When we talk about education, we are usually talking about teaching others about ecology and environmental health. But sometimes it isn’t about teaching others; sometimes it’s about the Keta Legacy Foundation Board of Directors learning new skills and about unfamiliar subjects.
At our Board Retreat this year, we dug into two subjects that are important to the work of the Foundation. We learned about budgeting for non-profit organizations and how to build a sustainable budget. There’s a big difference between budgeting for a predictable income stream and budgeting for a nonprofit where the income stream can vary wildly from month to month. It’s no wonder we value our monthly donors so highly.
Learning about nonprofit budgeting is something we need to do every few years as the Board composition changes and we add more Directors new to service on non-profit boards. It isn’t one of the more exciting things we do, but it is very important to the long-term health of the Foundation.
In addition to learning budgeting essentials, we also learned about fundraising. Our continued existence and success depend upon the generosity and continued support of our donors. Thanks to the kindness of a former Foundation Director who is now working on her master’s degree in non-profit management, we got a crash course in the fundamentals of this uncomfortable subject. Not many people actually like asking others for money, but we learned that that is the wrong way to think of it. We aren’t asking people for money, we are asking them to help us support work that we’re all passionate about. That shared passion, demonstrated by financial support, is why we are so incredibly grateful to our donors.
The Board of Directors was surprised to learn that the IRS has categories of non-profits; our IRS designation relies on having multiple small donors. Each individual donor who gives $5 to $500 helps us remain a public good non-profit, which is the designation we want to retain.
The Foundation’s mission is “to promote actions and foster understanding to inspire conservation from the Rhododendron Preserve to the Salish Sea region” and our vision is “people connecting with and protecting healthy ecosystems.” Both are intrinsically good for the public.
We provide a publicly accessible healthy forest ecosystem, support for like-minded organizations, and education programs for all ages. So, if you are one of our fantastic small donors, thank you so much for your support. We really can’t do it without you! And if you’d like to become one of our small donors, you can do so here.
– Katha Miller-Winder, President