Sometimes, despite having a table full of amazing innovators, meetings can lack energy. Perhaps someone is dealing with personal issues that leave them feeling worn out. Perhaps someone is just tired or had a long day at work. There are dozens of factors that could lead to a meeting feeling less productive. While meetings are necessary for the health of any organization, they at times can feel draining.
This past Thursday night, though, the CCC board of directors got to experience a meeting that was just the opposite. It was invigorating. And I want to take a moment to pause and acknowledge my gratitude for these wonderful individuals who refused to let headaches, thunderstorms, or any other annoyances get in the way of our progress as a team. In just under 3 hours, we were able to accomplish many goals to include creating a strategy for fundraising, approving numerous agenda items, etc.
We’re in that essential stage where we’re constantly revising our systems to best respond to our community’s needs while understanding our organization’s current capacity. With each completed workshop, each new inquiry from a potential collaborator, and each piece of feedback offered by a participant, we work to reflect, adapt, and grow. As such, this stage requires us to be constantly thinking through all the ways we can better serve our community while maintaining the health of our organization. I am so thankful for a board who values thinking about things from multiple angles and is dedicated to refining our operations.
One of the focus points of this meeting was to engage our fundraising plan. We got the chance to brainstorm together and consider ways that we could grow our organization through meaningful partnerships. I wanted to share with you one specific goal we set for ourselves. We are aiming to secure 5 new monthly donors by August 30th. This is where we need you all to hold us accountable. For those of you who have been with us from the beginning, please ask us the hard questions. Check in and see if we’re intentionally focusing on investing in the kind of relationship-building necessary to build a strong organization.
And this is where I also make another important ask as well.
If you’ve not considered becoming a monthly partner, will you think on it in the coming days and see if it’s a good fit for your budget, your philanthropic pursuits, and/or your season of life?
A $10 monthly donation may seem small, but that equates to $120 over a year, which covers close to half of the cost of the materials for one of our arts-based workshops. A $25 monthly donation may not seem like it could make much difference, but that equates to $300 a year, which enables us to provide a meal to the participants at 2 of our workshops focusing on practical skills. And I know that operational costs are not always considered to be glamorous, but having a space to gather and learn and connect with others requires paying rent, electric bills, and much more. So a $100 monthly donation that results in $1200 over the course of the year helps cover close to half of one month's utility bills, which is incredibly helpful.
All that to say, we’d love to have your help in reaching this goal. So whether you send us a DM on August 10th asking how close we’ve gotten to our goal or whether you decide to make a tax-deductible monthly donation by signing up here, we’ll be so grateful for the support. We’ve loved seeing the magic that happens as community members attend our workshops, and we want to keep making that magic happen with your help.
Thanks for rooting us on from near and far. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank our current monthly donors. We are so grateful for our 15 partners. Your generosity has helped get us to this point. You’ve helped us launch and you’ve made it possible to host 3 incredible workshops to date. We will continue to work hard to make your investment both worthwhile and lasting here in the 757. And for those of you contemplating becoming one of our newest monthly partners, we can’t wait to have you join the CCC family!
With gratitude,
Christy Moore
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