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Acknowledgements

The Fiscal Year 2006 Edition of SIECUS State Profiles represents the fourth consecutive year that we have undertaken the enormous task of “following the money.” These profiles document all federal abstinence-only-until-marriage dollars doled out through the three major funding streams fueling these unproven and ideologically driven programs. The profiles provide an unparalleled amount of information that is broken out by state.

Since the first publication of this resource, it has become the premiere tool for informed and empowered advocacy efforts that are carried out across the country—from local school board meetings, to state houses, to Capitol Hill. The profiles are used by national, state, and community advocates; by parents, faith communities, policymakers and their staff; and by media outlets across the country. SIECUS State Profiles are being used to set the record straight on how abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have fundamentally changed what our young people are—and are not—learning.

The principal author this year is Jennifer Aulwes, SIECUS’ state policy coordinator. Jen deserves enormous credit for tackling this publication as her first order of business since joining SIECUS in late 2006. Late nights at her desk and the increasing use of Freedom of Information Act requests have yielded a report with more depth and detail than previous iterations. Jen was also aided this year by another member of our state policy team, Meghan Rapp, state policy assistant. Meg also deserves a great deal of credit for lending a fresh eye to this material.

Many thanks to Martha Kempner, vice president for information and communications, for her editing and word-smithing abilities. Also, much appreciation to SIECUS staff members Michael Francum, Maxwell Ciardullo, and Patrick Malone, for their assistance in compiling key sections of this publication. We also recognize and thank SIECUS interns Travis Parker Lee, Stephanie Kujawski, and Sara Thomas for their valuable contributions.

We also need to thank our many partners in each state who work with us to make certain that this publication provides the most accurate and up-to-date picture possible. The result is a publication that represents real collaboration which benefits all our efforts.

Thanks are also due to the Guttmacher Institute for their research on sexuality education laws and policies which is relied on heavily in our work.

Finally, we need to thank SIECUS’ many donors who support our work and believe in the importance of advocacy that is firmly entrenched in research and evidence. In particular, the following foundations have supported SIECUS public policy and advocacy efforts over the past year: Arcus Foundation, The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America, The Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the John Merck Fund.

Joseph DiNorcia
President and CEO William Smith
Vice-President for Public Policy

Web Master: siecus@siecus.org