2009: The Year in Numbers

A brief overview of our work in 2009:

• 45,777: Dollars raised.
• 3,000: Amount of largest gift.
• 1: Amount of smallest gift.
• 249: Number of donors.
• 199: Days since Reach was incorporated in the District of Columbia.
• 3: Articles published about Reach, Inc.
• 8: Corporations that have given.
• 3: Foundations that have given.
• 2: Board meetings.
• 4: Board meetings scheduled for 2010.
• 5: Key components of elementary school literacy.
• 14: Percentage of DC Public School students that read at grade level.
• 5,952: Dollars raised online through Razoo.
• 6: Trainings attended at the Foundation Center.
• 6: Fundraising events.
• 5: Elementary schools visited.
• 3: Grant applications submitted.
• 19: Members of the inaugural Founder's Circle (those that have given $1,000+).
• 46: Formal meetings with teachers, nonprofit administrators, and funding reps.
• 10,618: Net assets being carried forward to 2010.
• 1,206: E-mails sent.
• 1,004: E-mails received.
• 2: Invitations to submit grant applications in FY2010.
• 1: E-mails exchanged with Chancellor Rhee.
• 3: Contributions given as gifts.
• 1: Weddings where a donation to Reach, Inc. was made in lieu of favors.
• 2: Iterations of Reach, Inc.'s website.
• 50: Blog entries.
• 3: Current Board members.
• 9: Ideal Board size by the end of 2010.
• 3: Lawyers who helped Reach, Inc. secure 501(c)(3) status.
• 6: Weeks it took to be granted 501(c)(3) status.
• 17: Research papers read about literacy development.
• 366: Reach, Inc. fans on Facebook.
  

Thanks so much for reading! My best wishes for a Happy New Year, and I look forward to sharing our progress with you in 2010.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

A Little Break...

As a holiday gift to myself, I am going to take a short break from the blog. In the coming week, I'll be working hard on tying up loose ends for 2009 while planning for our exciting 2010. I look forward to providing a summary of our success in 2009 when I return to writing on Thursday, December 31st.

Enjoy the rest of 2009! I'll look forward to sharing our journey with you as we enter 2010!

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

A Quick Note

This week, a new research study was summarized in an article in the LA Times:

It's not surprising that an intensive six-month training program for children with poor reading skills improves their performance, as a new study has demonstrated. The unexpected finding is that the skills program actually spurred brain changes that could be the underpinnings for the children's progress.

The malleability of the brain extends well into adolescence. Reach's work will not only produce improved literacy, but it will help to develop the brain connections necessary for future learning. We can, and will, do so much better for our high school students.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

The Why.

Reach, Inc. began as an idea almost six years ago as part of an independent study at Duke University. Now, less than a year away from program launch, it still feels so far away at times. However, during  a visit to Wheatley Elementary School, I was able to experience, once again, why I'm doing this work. 

I was in a 3rd grade classroom, observing a lesson on cause and effect. The teacher was struggling to lead a class that included at least three students presenting significant behavioral concerns. Students were broken into groups of two to work on an activity. Each group was given five or six "causes" and the same number of "effects." Their mission: to match the clauses in a way that made sense.

As is my tendency, I found myself working with the two of the students who had been causing trouble. They were not quick to begin the task, and they looked quite confused by the stranger offering to help. Grabbing one of the "causes," I read it aloud: The electricity in the house went out. I asked the two boys what might happen when the electricity went out. One of them answered quickly, "you wouldn't be able to see anything." Lo and behold, the other one grabbed one of the "effects" that said: no one could see a thing. 

With that, they were off. I stepped back, watched them complete the rest of the pairs, and marveled as they wrote down the completed sentence as instructed. With some individual assistance and a little push, these kids were off and running. The teacher walked over to check on their progress. Noting that they were almost finished, she looked at me. I smiled, and she just shook her head. I can't wait until October.

A Great First Event...

