By Marilyn Parks, VMN-Fairfax Chapter
Some people give because it feels good. Others give to make an impact. The Fairfax Chapter benefitted from both with our recent $5,000 donation to support the Virginia Master Naturalist program.
The VMN program is one of several programs operated under the direction of Virginia Tech’s Virginia Cooperative Extension. VCE provides resources and educational outreach to Virginia’s more than seven million residents! Our chapters look to VMN for policies and procedures, organizational structure, adherence to VCE and Virginia Tech guidelines and administrative support and guidance. This year VMN chapters received the Better Impact volunteer management system, at no cost to us, but at a significant cost to VCE. We saw our VMN state team taxed with reduced staff and increased responsibilities with the transition to Better Impact. One full time director, one part-time project assistant and one part-time volunteer coordinator. That’s it – to support 30 chapters and more than 3,000 VMN volunteers. Programs similar to ours in other states charge for the services which we, in Virginia, receive without cost. But, someone must pay for the things we need.
It turns out donations are critical to the VMN baseline budget. Donations were used this year to pay staff. Donations are vital for VMN to pursue new initiatives. Many grant opportunities require matching funds, and VMN cannot use any of the normal program funds (from sponsoring agencies) for that match.
The Fairfax Chapter saw an opportunity to take the lead and make a donation. Why? Because it made sense! We’re getting services and tools for free. Ours is one of the largest chapters with about 250 dues paying members. We host 40 trainees at a cost of $200/person semi-annually. We are fortunate to have money in the bank, but as a non profit are cognizant of the need to spend it wisely. What better way to pay it forward than making a donation to our parent organization? We were easily inspired to do so and have been greatly rewarded in seeing a direct impact from what we’ve done.
When you take a leadership role, you have the ability to inspire others. We hope the leadership role Fairfax Chapter has taken inspires your chapter to look into the possibility of making a donation to VMN. We, the Fairfax Chapter, challenge your chapter to make a donation.
Thank you VMN, VCE and Virginia Tech for all you do for us.
Some people give because it feels good. Others give to make an impact. The Fairfax Chapter benefitted from both with our recent $5,000 donation to support the Virginia Master Naturalist program.
The VMN program is one of several programs operated under the direction of Virginia Tech’s Virginia Cooperative Extension. VCE provides resources and educational outreach to Virginia’s more than seven million residents! Our chapters look to VMN for policies and procedures, organizational structure, adherence to VCE and Virginia Tech guidelines and administrative support and guidance. This year VMN chapters received the Better Impact volunteer management system, at no cost to us, but at a significant cost to VCE. We saw our VMN state team taxed with reduced staff and increased responsibilities with the transition to Better Impact. One full time director, one part-time project assistant and one part-time volunteer coordinator. That’s it – to support 30 chapters and more than 3,000 VMN volunteers. Programs similar to ours in other states charge for the services which we, in Virginia, receive without cost. But, someone must pay for the things we need.
It turns out donations are critical to the VMN baseline budget. Donations were used this year to pay staff. Donations are vital for VMN to pursue new initiatives. Many grant opportunities require matching funds, and VMN cannot use any of the normal program funds (from sponsoring agencies) for that match.
The Fairfax Chapter saw an opportunity to take the lead and make a donation. Why? Because it made sense! We’re getting services and tools for free. Ours is one of the largest chapters with about 250 dues paying members. We host 40 trainees at a cost of $200/person semi-annually. We are fortunate to have money in the bank, but as a non profit are cognizant of the need to spend it wisely. What better way to pay it forward than making a donation to our parent organization? We were easily inspired to do so and have been greatly rewarded in seeing a direct impact from what we’ve done.
When you take a leadership role, you have the ability to inspire others. We hope the leadership role Fairfax Chapter has taken inspires your chapter to look into the possibility of making a donation to VMN. We, the Fairfax Chapter, challenge your chapter to make a donation.
Thank you VMN, VCE and Virginia Tech for all you do for us.
