expanded to 45 states and the District of Columbia.

23. American Academy of Family Physicians, Kansas City, Missouri. In 1993, AAFP organized the donation and shipment of 52,000 pounds of medical and pharmaceutical supplies worth $5 million to Russia. Supplies arrived one week after an unsuccessful coup and were safely distributed to dozens of hospitals.

24. American Arbitration Association, New York City. Within a month of Hurricane Andrew, the association worked with Florida officials to devise a forum for homeowners to meet with an insurance adjuster and mediator to settle claims. The turnaround time for claims was three weeks. All claims have been settled.

25. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Cincinnati. For 50 years, ACGIH has recommended scientifically based limits for exposure to airborne chemicals in the workplace. More than 10,000 copies of the guidelines are distributed worldwide annually. The association also provides guidance to industry and government on worker health and safety.

26. National Athletic Trainers Association, Dallas. NATA updated its Code of Ethics, Membership Standards, Eligibility Requirements and Membership Sanctions and Procedures to ensure that high-quality health care is given by members. Certified athletic trainers provide acute, rehabilitative, and preventive health care to physically active people.

27. Florida Association of Home Builders, Tallahassee, and the National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C. The associations formed the Workers' Comp Action Team to enlist members in pushing for substantial reform in Florida. The campaign used a direct mail newsletter, petition package, letters to the editor, fact sheets, and an 800 number. Result: The Florida legislature passed significant reform legislation.

28. American Hotel and Motel Association, Washington, D.C. AHMA launched a national traveler safety campaign that included safety tipcards for member properties and safety videos on hotel television. More than 1 million safety cards have been distributed. The association has been asked to advise the U.S. Travel & Tourism Administration on traveler safety.

29. Arizona Consulting Engineers, Phoenix. Twenty-six teachers traded places with 26 volunteer engineers - the engineers taught sixth- and seventh-graders about careers in math, science, and engineering; teachers, librarians, and principals learned about consulting engineering. Almost 90 percent of member firms participated.

30. Kansas Dental Association, Topeka. KDA called together the associations and state agencies involved in long-term-care issues to address dental needs of nursing home residents. Project activities included creation of a special dental chart for nursing home residents and seminars for nursing home administrators and directors on daily oral care functions needed for the elderly.

31. American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C. APA developed its Disaster Response Network to provide immediate psychological assistance to disaster survivors. More than 2,000 psychologists provide free, on-site mental health services. The network has served disasters including the Oklahoma bombing, California earthquakes, Midwest floods, hurricanes, and the World Trade Center bombing.

32. Electronic Industries Association, Washington, D.C. EIA sponsors a job training and placement program that assists people with disabilities in obtaining competitive employment. Since 1977, more than 10,000 skilled people with disabilities have been placed in the workforce through EIA's efforts.

33. National Mental Health Association, Alexandria, Virginia. NMHA developed its "Coping With War" resource packet during the Gulf War. The association worked with dozens of organizations to quickly produce and distribute 5,000 kits, consisting of 14 fact sheets on topics including coping with war-related stress, helping children handle grief, and understanding military resources for families in crisis. Kits were distributed through local community organizations, such as mental health associations and Red Gross chapters.

34. California Podiatric Medical Association, Sacramento. CPMA created "Shoes for the Needy," through which the association provides 3,0005,000 shoes a month through eight homeless shelters in San Francisco. Association volunteers acquired a 2,000-square-foot warehouse and solicited donations of shoes from shoe companies. In addition, students from the California College of Podiatric Medicine, under guidance from CPMA members, provide free screenings for foot ailments at local homeless shelters every month.

35. Building Owners and Managers Association international, Washington, D.C. BOMA undertook a nationwide education and compliance campaign to assist the office building industry in opening doors to more than 43 million people with disabilities. As part of the effort, the association produced three publications, a closed-captioned video, and a computer disk, and conducted more than 70 seminars nationwide on the Americans With Disabilities Act.

36. National Association of College Stores, Oberlin, Ohio. NACS operates a book donation program, working with an international book bank to supply much-needed text and general books to Eastern Europe.

37. American Optometric Association, St. Louis. Vision USA provides needed eye health and vision care services without cost to more than 40,000 low-income workers and their families. The program is implemented by state optometric associations.

38. Hillsborough County Bar Association, Tampa, Florida. In 1990, 500 association members provided free legal advice and/or representation to nearly 800 poverty-level clients.

39. Association of State and Territorial Public Health Laboratory Directors, Washington, D.C. ASTPHLD is helping fight the AIDS epidemic in India. The association worked with leading AIDS organizations to develop and implement laboratory testing procedures in India, offered U.S.-based "train-the-trainer" sessions, and developed an HIV testing training manual that is customized for Indian scientists.

40. Illinois Park & Recreation Association, Winfield. IPRA produced a manual of lighting guidelines for sports fields after a 13-year-old boy was electrocuted at a Little League baseball game by touching a metal fence and the conduit of a wooden light pole. The manual covers topics such as wiring, inspections, testing, and maintenance, and includes a safety checklist. Nearly 1,000 manuals have been distributed throughout the country.

