Shining a Light on Growth
“Plants seeds and farm the crap out of it. Can’t rush the process in any aspect of life. Every seed grows at its own pace.”
Well, they say a new year brings opportunities for new growth - and growth is the name of the game at Fund a Life in 2023! Let’s take a look at what we’re shining a light on this year:
What we’ve already accomplished:
At the end of last year, we settled into our new office space! We made this move for several reasons: to help us drive our mission’s energy, inspire even more growth, and help facilitate our connection to the community. Our new location is a wonderful place to brainstorm and collaborate with our internal committees, Mission Partners, and local supporters. We’d love for you to stop by and say hi!
One of the most exciting developments for me was formalizing and launching our high-end Mission Partner Program. We have five current Mission Partners, and we would love to expand our partnerships this year. The ultimate goal of our Mission Partner Program is to cover 100% of the operational costs at Fund a Life, to help us to ensure that every dollar donated to Fund a Life by individuals and through our annual events goes directly into our grant awards, in addition to any surplus Mission Partner funds. If you’re interested in becoming a Mission Partner, either as an individual, organization, or business, I strongly encourage you to learn more about the Program, and reach out to me today.
Shevalla Kramer,
Director of Development
Finally, in January, we were thrilled to welcome Shevalla Kramer to the Fund a Life team as Director of Development - our first full-time hire! I met Shevalla seven years ago, and she’s been an incredible volunteer for and supporter of Fund a Life ever since. With a Masters degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development, Shevalla comes to us from the world of finance, with a huge heart for volunteering, nonprofits, and supporting her community.
We’re so excited to have snagged her for our team. She’s already rocking and rolling, and it feels like she’s been part of the team forever.
What’s happening now:
Being a small organization, the reality is that we’re always operating in two modes simultaneously: brainstorming and execution. This first quarter of 2023, we’re hyper-focused on coming up with ways that we can enhance our operators internally, to allow us to help even more people in need.
We’re working hard to come up with strategies to enhance the attendee experience at all of our upcoming events! We’re also in the final stages of launching our full-year calendar, which will include registration and sponsorship opportunities.
As our traditional events like Run for Hope have continued to expand, we’ve been faced with infrastructure limitations that have brought unexpected challenges. As a result, we’re deep into brainstorming mode - looking into new venues, adding new elements to keep things interesting, and increasing attendance - all to drive the mission forward.
We’re also in the midst of our 2nd annual jewelry raffle with Mission Partner Cooper & Binkley Diamond Jewelers! Every raffle ticket is a chance to WIN a $10,000 jewelry shopping spree from Cooper & Binkley, and we’re only selling 100 tickets - they’re going to go FAST, so make sure you get yours! Email SpringBling@Fundalife.org or visit Cooper & Binkley Diamond Jewelers in downtown Brighton. The raffle will be held at 5pm on April 13th!
What comes next:
One of our main focuses for 2023 is to come up with more creative ways to build out our foundation even wider across the whole state of Michigan, so that we can reach more people in need of hope. We’re actively searching for and considering opportunities for events, activities, and fundraisers beyond the Brighton area - if you have ideas or suggestions, we would love to hear them!
How you can help:
Currently, the number of grant applicants - individuals and families facing major, life-altering circumstances - far exceeds our ability to issue grants. We’re tirelessly working to flip that around with the help of donors like you. Here are some ways you can support us:
Donate to the mission: You can donate once, or if you want to ignite even MORE hope, you can become a recurring donor! Every single dollar counts - every donation matters.
Attend our events: There’s something for everyone at Fund a Life! From Drive to Survive to the Run for Hope 5k to the Scramble for Hope, to the jewelry raffle taking place right now, there are endless opportunities to have a fabulous time while supporting your favorite nonprofit (that’s us!).
Volunteer your time: Ask any of our current volunteers and they’ll tell you what a blast we have behind the scenes. Get in on the action as a volunteer at any and all of our events this year!
Share our story: If you can’t donate time or money, believe us, we understand. But you can still support Fund a Life with your words - tell your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, and even strangers on the street about Fund a Life, and our mission of igniting hope by funding lives. Follow us on social media and share our posts; forward our emails on to everyone you know; and cheer us on whenever you can. We feel your love, and it makes a difference!
We’re so glad to have you along for the ride this year. As Fund a Life grows this year, just remember the two things that a plant needs to survive: water and light. So with that said….
Keep shining the light!
