The Match Game

If you're old enough to recognize the man on the left, you probably also remember the man on the right - Gene Rayburn, host of The Match Game.

We've been playing our own version of The Match Game during the past few months, reminding and encouraging donors to apply for employee designated gifts or employer matches for the gifts they make to ThriVe. It's an easy way for donors to increase their gifts. A list of companies in the St. Louis area known to match gifts is now on our website. During the past week, we've received FOUR such gifts - from Boeing, Monsanto, MasterCard, and Safeco! As Gene would say..."We've got a match!"

With input from the Board's Development Committee, we're finalizing a strategy aimed to create a Circle of Friends - donors who commit to introducing ThriVe to two new prospective donors each year, thus creating a steady stream of qualified referrals from which to cultivate recurring and increased-level gifts.

We're pleased to have received a generous offer this week from West-Central Saint Louis County Lutherans for Life - an invitation to request up to $300 every 90 days for pregnancy resource needs. Thanks to City Center volunteer Becky Deveydt for championing ThriVe within Lutherans for Life!

The latest issue of Connections, our quarterly newsletter, will be arriving in your mailbox within the next week or so. If you would like to have additional copies to distribute through your business, at your church, or though some other venue, please call me at 314-783-3040 ext 225.

And if you don't recognize the man on the left, it's probably because you aren't accustomed to seeing him with his shirt or without his medals!

It's August Already - how are we doing?

Tuesday was a big news day for ThriVe as volunteers, clients and staff were featured on KSDK Channel 5's Show Me St. Louis at 3:00 pm. While resource client Trish spoke to TV viewers about our ongoing need for diapers, wipes and other baby supplies and equipment that clients earn through accomplishment, St. Charles County Regional Manager Myrna Conrad and CEO Mark Dungan spoke with Harold Hendrick on KSIV AM 1320. Myrna explained the critical need for in-kind donations and Mark introduced the opportunity for churches and other organizational groups to 'adopt' a resource room for one month, stocking it with diapers, onesies, baby wipes, baby towels and washcloths and other program necessities.

Save the date! We have secured our corner for Old Newsboys Day: Thursday, November 20! We will be selling papers on 4561-4569 Forest Park Ave, right by the Panera Bread Co - aka St. Louis Bread Company, aka Bread Co, aka where LOTS AND LOTS of people stop in for coffee, pastries and wi-fi. All Newsies are asked to report in to the corner of Euclid and Forest Park Avenue by 6am and stay until 9am. We have 350 papers to sell – and a great spot – so come ready to ThriVe! Let Erin know of you would like to sign up. 314-783-3040, ext 225.

One of our donor cultivation and stewardship goals is to have made personal contact with approximately 150 donors by the end of September, visiting with them about their specific areas of interest in our mission, asking for referrals to friends who may be like-minded, and offering opportunities for continued investment in ThriVe. We're making calls, setting appointments, and visiting with donors daily.

Our Sanctity of Human Life initiative will begin officially in October, but you'll hear rumblings about it and how we plan to engage groups as well as individuals during the coming weeks.

Last week, in our St. Louis City location, 6 volunteers from all over the U.S. - in St. Louis through Group Work Camps Foundation - worked a total of 64 person-hours during 2 days. Their tireless efforts at landscape maintenance, routine clerical tasks, cleaning, assembling and organizing saved us time and money. And they also made congratulatory cards for upcoming Resource graduates!

Please let me know anything you hear about us, good or bad, within your sphere of influence. We're working to advance our organization and our mission and appreciate knowing what is and is not working!

News and Newsies

If you missed the article in the Metro section (page B2) of the Post-Dispatch on Tuesday, here's the link. All Centers were listed individually with addresses and phone numbers, along with a call for much-needed diapers and newborn supplies. Response has been wonderful!

In case you weren't tuned to 850 AM on Wednesday at 7:10 a.m., the ten minute interview with ThriVe President/CEO Mark Dungan will soon be available for on our website. KFUO is the nation's longest continuously running religious radio station and is housed on the Concordia Seminary campus in St. Louis.

Watch the South County and South City Suburban Journals for upcoming an interview and photo of Tracy Flori, South County Center Manager. The article will focus on Tracy's involvement with ThriVe, our ongoing need for baby supplies, and the critical need for our organization in the St. Louis community.

Our pregnancy resource program is a previous recipient of Old Newsboys funding and we are invited to apply again this year. We've also been asked to help recruit volunteers to sell the papers on the Thursday before Thanksgiving - Old Newsboys Day. (Thursday, November 20th.) If you've always wanted to be a newsie, call Erin at 314-783-3040 ext 224 - she'll help make your dream come true.

Talk and Tours are now being scheduled at our Central West End center for September 12, October 10 and November 14. If you have friends you'd like to introduce to our mission, a tour is a great opportunity to do so. These no-pressure, breakfast or lunch events are designed to provide information and education - no one will be asked for money at a Talk and Tour. We will follow up after the event with those who give us permission to do so. For more information or to reserve space, call me at 314-783-3040 ext 225.

We've just completed our Development Plan for FY09 and are compiling a menu of opportunities for investment in our mission, a tool for presentations to current and prospective donors. We're also developing a PowerPoint presentation and a corporate brochure that illustrate the critical need for our services and the impact they have to save and change lives.

And last, our Annual Report for FY07 - our last year as PRC - is back from the graphic designer and soon will be posted on our website. If you'd like a copy on disk, let me know.

