You might have noticed that we have fall fundraising goal: to raise $60,000 to support our work with Lakes Area families like Steven and Laura’s. You helped us reach this same goal last year and we pray that you’ll help again this year. Just 19 days into this year’s campaign, this generous community has already donated over $12,000!
This year has brought many amazing opportunities to Bridges of Hope, and we’ve faced a few challenges, too. One of our major challenges is the extremely competitive nature of the “Grant Funding World.” Many of our favorite foundations report receiving requests for 3-4 times the dollar amount they have available to give during a funding cycle. During a time when nonprofits are being asked to do more than ever, that math does not add up for local families who are looking to organizations like Bridges of Hope to help during a crisis.
We have a couple of staff members who devote part of their time to writing grants for the organization all year round, and they are pretty good at it. In fact, our “success rate” in 2011 was 59% and the dollar amount funded for these approved grants was 50%. In 2012, our grant writing success rate is 63% (not bad, right?), but the kicker is that only about 30% of the dollar amount we requested has been granted. This has played a large role in our $60,000 year-end funding gap.
Now, we certainly do not intend to sound ungrateful–because we are SO appreciative of our Foundation partners! We simply want to convey to you the extreme importance of your personal gift to Bridges of Hope this year. We have never had a waiting list at Bridges of Hope, and I do not want this to be the first year our clients have to wait for the guidance and support that could change their lives.
Can you make a gift of $150 to support our services with one family? Every gift matters, whatever the size, and you can be sure we are putting your gift to good use. If you’re curious about what your gift can do, you can read some of our Moment of Hope stories here.
Thank you for helping us keep up with the demand for services during this very busy fall and holiday season. This generous community has already helped our campaign raise over $12,000! Can YOU help us get to the halfway mark by Thanksgiving? Your gift is 100% tax-deductible.
Thank you for helping us build Bridges!