We Did It! (Then We Blasted Past It!)
Dear Friends,
Two weeks ago I reached out to tell you that we were within $800 of our goal. Very quickly, 11 of you responded with gifts to put us over the top!
So first and foremost, I want to say thank you. Your support means so much to me, and as I work with the board to begin our first project, I know that this will have a tremendous impact on the future of Friends and countless seekers.
Some Amazing News
A few days ago I had lunch with a donor who was impressed with our success and had a lot of questions about the finances and vision for the project. I pulled out our 5 year plan, and we went over how we plan to spend this money and how we hope to grow the project and sustain it.
Once we had gone over the numbers, he shared with me how excited he is about our vision, and what a firm foundation he thinks we are building. But, he said, there’s one problem: you’ll need more startup capital! He committed to matching every gift made before our launch in early Spring, up to $25,000!!
Friends, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. What an incredible network we are building of thoughtful partners who aren’t just giving money but their time and expertise to making this vision as powerful as possible. With every conversation I have about the project, I am further convinced that I’m in the right place, and that Quakers absolutely have something unique to offer the world.
Let’s Talk stretch goals
Thanks to you, we are beginning production on our first project: a powerful, exciting weekly Quaker podcast. And because of our success with this campaign, we are able to dream a little bigger.
This extra funding would mean we could meet our stretch goals of hiring our podcast producer at full time instead of part time, I could get help with the administrative side of running the nonprofit (no small task, I’m learning!) and we could provide our first project with the resources it needs not just to exist, but to thrive.
If you’re one of the 124 Friends who contributed to making our goal, thank you so much. You are my heroes. And if you’ve been on the fence or haven’t gotten around to it, now is a great time. Will you help us meet our stretch goal, and double your gift in the process?
in peace
Jon Watts
PS Don’t forget… we are hiring! If you know of any talented media creators who might jump at a chance to work with me and to start something new, please send them this.