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The U.S. Postal Service currently has three 45-cent fundraising or "semipostal" stamps available for purchase at Post Offices, online at The Postal Store, and by toll-free phone order at 1 800 STAMP-24: the Breast Cancer Research stamp, the Heroes of 2001 stamp, and the Stop Family Violence stamp. The price of a semipostal pays for the First-Class single-piece postage rate in effect at the time of purchase plus an amount to fund causes that the Postal Service determines to be in the national public interest and appropriate. By law, revenue from sales (minus postage and the reasonable costs of the Postal Service) is to be transferred to a selected executive agency or agencies. Breast Cancer Research Stamp The Breast Cancer Research semipostal was issued on July 29, 1998, at a first day ceremony held in the White House. It was the first semipostal in U.S. history. To date, the stamp has raised nearly $48 million for breast cancer research. By law, 70 percent of the net amount raised is given to the National Institutes of Health and 30 percent is given to the Medical Research Program at the Department of Defense. Designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, the stamp features the phrases, "Fund the Fight" and "Find a Cure" and an illustration of a mythical "goddess of the hunt" by Whitney Sherman of Baltimore. Heroes of 2001 Stamp The Heroes of 2001 semipostal was issued on June 7, 2002, at a first day ceremony held at Battery Park in New York City. It helps raise funds to provide assistance to the families of relief personnel killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty in connection with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The stamp raised over $11 million to date. The net amount raised was given to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for distribution to the appropriate recipients. A detail of photographer Thomas E. Franklin's famous photograph of three firemen raising the U.S. flag at "ground zero" in New York City is depicted on the stamp. Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, was the art director for the stamp. Stop Family Violence Stamp The Stop Family Violence semipostal was issued on Oct. 8, 2003, in Washington, DC. It helps raise funds for domestic violence programs. The net amount raised is given to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for domestic violence programs. A heart-wrenching image of a distraught woman drawn by 7-year-old artist Monique Blais of Santa Barbara, CA, is the focal point of the stamp and is intended to increase awareness about this important social issue. Carl T. Herrman of Carlsbad, CA, was the art director for the stamp.

Breast Cancer Research stamp sales information through 12/31/2005: Total Stamps Sold: 678M Total Raised, Net: $47.9M Heroes of 2001 stamp sales information through 12/31/2004 (End): Total Stamps Sold: 132.9M Total Raised, Net: $11.1M Stop Family Violence stamp sales information through 12/31/2005: Total Stamps Sold: 34M Total Raised, Net: $2.3M

Future Semipostals No additional semipostals are scheduled at this time.