Where do I see our foundation going? I see it growing. Slowly, but surely. Like a little bird. My Dad always enforced that. "Things take time. And nurturing. And loving." That's how I see this foundation. It's not a job for me. It's something I work on, because I'm passionate about it. I see my Dad's vision. What he wanted. And what he believed in. We talked a lot about it, before his death. And I know exactly, how he wanted his foundation to look.
Short term goals, are simple. Keep moving forward. This year's fundraiser, I'm hoping is more successful than last year's. I don't know how it will go. I just have hopes. I hope there are a few more faces there. I hope we raise a bit more money. And I hope, it continues to grow. Slowly, I think word of mouth will spread. I've contacted news and radio stations. Put up flyers. Advertised on social media. And I hope each year, gets a little bit bigger.
But no one can be certain. Heck, I just talked to some friends of my Dad. They had no clue, that he had past away. And honestly, it happens more than you'd think. So many people, 13 months later, still don't know. So as far as the growth of our fundraiser, I think it will be a slow process.
Another short term goal would be, to reopen our Etsy shop in May. I've put it on "vacation," while we prepare for our fundraiser. But I do hope, to get it back up. And make it a success. It's a ton of work! And mostly, I have items on there, for local people to look at. Then I hand deliver our items. It helps with the bottom line.
I want to grow our Fun Mail and Caring for the Caregiver projects. Both take money, time, and donations. I would like to be able to send more mail, to patients. And to be able to send some sort of package, to a caregiver...every week. Instead of once a month. I have a stack, of people who have been nominated for both.
The Grower's Market is another goal of mine. I'm anxious, to get that going again. We did really well, last season. It's a ton of work. Lots of commitment. And means I'm busy selling, twice a week. Spending the rest of the week, creating items to sell. And for this year, we have more items. Stocked up. I'm also having T-shirts, tote bags, and caps made. Anything to sell. And help us grow our foundation.
As far as long term goals, it's mostly to grow what we've started. Hopefully, getting more sponsors. Either for materials, fees for permits, items like our T-shirts...things like that. I've already been talking to people about next year's fundraiser. Local businesses and such. And surprisingly enough, I've got more donations lined up for next year, than I do for this year. :)
Another long term goal, would be to grow our scholarship fund. There is such a NEED for it! And we hope, to grow our Ernest T. "Blue" Sena Jr. Memorial Scholarship, to $1000. For the 2016-2017 school year. I'm also hopeful, that we can raise enough money, to grow our Field Trip Scholarship. To $1000 a semester. So many of the schools we serviced, still call me....
I'd also like to add, some online sales. I've talked with a few companies. And hope to start successful partnerships soon. A little hint...there will be jewelry, bags, and some makeup. But that's the only hint you get. Until I can solidify some more details.
Eventually, we'd like to completely pay, for a family to attend the Cancer Services of New Mexico retreat. Twice a year. We were given the chance to go...although my Dad was hospitalized. And we ended up, not attending. It's such a GREAT event! And this is a goal, that I'm working towards. I'd also like, to be able to make some substantial donations, towards colon cancer research. I'm so passionate about that!
Overall, we're a "grassroots" type of group. It's all about pounding the pavement, doing the hard work, and slowly growing our foundation. There are lots of big goals, that I have. But it's the little steps, that will get us there. Lots of hard work, sweat, and love...is poured into Love for Blue! ❤❤❤
