One of the hardest (and most time consuming) parts of working with a nonprofit organization like FSC is the constant need to find and obtain the funds we need to run all our programs. It seems like not a day goes by that we are not looking for or working on a grant application OR planning and executing a fundraiser.
If you look at FSC’s 2022 annual report, you will see that 80% of the funding we received came from federal, state, or local grants and contracts. And those grant dollars are getting harder and harder to find. So last year, the FSC Board made the decision that we need to increase our donation goal for 2023.
One of the biggest fundraising challenges we face is that our cause is not a warm and cuddly cause. We don’t raise money for puppies or any other feel-good cause. We raise money for the trauma and violence that many don’t want to talk about or even admit happens in their family, church, neighborhood, community, or town.
So, we continue to look for new and different ways to raise money. One of our newest initiatives is the Ray of Sunshine Monthly Giving program. This program is important to us for multiple reasons, not the least of which is that it creates predictable donations which allow us to plan and execute our programs with more confidence that we can afford them.
I hope you will join the Ray of Sunshine giving program. $10, $25, $50 a month doesn’t seem like much, but those dollars combined make a huge difference in the lives of our clients and the success of our programs.
If you have ever wondered how the shelter/residential services work at FSC, check out the article “How Safe Shelter Works at FSC”. And I can’t believe it’s already time to talk about Back to School Drives. Check out the opportunities available to help the young people in our programs get prepared to go back to school.
Before we know it, summer will be over, and another season will be upon us. Have a blessed and safe summer!
Tay
