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.

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

Daniel came to our program at the peak of many obstacles he was facing in his personal life, including having difficulties in school and having some behavioral outbursts in his home life. Since joining M+, Daniel has been placed on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for support in school to help him manage his learning, keeping him on-track with all assignments, quizzes, and tests. Despite all challenges he has had to endure at his young age; he shows up to program every week eager to learn and explore new activities and conversations with others. Daniel is 12 years old and is currently the youngest youth participating in the program. Daniel is a bright young man, who we are extremely happy to have with us each week. Outside of M+, Daniel spends much of his time with his younger siblings, and enjoys listening to music, watching videos and has stated that he really likes the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game. Daniel has recently been matched with his first Life Coach at M+, and the two have really seemed to click. We are so proud of this youth and all he is working towards.

The future of social work is looking brighter, thanks to the students at Northern Kentucky University. This holiday season, Northern Kentucky area non-profits received thousands of dollars that were raised by students at NKU. From social work to marketing, students from across the campus ran various campaigns to support the local community, help those who are in need, and promote the non-profit organizations that serve the most disadvantaged people in the region.

The description of one such fundraiser read as follows: “Across the country, access to housing has become a major issue.  Every day, families in Northern Kentucky are facing the potential of foreclosure, poverty, and homelessness. This not only impacts the adults who are struggling to make ends meet, but also the children whose learning and education is being affected by multiple moves and the absence of a stable home.  These are complex problems that need all of us to work together before we can come to a solution.”

After addressing the problems, the students went on to do something about it:  “We are a group of aspiring social workers hoping to come together to start to solve this problem in Northern Kentucky. Our class is associated with the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project, which seeks to educate students through giving by being grant makers in the classroom.  Over the next few weeks, we will be working together to identify potential non-profits who also hold this issue central to their mission. We will then choose 1-2 of these organizations as our community partners.”

That group went on to raise $2000, donating half of those funds to Mentoring Plus in the form of the Mayerson Grant.

Additionally, David Raska, a marketing professor at Northern, challenged ten of his students to raise as much as they could for Mentoring plus for #GivingTuesday, with the promise that he would match their donation up to $1000. Student Haley Payne organized a GoFundMe page in the final days before #GivingTuesday, raising $575. Raska’s match brought their total to $1150.

But they didn’t stop there. Earlier in the year during the Spring semester, those same marketing students worked on a project for Kona Ice.

“Tony Lamb (CEO and Founder of Kona Ice), needed to gain insights into what branding and products should be used to appeal to a new target audience,” Raska explained. “As such, the project focused on testing new brand and product concepts via online sample survey conducted with over 800 Millennials living in Greater Cincinnati/NKY area. We then used the data to present the client with recommendations regarding what brand concept to use, what products to offer under that brand concept, and whom to target and where to reach them.”

After completing the project, the students were invited to the Kona Ice Konvention, and were awarded $2000. Going into the giving season, the group still had $1700 remaining, and elected to add that to their #GivingTuesday contribution, bringing their new total to $2850.

All-in-all, NKU contributed nearly $4000 to Mentoring Plus is just a matter of weeks. We wish to thank them for their continuous efforts to improve the Northern Kentucky community. We are especially grateful that they have recognized Mentoring Plus as the recipient of these funds, allowing us to continue our mission.