41. National Association of Purchasing Management, Oradell, New Jersey. NAPM produces a monthly business report containing manufacturing-sector purchasers' views of current business conditions. The report is considered a valuable forecasting tool used by purchasers, government officials, business and financial executives, economists, and analysts.

42. Oakland County Bar Association, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. OCBA organized Settlement Week, an alternative to traditional court proceedings. Volunteer attorneys, specially trained as facilitators, worked to resolve more than 500 cases in one week. The initiative resulted in a savings of $300,000 and at least one year of court time.

43. Personal Communications Industry Association, Washington, D.C. Since 1984, the association's LifePage program has provided pagers to more than 12,000 patients awaiting vital organ transplants. The pagers help patients keep in contact with their hospitals.

44. Automotive Parts & Accessories Association, Bethesda, Maryland. APAA provides financial support and donates automotive equipment to Project TEAM to help low-income individuals enter careers in auto mechanics. Approximately 100 students are enrolled in the program each year.

45. Montana Hospital Research & Education Foundation, Helena. The foundation facilitated the development of five medical-assistance facilities - scaled-down hospitals that serve sparsely populated regions that cannot support full-service hospitals. The foundation also negotiated to clear red tape to ensure that low-income and elderly patients qualified for Medicaid or Medicare.

46. National Association of Life Underwriters, Washington, D.C. The goal of the NALU's "Million Hour Pledge" was to actively involve the association's 140,000 members in public service and volunteerism. With 1.6 million hours of public service, NALU members far exceeded the one-year goal.

47. Houston Automobile Dealers Association, Sugar Land, Texas. HADA sponsored "Earning by Learning." The concept was to give readers the incentive to read by giving them a monetary reward for each book they read. In 1992, 1,179 children read 9,432 books and earned a total of $18,864. It has since been broadened into a yearlong program in 77 Houston schools and some 5,000 students.

48. New Jersey Hospital Association, Princeton. NJHA combined the efforts of 35 member hospitals to "carelift" 40 tons of donated medical supplies to Moscow hospitals in dire need. NJHA's efforts prompted nonprofit organizations in the former Soviet Union to coordinate the arrival of the supplies. The program has been the impetus for the American Hospital Association's World Hospital Program, which involves hospitals and hospital associations nationwide.

49. Country Music Association, Nashville. CMA wrote scripts and asked country artists to donate their time to file public service announcements for Project Literacy. The 25 spots, all produced for free, aired four times per day all year in 1992 on Country Music TV, a 24-hour video channel seen nationwide.

50. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Washington, D.C. AICPA published the Disaster Area Practice Guide for CPAs to help disaster victims put their financial lives back together. The association gave the guide, written by members of the association's tax division, to all 54 CPA state societies for distribution.

51. National Association of Chiefs of Police, Miami. NACP polled every police chief and sheriff in the United States to measure national issues and the success or failure of programs that have been used to fight crime. NACP advises media, Congress, the White House, and law enforcement agencies about the important national issues with which police feel they need help.

52. National Milk Producers Federation, Arlington, Virginia. NMPF worked with the American Veterinary Medical Association to develop guidelines for milk producers and veterinarians to help prevent animal drug residues from entering the milk and dairy beef supply. Dairy producers must now complete the 10-point drug-prevention protocol or be restricted by the Food and Drug Administration from marketing Grade "A" milk.

53. United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc., Washington, D.C. UCPA developed the ADA Report Cards on America to gather baseline data and monitor America's progress in implementing the Americans With Disabilities Act. Teams of people with and without disabilities were sent to communities to take snapshots of how businesses are implementing components of the act. UCPA shared reports with businesses, social services, and the media.

54. Wisconsin Manufactured Housing Association, Madison. WMHA invented a win-win solution for the disposal of old mobile homes. Through Project OurHome, members donated old mobile homes to state prisons, where inmates refurbished the homes. Homes were then given or sold to low-income families. By the end of 1994, 52 families had received homes and nearly 50 inmates had participated in job training.

55. American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Bethesda, Maryland. ASHP launched a multistep action plan to assess and upgrade the quality of procedures used by pharmacy departments in hospitals, health maintenance organizations, and home care pharmacies in preparing sterile drug products.

56. Oklahoma Public Employees Association, Oklahoma City. OPEA persuaded the state youth commission to tackle 4,000 backlogged cases. At the commission's request, OPEA coordinated statewide hearings to increase awareness about resources available to protect children. Testimony from more than 200 citizens convinced the commission to hire nearly 100 additional child welfare employees and pay overtime to others. Result: All cases finished.

57. Georgia Society of Association Executives, Tucker. "Reaching Out in '91" was a multifaceted volunteer initiative that galvanized associations statewide to take up individual volunteer efforts to combat 'community social ills. GSAE challenged members to donate at least eight personal hours to volunteering. Members pledged a total of 4,800 volunteer hours, exceeding the goal by more than 3,500 hours.

58. Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, Pennsylvania. SAE sponsored A World In Motion, a supplemental science program for students in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. The program teams teachers with volunteer engineers to stimulate students through interesting and challenging classroom experiments. Kits have been distributed to school districts in each of the 50 states. More than 10,500 educators and engineers have become active participants in the program.

59. Mechanical Service Contractors of America, Rockville, Maryland. MSCA conducts a nationwide, all-volunteer program to ensure the safety and health of the elderly and less advantaged by providing free safety inspections and repairs of home heating equipment and smoke detectors.

60. Soap and Detergent Association, New York City. SDA provides an extensive education program for child care centers and schools that teaches simple but effective cleanliness practices. The program is used by 25,000 Head Start centers, 900 YWCA and YMCA child care programs, and 2,000 private/corporate child care centers.

61. Maryland State Bar Association, Baltimore. MSBA worked in partnership with the state medical association to sponsor the Doctor/ Lawyer/Teacher Partnership Against Drugs. Doctors and lawyers visit seventh-grade classes to spread the anti-drug message.

62. Telephone Pioneers of America, Denver. TPA has supplied police, firefighters, paramedic units, and other agencies that deal with traumatized children with more than 500,000 handmade Hug-a-Bears. The association also sent more than 14,500 stuffed bears to children in hospitals in the Persian Gulf.

63. Texas Laundry & Dry Cleaning Association, San Antonio. TLDCA sponsors the "Give A Coat - Share the Warmth" program, through which the association provides warm winter coats to needy people throughout Texas. Volunteer members solicit soiled or outgrown, but serviceable, coats and jackets; clean and repair them; and donate them to local relief agencies.

64. Massachusetts Hospital Association, Boston. MHA participated with the MA-Ukraine Citizen's Council in an exchange program for health professionals in Massachusetts and the Ukraine. MHA airlifted more than 25 tons of medical supplies and sent representatives to the Ukraine to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their system and to distribute supplies.

65. National Foundation for Women Business Owners, Washington, D.C. NFWBO researched and announced previously unquantified data on the force of women-owned businesses. The data was published in the 1993 Statistical Abstract of the U.S. Research shows that these businesses are a major economic force, employing more people in 1992 than the Fortune 500 companies.

66. Florida Engineering Society, Tallahassee. FES updated its code of ethics as part of its strategic plan. The association produced the code as a follow-up to complaints of violations of ethical standards filed against its members. One issue of their magazine devoted to ethics won a Silver Award of Excellence from the Florida Magazine Association.

67. National Association of Photographic Manufacturers, Harrison, New York. In conjunction with the American Society of Testing Materials and Research and the Federal Aviation Administration, NAPM measured the results of exposure of consumer film to X-ray security machines. Results found, with 100 passes, that the effect of the X-rays was minimal. NAPM shared the results with the public, retailers, and professional photographers.

68. Rental Housing Owners Association of Southern Alameda County, Hayward, California. The association started an education and certification program to educate rental housing owners and managers and recognize those who are operating clean, efficient rental properties. Through the program, the association has formed close ties with the county's police department and housing authority.

69. State Bar of Texas, Austin. The state bar conducts multiple programs, including a survey to assess perceptions of minority attorneys regarding discrimination in the legal profession. The results are used in a diversity counseling service for law firms; a legal scholars program to expose minority undergraduates to law school; and a drug and alcohol abuse prevention program for sixth-graders, with doctors and lawyers presenting.

70. United Services Automobile Association, San Antonio, Texas. USAA's mentor program provides one-on-one sessions to aggressively prevent school dropouts. Members mentor local students.

71. San Francisco Fashion Industries, California. SFFI founded the San Francisco Clothing Bank, a source of new clothing for homeless and needy people. SFFI has distributed clothes to more than 35,000 people annually since 1987.

72. National Association of Television Program Executives, Santa Monica, California. After learning of a consortium of 20 Midwest broadcasters who joined together to produce a one-hour telecast to raise money for the American Red Cross disaster relief fund, NATPE urged 900 TV stations to publicize the telecasts and its satellite feed. The campaign was the most successful in Red Cross history.

73. Marine Industries of South Florida, Fort Lauderdale. Since 1977 MISF has educated the community about the importance of clean water. A public relations campaign included direct mail to registered boaters, radio and TV public service announcements, and 150,000 flyers in supermarkets. More than 2,500 volunteers and 500 boats pulled 177,500 pounds of trash from more than 200 miles of waterways in 1993 alone.

74. Ohio State Medical Association, Columbus. OSMA started the Ohio Physicians Domestic Violence Prevention Project to educate physicians about how to recognize victims of domestic violence and to encourage female patients to talk with doctors. More than 7,000 kits have been distributed to physicians.

75. Houston Contractors Association, Texas. More than 40 member companies participated in Contractor's D-Day at the request of the Houston mayor. Contractors demolished more than 300 hazardous buildings to clean up neighborhoods and deter crime. The effort saved taxpayers $800,000.

Lorri Lee, ASAE's director of public relations, is accredited in public relations.