The annual Holiday Fundraising Campaign is off to a great start by the standards of years before last. We set a high goal of $50,000 by the end of January, and as of this writing, we have received more than $23,000. Before we got too big for our britches last year and started setting arrogant goals, 23k would have been a pretty celebratory result for this point. In fact, dadgumit, I’m going to celebrate this. We’re well on track for our second-best-ever holiday campaign and are grateful for all the support.
Grants and gifts are a small part of Imagine’s total funding. Pursuing them is an even smaller part of what we do. But size isn’t everything, and the importance of these gifts is this: if we prioritize direct care compensation from our fee-for-service funding, and we do, it is the generosity of our community that allows us to bridge unfunded needs of the people we serve. In times of crisis, whether for one individual or the whole world at once, it’s the reserves provided by donors and philanthropies that help us adapt, be generous, and focus our resources where they’ll do the most good.
If you are looking for reasons to give, I’d like to propose a person-centered set of rationales that might appeal to various biases:
First, Imagine’s culture is itself generous, and you and we make great fellow travelers. While nearly every human service agency lacks resources to do all the good it aspires to, Imagine does our work in a shared climate of gratitude. Second, the people we serve are extraordinary and deserve your support along with ours. Third, our caregivers are extraordinary and deserve the security that your donations foster. Fourth, we are proud of our navigation of the COVID pandemic, but all we did cost a lot. Last year, we spent several tens of thousands of dollars on PPE, COVID pay, testing, and overtime, and your contributions share that burden, making it lighter and our community safer. Fifth, to paraphrase conventional wisdom, nonprofits think with their reserves. If you wish we were smarter, you can stuff our skulls full right here.
We’re very grateful for the support from the community, which takes many forms, including friendships, kind words, and wishes, voluntary assistance, partnerships, and gifts to our agency. I thank you.
-Submitted by Doug