“As First Candle embarks on the anniversary of its 25^th year, we are more committed than ever to our vision of a future where all babies survive and thrive,” said Chief Executive Officer Kelly Mariotti.

While much progress has been made at preventing infant deaths, we are reminded that there is still a great deal of work to do:

• SIDS remains the leading cause of death for babies one month to one year of age
• U.S. infant mortality rates rank only 43rd in the world
• Stillbirth claims the lives of nearly 26,000 babies every year
• There are nearly 4,500 Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) each year; many of which are caused by unsafe sleep practices and are preventable

In light of continued economic challenges, increased scrutiny of nonprofits and competition for donor dollars, it is more important than ever for nonprofits to strategically evaluate progress toward their desired goals and outcomes. In an effort to reduce overhead while maximizing dollars spent on (and overall quality of) programs and services, First Candle is announcing a revitalization plan that will ensure its continued success as a national leader in the field of infant health and survival.

Programmatic efforts will be streamlined into four primary areas:

• Aggressive education and awareness campaigns in both the SIDS/SUID and stillbirth arenas
• Compassionate grief support to families and improvements to the 24/7 crisis hotline
• Professional education and training
• Ongoing government partnerships and research initiatives

“With respect to internal operations, we will be moving our administrative offices and reorganizing our staffing model to operate more efficiently and effectively,” said Mariotti. The senior leadership team will include Mariotti, Nadine Goldberg, Executive Program Director and Laura Reno, Director of Marketing and Communications. The administrative, accounting and data management functions will be moved from Baltimore to Bel Air, Maryland, and managed by Stringfellow Management Group, a professional management company with extensive experience in 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

First Candle will continue to operate under the direction of a committed board of directors. Newly elected officers include: Chair – Michael Schaffer, President, Boori USA; Vice Chair – Jim Kearny, Partner, Eire Direct Marketing; and Treasurer – Mike Dwyer, Senior Vice-President, Association Headquarters. The officers will assume their new roles January 1, 2013.  Medical guidance and oversight continues to be provided by world-renowned researchers Rachel Moon, MD, Children’s National Medical Center in the SIDS/SUID arena and Ruth Fretts, MD, MPH, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, in the stillbirth arena.

“To our many donors and stakeholders, we say Thank You for your support in getting us this far,” praised Mariotti. “With these exciting changes, and your continued support, First Candle will be a stronger more vibrant organization for our next 25 years.”