As a Board Member and Chair of the Development Committee, I am pleased to announce the official launch of NESEA’s first ever Capacity Campaign!

The NESEA Board of Directors has committed to raising an additional $100,000 in each of the next three fiscal years to add to our operating budget. To reach this goal, we are pursuing expanded grant and partnership opportunities and engaging the greater community to philanthropically support our work as a non-profit. Funds raised through the Capacity Campaign will enable us to follow through on the goals of the strategic plan and ensure access to all those who can benefit from our work and content.

We began the campaign by asking our most dedicated supporters to step up and lead this effort. And boy did they answer! We received over $50,000 in lead donations, far surpassing our goal for this initial phase of the campaign. (This is already significantly more than NESEA typically receives in gifts for the entire year!) We are so grateful to these lead donors, many of whom doubled or even tripled their previous gift amount.

This is a sign that our campaign messaging is resonating with our members and shows the great groundwork that has been laid over the years in the NESEA community. I am encouraged by the results, and hope you are too!

I’m also proud to say we have 100% participation of the Board in this campaign, which strengthens NESEA’s case to foundations and other potential funders as we move forward.

You may have already received the annual appeal letter from Marc Rosenbaum. If not, you can get a sneak peak here. Marc has a long history with NESEA, and he has chosen to invest in this campaign and in our future to ensure that others can benefit from this important network.

But it’s not just long-time members getting on board. Our very first lead gift came from Mira Lieman-Sifry, an emerging professional member who already recognizes the value of NESEA to her career and her personal values.

This is a time for the NESEA tribe to come together and support this amazing non-profit organization that provides such important programming and resources to our professional community.

We hope to have as many members as possible participate in this campaign. I challenge you to make a gift at any level to support NESEA. I would love to see 100% participation from our membership in this campaign. It’s a lofty goal, but it would be a big statement about who we are and the impact we make on the world. Whether you donate $10 or $10,000, the important thing is that you stand up to be counted as someone who recognizes and supports the value of NESEA.

Over the course of this three-year campaign, we’ll be engaging our membership and community in new ways and taking NESEA to the next level. I’m proud to be leading this charge on behalf of the board and am excited to see what we can accomplish together.

Please visit our Capacity Campaign webpage to learn more and make your gift. Thank you for your support!

Rob Meyers
Capacity Campaign Chair