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Fundraiser Postponed, Now What?

The 2020 Seeds of Hope Gala was going to be a grand event. The fundraiser, originally scheduled for March 20th, would be celebrating its tenth anniversary. This year also marks the 225th anniversary of the founding of Newport, KY. Mentoring Plus, headquartered in Newport, was hosting the event in Newport’s legendary Syndicate, and was honoring one of Newport’s most popular citizens, city manager, Tom Fromme. Registrations were beginning to pour in. The stage was set for a spectacular night of fundraising and celebration.

Then the COVID-19 virus struck.

What does a non-profit do when its largest annual fundraiser gets shut down?

That question is just the tip of the iceberg. It opens a pandora’s box of follow-up questions for us about how our program will operate on a restricted budget, or what new fundraising efforts can be made to replace the event, and how can the star of the show, in this case Tom Fromme, still be honored and celebrated? Not all of these questions can be answered quickly, as circumstances are constantly changing. But Mentoring Plus is moving forward as much as possible.

Above all else, M+ is focused on the kids and families that we serve. We’ve adapted our programming and outreach to accommodate the new environment. But without funding, the program can only survive so long. Finding a substantial replacement for the Seeds Gala became the next major priority.

First, #GivingTuesday jumped up in the calendar. Upon seeing so many organizations with an urgent need for funds, the annual day of giving was moved from Thanksgiving up to this coming Tuesday! May 5th is #GivingTuesdayNow, and should act as a catalyst for many contributors around the world.

Similarly, Kentucky’s annual day of giving has seen a record engagement in the wake of the health crisis. Kentucky’s countdown will also begin on May 5th, with #KYGives culminating on May 12th.

In the meantime, Mentoring Plus leaders spent the end of April reaching out to past major donors, raising nearly $20,000 as of this writing. Additionally, some M+ supporters hosted online fundraisers that brought in several hundred dollars for the organization.

Finally, as we head into May, we are seeking to pull all of this positive momentum together into one focused effort. We launched a major campaign on GoFundMe, the world’s largest and most trusted fundraising platform. The goal is to raise an additional $35,000 by the end of May. We are hopeful that this campaign will be promoted far and wide by all of our supporters, gaining contributions from a large number of people. $5 here, $20 there, and maybe a few $500 donations sprinkled in…

So what about the Seeds of Hope? As of this writing, the timeline of returning to normalcy is still uncertain. We have tentatively postponed the event until June 26th, and hope we can pull together an event worthy of our guest of honor, Tom Fromme. Anyone who purchased tickets or contributed as a sponsor will have the opportunity to attend the rescheduled event, as all purchases will transfer to the new date. Given the circumstances, we anticipate a smaller, more intimate event. With all of the fundraising activities we’ve got lined up, we’ll be able to place a greater focus on celebrating Mr. Fromme and M+ youth rather than fundraising.

The fundraising efforts start now. With your help, we’re confident that M+ will reach its $35,000 goal, power through the summer, and survive to the next fundraiser in September. Please donate today.

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Program During Pandemic

The changing landscape brought on by CoronaVirus has been a challenge for so many people, businesses, and organizations. Mentoring Plus is no exception, and navigating this new landscape has taken monumental efforts from our team.

At its core, the program flourishes as a site-based, face-to-face mentoring program, and provides a loving, family-style atmosphere where youth and life coaches can come together. That doesn’t exactly make for an easy transition to this new online-only world we’re living in.

To make matters worse, the health scare and quarantine orders have created additional stresses for the youth and families that we serve. Some of our teens have suffered from a history of child abuse or neglect. Nationally, 68% of child abuse is committed by family members. So now there’s this situation where some young people are finding themselves “trapped” at home. No school, no part-time job, and no Mentoring Plus program to which they can escape. And this is on top of the more common stressors that most Americans are facing: Where will I get food and other groceries? How will I pay my rent or mortgage? When will things get back to normal?

The entire M+ team has stepped up to provide as much support as possible throughout this difficult season. From the board members to the volunteers and every staff member in between, the response has been significant. Program Director Robin Anderson quickly set up a private Facebook community for the youth, life coaches, and case managers, creating a fun and safe space where the M+ family could stay in touch with one another. The program’s family-style dinners were converted to delivery meals, packaged up and transported directly to the homes of our families. We added hygiene and other essentials to those deliveries, as well, turning our on-site resources into a mobile delivery service.

