Diving Right In.

One of the interesting results of getting our 501(c)(3) so far ahead of schedule was the fact that we had been spending time figuring out methods to fundraise without our tax-exempt status.  We had done little preparation for approaching foundations and corporate sponsors as we thought those meetings to be months away.  However, due to the amazing efficiency of the Internal Revenue Service (yes, I did just say that), we are ready to get rolling.  This week has been about fundraising planning.

In May, Reach, Inc. was awarded first prize in Harvard's Educational Enterprise Innovation Competition.  As a result, we were given some free consulting hours with Andrea McGrath, Director of the Center for Applied Philanthropy.  During a conversation with Andrea this week, we discussed what materials Reach, Inc. would need in order to approach potential funders.  We have decided, for the time being, to focus on a crisp one-pager detailing the program and a more fully developed business plan.  In the coming weeks, we will be focused on producing those materials so that we can effectively present this innovative design to interested parties.

Additionally, I have been thinking about how to reframe our fundraising goals.  Now that our fiscal year is legally defined as January 1 to December 31, our numbers need to be shifted a little bit.  The year 1 fundraising goal of $100,000 was meant to be for June 2009 - June 2010.  While some work still needs to be done, it seems that our goals must now be lined up by fiscal year.  There is still work to be done, but initial numbers for our new fundraising goals follow:

• 2009: $50,000, Planning, Networking, and Fundraising.
• 2010: $200,000, Program Development and Pilot Program Launch.
• 2011: $400,000, Program Expansion and Evaluation.

Finally, next week, while continuing to pursue all available funding leads, we will also continue exploring some areas for programmatic learning.  During the week, I will be meeting with Lynsey Jeffries of Higher Achievement, a program that provides tutoring to students through middle school.  I know she will have much to teach me about effectively partnering with DC Public Schools.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

Mark 

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Building for the Future

It's time now for Reach, Inc. to begin building on the momentum of our new 501(c)(3) status.  In doing so, we will be able to pursue many more funding opportunities as we move forward.  In another exciting first, we received our first multi-year gift from Tom Brown of Gibbons Law.  He provided us with a generous gift to be given over the next three years.  It's a wonderful thing to have some money in the bank for the future.  In addition to this gift, I received information about two additional potential funding sources - CB Richard Ellis and The M.B. and Edna Zale Foundation - through personal friends.  Finally, now that we have our determination letter, we will complete the necessary paperwork for DC Tax Exemption.  I am very excited to complete the tax paperwork once and for all (though, in reality, it never actually ends).

In addition to the money-related issues, we will continue to work on programmatic issues as well.  Through George Murphy, another connection at Gibbons, it appears that I will have the opportunity to discuss Reach, Inc. with Peter Edelman, an accomplished lawyer and activist who now works at Georgetown University Law Center.  Professor Edelman's experience working on issues surrounding disadvantaged youth and poverty will be hugely helpful in framing Reach, Inc.'s approach.  Additionally, in the coming weeks, I will have the opportunity to work on our Tutor Training Guide with Kelly Emminger, a skilled literacy teacher at King Elementary School in Southeast DC.  I have no doubt that she will provide some great guidance about ways that our adolescents will be able to effectively teach key literacy concepts to their elementary school students.

We have another exciting week ahead.  Thanks for reading!

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Game On!

First things first: as I've mentioned before, we weren't expecting to hear about our 501(c)(3) status until mid-August at the earliest.  Well, we received our determination letter, and Reach is now a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) organization.  It was quite a surprise to get the letter so quickly.  This means that all donations made, both in the past and in the future, will be tax deductible.  This also opens up many more opportunities for fundraising.  People, get out your checkbooks!

While excited about our new tax-exempt status, there was still work to be done this morning.  I had my first school visit scheduled at the summer school at Montgomery Elementary School.  I had the great opportunity watch instruction in both reading and writing for about two hours.  In addition to instruction, I also observed several assessments using the work of Fountas and Pinnell.  It's just the beginning, but watching some elementary school literacy instruction was helpful for beginning to put our work in context.

After spending the morning in school, I had lunch with Laura Herring and Raj Darolia.  Laura is a teacher at Sheridan School, while Raj is an economist who has experience on the Boards of several young nonprofit organizations.  While they brought very different backgrounds to the table, it made for a very interesting conversation.  Additionally, when I got home, I had an e-mail from a representative at Hyde Leadership Public Charter School expressing some interest in Reach, Inc.  In the coming weeks, I'll look forward to starting the conversation about the possibility of a partnership.

