Dear Friends. I am blown away. Thank you for your generous support, and your supportive comments. Thanks to you, we are already 30% of the way to our goal of raising our last $50k by the end of 2022. This past week it has been such a joy to finally share this vision with a broader audience, and I’m overwhelmed by the thoughtful comments, both public and private that I’ve received about the project idea. Quakers, once again, are proving that we are small but mighty.

Let’s keep up the momentum! Can we get to $25k by the end of September? Please give if you haven’t already, and help us spread the word! Thank you so much, Friends.

As I’ve traveled among Friends for the past year and shared the idea of a Quaker organization equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century media landscape, I’ve heard one thing over and over: “it’s about time”.

I believe that Friends have something special to share with the world, a unique way to share it, and an unprecedented opportunity to be heard. But being heard isn’t a guarantee. Social media is a busy space, with lots of voices vying for our attention. I have spent the past 10 years experimenting with and building a strategic approach to visibility, while staying rooted in our unique values.

But having a plan for highly visible, powerful content is just the start. Starting something new requires expertise, and perseverance. There have been a lot of steps to get to the starting line: applying for 501(c)3 status, organizing a board, writing bylaws, conflict of interest policies, and personnel handbooks. The list goes on and on (don’t forget fundraising!) and these are all areas that I don’t have experience in. The process has given me lots of opportunities to ask for –and receive– help.

Quakers have a phrase: “Way opens.” When we are faithful to our guide and listening deeply, we find that the resources materialize, often from other faithful Friends who are listening to the same source. For the past year, I have watched Friends of all different backgrounds emerge from the woodwork to support the vision for Thee Quaker in whatever ways they could. We’ve had Friends with expertise in law, taxation, fundraising, board development, and many more areas offer their services.

Do you find this vision for a hopeful future that engages modern media technology to lift up courageously faithful voices something worth supporting? If so, we need your help. We are trying to meet our startup goal of $125,000 by December. We hope you will choose to DONATE, and help us make history.