The case managers, in particular, have really stepped up. Staying in touch with the families has been more important than ever, so they’ve made extra phone calls, video calls, home visits, and anything else they can think of in order to keep the youth and their families healthy during this time. In many cases, they have been the frontline in protecting the M+ teens and serving M+ families. In uncertain times, it’s the case managers who have acted as beacons for the community, helping our neighbors to find some semblance of stability. All this, while also navigating their personal journeys through the crisis. They have families of their own. Their jobs, while not glamourous to begin with (Mentoring Plus, like many non-profit organizations, operates on a shoestring budget), have become more cumbersome while offering fewer benefits. And yet, they continue in the mission of empowering disadvantaged youth and their families.

Mentors are remaining active, with nearly 80% of them communicating with their teen multiple times a week. Board members have stepped up fundraising efforts to make up for canceled and postponed events. And our audience is staying engaged, with our social media activity reaching new heights over the past six weeks.

The world has changed. Mentoring Plus has changed, too. Every day we hear more about the “new normal,” and we’re pivoting to meet those new circumstances head-on. With our dedicated team, and with your help, Mentoring Plus will come away from this chapter stronger than before.

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A Note from the Mentoring Plus Board Chair

April 1, 2020

The COVID-19 challenge has turned our daily lives inside-out, and forced us to adapt to a “new normal.” This is true for everyone from the wealthiest to poorest among us, and it’s particularly challenging for those who were facing high risk and adversity even before this virus arrived. As the world navigates through physical and psychological distress, I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you how Mentoring Plus is working to address the crises.

First, we are recommitting to our mission: We empower disadvantaged youth and their families to fulfill their potential, and provide them with the courage and resources to pursue that potential. We’re doubling down on our intensive case management, offering more one-on-one time and education services for the youth. We’re transforming the youth/lifecoach family-style meals at our campus into a delivery service that brings nutritious meals directly to the youth and their families. We’re renewing our efforts to bring job services to the parents and guardians who are facing major cuts or job losses. And we’re exploring new therapy options for the youth as they try to adjust to a new level of chaos.

We’re also refocusing on communication, both internally and with supporters like you. As this crisis has forced the world online, we’re enhancing our use of virtual and instant communication. Through a partnership with NKU, we’ll soon bring you greater social media content than ever before, with unique storytelling and engagement opportunities (You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram now.) Additionally, our program director has led the creation of a private Facebook group; a place where youth, families, life coaches, and case managers can freely communicate with one another. This will greatly enhance the strong sense of community and trust that we’ve already established, while allowing us to maintain safe social distancing protocols.

Finally, we are shifting our attitude. I’ll admit that I struggled to meet some of the challenges brought on by this virus. Honestly, I felt frozen as I faced the onslaught of challenges. Our largest fundraiser was postponed, leaving a major financial hole to fill. Our program, which thrives as a site-based, group meeting with 15-20 people, had to be totally reconfigured. And our staff, who are truly the altruistic saints of the nonprofit sector, have had to face reduced hours even as they transform our mentoring and service strategies.

But every great obstacle provides a great opportunity. As Mentoring Plus enters its second decade, I know that we’ve already faced and overcome other difficulties. And looking at our future, I’m reminded of Rudyard Kipling’s immortal paean to perseverance: “If.” It’s worth revisiting in full, and repeating as a daily meditation in the weeks ahead. I hope you will join me, and “keep your head when all about you/ Are losing theirs and blaming it on you/ …trust yourself when all men doubt you/ But make allowance for their doubting too/ ….or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,/ And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools.”

At Mentoring Plus, we have the tools, the team, and the conviction to take on this challenge and overcome adversity. We’ll emerge from this crisis stronger than ever before. We’ll provide better and more comprehensive services for the youth and families in our community. We will truly empower them to fulfill their potential so that they, too, can emerge from this crisis feeling stronger than ever.

Thank you for your continued partnership. We will never forget that the work we do is made possible by the compassion, volunteerism, and donations of our neighbors. We look forward to delivering on our promise to guide kids, support families, and strengthen communities.

With grit, grace, & gratitude,

William LJ Cole,
Chairman of the Board

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