Yes We Can!

With the most historic election finally over, we can all take a moment to rejoice, rest and recover, but only a moment. Now, the real work begins. I cherish this moment for many reasons, but perhaps the most relevant to this blog is to show what can be done with just an inkling of hope, a lot of hard work and amazing amounts of fundraising and development.

President-Elect Obama was clear in mentioning that a lot of the credit goes to those of us who gave to his campaign in one way or another so he could actually run for the office. We experience the same here, at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. We can not be here without the philanthropic help from corporations and foundations, word-of-mouth marketing, workplace giving, and donations in-kind. It is because of extreme generosity we are now entering our 16th year, with our largest paid staff to date, helping children reach careers with the help of one-to-one tutoring and mentoring.

Every Wednesday and Thursday, several children come to our center to meet with professionals who volunteer their time and hearts to our youth and our organization. Throughout the next couple months we will be hosting events to plan for the next year, accommodate our new staff and administration and mold ourselves to the changes ahead. I will personally be examining the strengths of our organization, our weaknesses and threats and capitalizing on any opportunities presented.



I have learned so much from a fundraising standpoint while being here and am looking to continue my growth in that regard. I am learning to turn marketing opportunities into fundraising opportunities. From a development standpoint, I am learning to differentiate the two. I admit I had them misconstrued.

"In fundraising, you make do with what you have. You keep the organization going and out of debt. In development, you start with what you have and you help it grow." -Anonymous

I have been attempting to fundraise for the past eight months, now I know I need to be working on the development of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection. That's where you come in. The high school drop out rate is through the roof and our country is the only industrialized nation where today's young people are less likely to finish high school than their parents who had harder times even getting into school. We've gathered some resources on improving graduation rates, through tutor/mentor pairs and engaging activities for our youth so that they may not only graduate but enter into a chosen career path. Isn't that something worth fighting for? Isn't that something worth contributing to?

Our doors, numbers, information is always open to you. Donors and funders alike are always welcome to come in and visit us, see what we do, meet our CEO, our kids, our volunteers and find a way to help us make a difference. Call me and schedule a visit today and let us repair the family dinner table as a missed opportunity, and let our future excel.

We.Can.