Looking Back at $20,000

As a graduate student planning to start a nonprofit, creating Reach's first budget was somewhat intimidating.  To think about spending $50,000 during 2009, I had to think about raising that money.  Having never done significant development work before, I had no idea how difficult this task would be.  While the current economy presents known challenges, we have still had some success.  During this week, we moved beyond $20,000 in collected funds.  When pledged funds are included, we have raised almost $25,000.  In the coming weeks, we will move past the halfway point to our 2009 goal.  While this is an exciting accomplishment, it also makes clear that there is a long way to go.

Additionally, 2010 bring its own exciting challenges.  As we begin to approach funders about our plans for the future, we have had to complete a budget for 2010.  While 2009 was a year for planning on a shoestring budget, 2010 will involve program launch, the publication of training materials, the purchase of curricular materials, and the hiring of our first contract teachers.  There is a great amount of excitement surrounding all of these firsts, but they also involve significant expenses for Reach, Inc. During 2010, our budget grows to $150,000, which of course means that we will have to raise $150,000.  Despite the intimidation inherent in setting such goals, I know that we'll get there.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.