A big thank you to everyone that came out to Libations for Literacy on Tuesday night at Cleveland Park Bar & Grill. On a rainy night, we had almost 75 guests and raised over $1,500. I am grateful to all those that attended and to those that donated even if they weren't able to attend. In addition to all of you, several others made the event a success. First, Cleveland Park Bar & Grill made the whole event possible through generously donating the space for the event. Additionally, we were able to give away door prizes to four lucky attendees. We received generous donations from three different sources: Meredith Miller provided a $50 gift card to J.Crew, Owen Biddle provided two pairs of tickets to see The Roots, and Weygandt Wines provided a $50 gift certificate. The lucky winners are listed below:

• Lisa Marcus won the $50 gift certificate to Weygandt Wines.
• Kim Daulton won two tickets to see The Roots at the 9:30 Club on December 29th.
• Josh Friedman won two tickets to see The Roots at the 9:30 Club on December 30th.
• Martin Ditto won a $50 gift card to J.Crew.

We are hugely appreciative to all the donors that provided these door prizes and were pleased to award them to attendees of Tuesday's event.

The Reach family continues to grow as we move closer to program launch in the fall of 2010. Obviously, I can't do this all alone, so it's exciting to continue meeting people that will help Reach become reality. With each day, I learn more about literacy, and I become more confident in the organization's ability to provide a new opportunity for teens that have experienced previous failure. Inaction is not an option, and Reach, Inc. will facilitate the capacity and the motivation necessary to dramatically improve reading outcomes across ages. On Tuesday night, when I looked up and saw a room full of people supporting this new organization, I felt, once again, that we're well on our way.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President  - Reach, Inc.

A Day (And a Half) In The Life...

I'm currently in the middle of a 36 hour stretch that I think effectively encapsulates my experience being the leader of this brand new organization.

Monday, December 7th:

10am: Meeting with Professor Peter Edelman to discuss reconnecting disengaged youth, from a policy perspective.

12pm: Return home. Send a thank you note to The MB & Edna Zale Foundation for the discretionary grant Reach, Inc. just received.

1pm: Send e-mails and make phone calls to set up appointments/discussions with nonprofit and educational leaders. Successfully schedule meetings with representatives from FLOC, City Year, and Sidwell Friends.

2pm: Work on grant proposal for The Crowell & Moring Foundation until the end of the day.

8pm: Write blog about today and tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 8th:

8am: Spend the morning observing literacy instruction at Wheatley Elementary School in DC's Trinidad neighborhood.

12pm: Continue work on Crowell & Moring grant.

4pm: Final preparations for Reach's first DC event - Libations for Literacy. Finalize sign in process, confirm door prizes, get change, and get to Cleveland Park.

6pm: Libations for Literacy! Come out for a drink and to support Reach, Inc.

10pm: Close down the event, count the funds raised, and get some sleep before getting back to work on Wednesday morning.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

Building a Board

As Reach, Inc. moves from the start-up stage toward a more sustainable organization, Board development will be an incredibly important aspect of our work. This week, I had the great opportunity to begin thinking about how we will approach this work. To incorporate, a nonprofit organization is required to have three members of a formal Board of Directors. Our Board has been both helpful and supportive through the first six months of formal operations. Often, founding Boards do little more than approve the plans of the organization's founder. I often tell, with pride, the story of Reach, Inc.'s first Board meeting. The Board's first act was to cut the salary I had initially proposed. From the beginning, despite my close friendships with the founding Board members, they saw that the organization was more important than any one person.

From that time, these individuals have continued to support our work in important ways. As we work to build a strong Board, I feel it important that we build on our current strength. Our founding members will serve a vital role as we grow into the future. There are a number of factors at play as we look to recruit new Board members.

• Skill set: There are specific skills that would be extremely helpful as Reach, Inc. grows. Specifically, we will actively seek people that have backgrounds in law, finance, nonprofit management, marketing, and government relations.
• Money: I often get advice that it's imperative that I get Board members that can make significant contributions to the organization. While I don't see this as the most important factor in an invitation to join the Board, I have come to understand that it matters.
• Diversity: It's so important to me that Reach, Inc.'s Board represents a diverse set of individuals. Not only do we want diverse skill sets, but we want diversity with respect to race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual preference, and all the other good stuff.

Finally, it is becoming increasingly clear that other voices need to be involved in the development of Reach, Inc.'s Board. Clearly, to effectively operate, the Board can not be made up entirely of "Mark's friends." Our Board must demonstrate loyalty to the organization, not me. They must be willing to evaluate me, challenge me, and push me to think in new ways. Moving forward, I look forward to finding the right partners to help me create the Board that Reach, Inc. deserves. It's both daunting and exciting.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.

PS - Purchase your entry for Libations for Literacy, Reach, Inc.'s first public event!