All in all, it's been a very exciting week for Reach, Inc.  Now that we have 501(c)(3) status, you can play an even bigger role in our fundraising activities.  Do you know people in corporations that have a history of giving?  Do you know philanthropic individuals interested in issues surrounding urban education?  Do you know any DC bar or restaurant owners?  All avenues are now open to Reach, Inc., so let's hear your ideas!

Thanks for reading!

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

That Was Fast!

For several weeks, we've been moving slowly towards $10,000 in donations.  Due to the generosity of some fantastic new donors, we barely even got to enjoy the moment.  Not only have we moved beyond $10,000 in donations, but we surpassed $11,000 as well!

In addition to continued fundraising, we have a full week ahead:

• I'll be having a discussion with someone at Penn Charter, my high school, about the possibility of profiling Reach, Inc. in an upcoming publication.
• I'll be attending a training at The Foundation Center on creating a fundraising plan.
• I have my first school visit at Montgomery Elementary School.

As always, there is plenty to be done outside of these things as well.  I'll be completing the payroll set up, having a conversation with an experienced Board member about non-profit Board development, and continuing work on our Tutor Training Guide.  Finally, during this week I will be working hard to begin creating an understandable Theory of Action.  In doing so, we will begin the discussion about the indicators we will use to measure our success.  A friend, Jennie Carey, provided a great article about how to measure non-profit success.  The Center for Employment Opportunities' Theory of Action, which is discussed in the article, is a great guide.

As always, thanks for reading.  I look forward to continuing to share our progress.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

So Much To Learn

I have to admit, I still haven't totally come down from the high associated with scoring a meeting with Kevin McDonald of TROSA.  Kevin is a professional hero of mine, and his approach to redefining the helping relationship inspires much of what we aspire to do at Reach, Inc.  In other exciting news, I recently scored another HUGE meeting.  In early September, I'll be sitting down with Jason Kamras, former National Teacher of the Year and current Director of Human Capital Strategy for District of Columbia Public Schools.  Both of these meetings will provide opportunities for significant learning, and the meeting with Jason Kamras will be our first with a senior official in the DC Public School system.  Hopefully we can convince them that Reach, Inc. should be working in DC Schools.

In addition to the networking that happens on a regular basis, financial stability is a constant concern for Reach, Inc.  As a start-up, it is imperative that we develop a strong base of direct support.  At the same time, we must begin exploring longer term funding possibilities.  This week, I spent a significant amount of time using the Washington Grantmakers' website to explore opportunities for foundation funding.  There is also plenty of research to be done about how nonprofits are dealing with the current economic crisis.  There are many reasons to be concerned, but we continue to believe we can meet our fundraising goals for our first year.  For help, I reached out to Courtney Clark Pastrick, Executive Director of the Clark Charitable Foundation, Inc.  I think it would be helpful to get some insights regarding the DC nonprofit scene, and if you read Ms. Pastrick's bio, you may notice some similarities between the two of us.  We both graduated from Duke, and we both serve on the Board of established Friends schools.  Additionally, she is involved with Everybody Wins!, a local literacy nonprofit.  I hope to hear back from her in the coming weeks.

Finally, I am excited to announce that we have just moved beyond $9,000 in donations, so we continue to make progress towards our goal of $100,000.  Additionally, Reach, Inc. issued its first paycheck this week - I, in particular, am excited about that milestone.  If you know of anyone that would be interested in donating to Reach, Inc., providing me with their contact information would be greatly appreciated.  Spreading the word, and encouraging others to donate, is hugely helpful.

How can you help?

• Do you know any DC elementary school teachers?  During the fall, I will be trying to get into DC schools to observe great literacy lessons.  Do you know anyone I should observe?  Please don't hesitate to be in touch.  

Thanks, as always, for reading,

Mark

President and Founder - Reach, Inc.

Excitement!

I'm very excited to let people know that, on September 4th, I will have the opportunity to meet with Kevin McDonald, Founder and President of TROSA, a substance abuse recovery program in Durham, NC.  TROSA's work is the inspiration for Reach, Inc., and I look forward to the conversation with such an accomplished entrepreneur.

Watching the mail...

Waiting for the 501(c)(3) determination letter is kind of like waiting for decisions regarding one's college applications.  Though it seems to take forever, it will likely be all right in the end.  Except there's always that one case - the kid who didn't get in anywhere - that makes you nervous.  Reach, Inc. applied for tax-exempt status on June 15th.  If the application is done to the IRS' liking, then we could hear as soon as mid-August.  If not, the wait gets even worse.  We're hopeful that our lawyers at Skadden Arps gave the IRS what they wanted.

