Loosening Our Grip

Dear Friends,

Our end-of-year fundraiser galas have grown bigger and been more successful every year, so we know our decision to take a break from holding a fundraiser this year left some of you scratching your heads wondering why.

For one thing, we figured there was no way we could top last year’s venue and turnout. We considered conducting a few low-brow, informational get togethers at some area restaurants (and we still may do this) but the over-the-top galas demand so much time and energy and we thought this year we would just devote that energy into other ways of communicating our message.

Communication is everything. Extravagant galas are one method of conveying our message, but they’re not the most cost-efficient or time-efficient way to tell our story. Truth is, the old-fashioned way of printed-and-mailed newsletters (so 20th century!) are much more efficient in sharing our message than are once-a-year events.  And, of course, the internet has revolutionized the way we communicate. Sending you this email was immediate and it cost us nothing.

We must not cling so tightly to “the way we’ve always done it.” We must loosen our grip. In our rapidly changing world, an organization’s readiness to adapt will make all the difference in its success. Adaptability. It’s a survival skill in our work in Haiti. And it will keep us relevant and current in how we grow Starfysh here at home.

I do have a request for those of you who may have been waiting for our gala to write your end-of-year checks to Starfysh:  Don’t wait! Help us take advantage of our current momentum. We are making tremendous gains in our work in Haiti and we want to keep pouring gas on the fire. Now into our 7th year, we are actually starting to see the needle move! Please help us keep it moving in 2017.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Steve Edmondson
President, Starfysh