First Grade, Funding, and Friendraising...

I got to go back to first grade this week.  One of my goals for the year is to observe a lot of high quality literacy instruction.  As many of you know, I've always worked with teens, so elementary schools are new to me.  Ms. Sheehy and her first grade class at Hyde Elementary School (not our future pilot site) were very welcoming as I sat in on their Reading Workshop on Tuesday morning.  Each time I spend time in an elementary school classroom, I feel like I learn more about the work our tutors will be doing next year.  I was very appreciative to Ms. Sheehy and Principal Dana Nerenberg for giving me the opportunity to observe.

During the last week, Reach also submitted our first two applications for corporate/foundation funding.  Neither of these were necessarily planned in advance, but the opportunities presented themselves, so we pounced.  In one instance, Raj Darolia recommended that Reach be considered for the corporate giving program at Charles River Associates, his employer.  In the other, Megan Aghazadian let us know about funding available through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation. In both cases, we were hugely appreciative that these individuals thought of Reach, and we were able to meet the necessary deadlines despite the timing.  In the next month, we have some additional applications to complete as our work to secure funding for both 2009 and 2010 continues.

Finally, we continue to work to build our network in DC and beyond.  On Sunday, I had the opportunity to sit with Laura Kind McKenna, a trustee with the Patricia Kind Family Foundation.  We had the opportunity to speak about both program design and grant seeking.  She was also very helpful in brainstorming about possible connections in the DC area on which I could build.  Additionally, two Georgetown Law professors, Julie O'Sullivan and Naomi Mezey, have teamed up to help Reach as well.  They will be hosting a cocktail party at which I will be given the opportunity to talk about Reach, Inc. with their friends.  We hope to continue building on these connections to create a more complete support base in The District.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.