Once we receive tax-exempt status, then things can really begin to move.  We can begin accepting online donations, through PayPal.  Though they do take a cut, it will still likely lead some people to donate that wouldn't otherwise.  Additionally, we'll be able to start developing partnerships with organizations that do work with non-profits, such as Whole Foods.  As I've mentioned before, individual contributions are deductible retroactively once 501(c)(3) status is granted, so don't let our continued wait stop you from making a personal donation.  Also, tax-exempt status makes us eligible for grant funding.  I've already started doing research about foundation fundraising at The Foundation Center, an amazing resource with a location in Washington DC.  While the wait seems long at times, we're planning and researching now so we'll be ready when the letter arrives.

How you can help:

• We have 236 fans on our facebook fan page.  Let's get to 300 this week!  One of the options on the left side says, "suggest Reach, Inc. to friends."  Click on that and suggest our page to those that might be interested.
• Additionally, Reach, Inc. has now been posted on Ideablob.  This is a site that gives away money to entrepreneurs.  While I'm new to the site, and don't know our chances, I do know that people read about and comment on ideas.  Feel free to register and vote for Reach, Inc.  The more votes we get, the more likely it is that people will see us and provide good feedback!

Still climbing towards $10,000, have you donated?

Mark

Peaks and Valleys

In this start-up phase, I imagine that I will learn a lot about my personal strengths and weaknesses.  Important lesson learned this week: I am not an accountant.  I spent most of Tuesday in a fight with QuickBooks, then spent Wednesday figuring out how my bank could do a better job for less money.  In the end, it looks like we're slowly but surely figuring out the necessary systems for tracking donations, monitoring finances, and paying employees.  While it was a very frustrating period of time, it all results in organizational learning.

The entire week hasn't been frustrating, however.  Reach, Inc. did get it's first piece of press in Language Magazine.  Though I couldn't find it through the site, Assistant Editor Kate Sommers-Dawes provided us with a link.  The note about Reach, Inc. is on the lower left side of Page 10, and in some browsers you may have to download a PDF.

Additionally, some other events of note this week:

• I had a great conversation with Charles Phaneuf, Associate Managing Director at The Shakespeare Theater Company.  He provided some great insights and ideas regarding the local non-profit scene and fundraising possibilities.
• This afternoon, I'll be talking with Normandie Nigh, Executive Director of A World Fit For Kids.  AWFFK trains teens to work in after-school programs, so I'm sure she'll be able to offer some information about training techniques and quality control.
• I also started setting up some visits at DC Elementary Schools.  It's very important to me that I spend some time observing great literacy instruction, since I don't have extensive experience working with younger children.  Through a connection made at a volunteer training, I will be visiting Montgomery ES during the summer and Hyde ES in the fall.  I hope they are just the beginning!

Finally, the fundraising continues.  I am currently exploring some online donation platforms to make donating to Reach, Inc. easier; however, many of them charge significant fees.  Razoo looked promising, but they won't work with me until we're granted 501(c)(3) status.  As always, there are always more ways you can help:

• Do you know a CPA with non-profit experience?  This will become a necessity as we move towards December 31, 2009, the end of our fiscal year.
• Do you have tickets to events in Washington DC that you know you can't use?  Donate them to Reach, Inc., then we'll sell them and write you a receipt for the proceeds!

Thanks for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

In the beginning...

In the past couple weeks, many people have asked how things are going. It seemed necessary to come up with some way to keep people informed about the progress Reach, Inc. is making. I plan to use this space to do that. Welcome! We hope you check back often.

Reach, Inc. officially began launch efforts in The District of Columbia on June 15, 2009, though we have been incorporated here for a couple months. Since coming to The District, we have worked hard towards our three main goals for the year: developing curricula, cultivating relationships, and raising funds. Below, I will outline some of the exciting steps taken during our first three weeks of full-time work.

1) We have constructed and launched an informational website.
2) We have a brand new logo.
3) We have launched a Facebook fan page.
4) We celebrated our 100th donor!
5) We had a great conversation about the start-up process with Matt Mitro, Founder and President of Indego Africa.
6) We have started work on our tutor training manual with the help of several literacy educators who provided us with invaluable information.

The progress made could not have occurred without the help of many Reach, Inc. supporters. A special thank you to Brian Hecker who designed our logo and the informational website and donated all the associated time and effort.

During the next week, we will continue fundraising efforts while also having some important informational meetings, including one tomorrow with a representative from The CityBridge Foundation.

I will end each post with some ideas of ways you could help:

• Have you donated? We have just moved beyond $8,000 in donations. A great start, but a long way to go to get to our goal of $100,000.
  
• Do you know others who might be interested? Please direct them to our website!
• Do you have ideas about creative fundraising strategies? I'm all ears!

Thanks for your interest. I will do my best to update this a couple times per week, so you can all know what's going on at Reach, Inc. I look forward to sharing all of our future successes with you!

Mark
Founder and President - Reach, Inc.