Forging Relationships

Our new fiscal year is off to a great start with grassroots interest and involvement flourishing! On July 8^th , 14 volunteers gave a total of 37.5 hours helping the Development Department with vital projects that would have otherwise taken weeks of staff time. Thanks to all who assembled information packets, stuffed envelopes, assisted with clerical tasks and prepared goodie bags. By popular demand, we're instituting a monthly Volunteer Work Day! The next one will be Tuesday, August 12. Interested individuals and groups may request additional information from Erin Kelley (nee Herwig!) at 314-783-3040 ext 224.

We are pleased to partner this year with Churches for Life, a new ministry under the leadership of Doug Merkey. On Saturday, July 26, CFL will conduct a workshop entitled Life-Affirming Agencies from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church. The workshop is designed for agency leaders, staff and board members who want to grow their organization's relationship with local churches. Doug brings his experience as a marketing executive, theologian, and sold-out believer in Jesus to this workshop which is sure to offer some practical, substantive helps. Since ThriVe is a partner with CFL, we can send as many people as we want to the workshop without cost. Each person attending must RSVP and you may do so by email to info@getintolife.org.

To read more, go to this link: http://www.getintolife.org/Agencies/Workshops/tabid/235/Default.aspx

If the link does not work for you, go to www.getintolife.org and you can find the workshop on the Calendar. Please do not RSVP through the website - it will try to charge you $10!

Yesterday morning we were honored to be a sponsor for a Pastor Breakfast organized by the Respect Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and featuring Pastor Luke J. Robinson, Executive Director of The Voice of Truth & Life Ministries of Frederick, Maryland. Pastor Robinson, visiting St. Louis this week for the AME Convention, is committed to "Sound the Alarm" on the problem of abortion in the African American community. His teaching, exhortation and commentary edified and challenged all who attended.

This afternoon we hosted representatives from the Respect Life Apostolate for a Talk and Tour at our St. Louis City center. Our relationship with the Apostolate has been fruitful in many ways already as they encouraged strong support for our run&walk 4 Life and opened doors for us to forge new relationships within numerous schools and churches.Today's energetic conversation inspired us all to seek ongoing opportunities to share information, programming, (particularly among our respective abstinence educators) networking and collaboration and we're meeting next Wednesday to discuss more specifically how our organizations may forge a partnership for an urban initiative.
It was an inspiring way to end our week!

Why Stop Now?

The end of our fiscal year is just over two weeks away and several initiatives are in progress, aimed at closing FY2008 in the best possible position.

• We mailed the 519 donors who had given last year, but not yet this year, asking for their continued support with a gift larger than their previous giving.
• We're calling everyone (60 people) who gave for tax credits last year, but has not yet given this year, offering credits from our remaining allocation for gifts received by June 30, 2008.
• We're meeting weekly with existing donors and prospects to cultivate the greatest level of giving.
• To capitalize on the success of the run&walk 4 Life, over 5,000 current and past friends and supporters are being asked to revisit their participation (or lack of) and push the event to an even higher level through our Why Stop Now? Why Stop Ever? appeal. We are asking for one-time or recurring gifts, prayer, and volunteer support. More information is posted on our website.

Partnerships, cooperative ventures and collaborations offer opportunity for greater exposure and impact; we are pleased to be working in several organizations this summer.

• We have begun our partnership with Churches for Life - Erin will have updates and an action plan within the next few weeks.
• ThriVe will have a booth, staffed by Best Choice and Pregnancy Resource Center program representatives, at the Christian Home Educators Fellowship Convention on June 23-25.
• President/CEO Mark Dungan was a guest on Allman and Crane in the Morning - 97.1 FM Talk on June 3. Visit the 'press' page of our website for recent additions.
  
• We'll also have a booth at the Christian Family Expo on October 11, 2008. Along with our booth, we'll have a vendor listing on the Expo website. Some bugs are currently be worked out of the listing, but once resolved, you'll be able to write a review of our organization. Let people know why you are involved!
• We are always grateful for volunteer support and are eager to help individuals and groups seeking volunteer placement. On Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next eight weeks, we'll be participating in Neighborhood Experiences, a project of St. Louis ARC. ARC will provide a volunteer and a staff partner to perform sundry office jobs - stuffing envelopes, unstuffing left-over goodie bags, inventorying promotional items, sorting run&walk t-shirts, and other appropriate tasks. The Neighborhood Experiences Project helps young people with developmental disabilities obtain summer volunteer and work experiences that will help them achieve their own personal and career goals. Each young person works one-on-one with an ARC staff partner to learn, have fun, make a difference, and gain skills that will empower them to thrive!
  

Going Public

On Tuesday, May 20th, Congressman Kenny Hulshof visited our St. Charles County center. The congressman toured the facility and a visited with Center Manager Myrna Conrad, ThriVe board members Mark Keeven and Joe Ortwerth, and ThriVe President and CEO Mark Dungan before addressing a group of about 30 area constituents gathered outside the center regarding the importance of life-affirming initiatives within our state. Thanks to many of our long-time St. Charles county supporters who attended!

It was a gorgeous morning and as everyone squeezed into the lobby and down the hallway of the SCC center, it was a perfect illustration of how badly we need to expand! The congressman, his attendant staffers, and all who came out in support of his message experienced the critical need for additional space and the importance of the $131,000 Federal appropriations request we have submitted.

We continued this week to aggressively market tax credits. You can help by spreading the word to friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors, church groups...anyone who pays taxes! The tax credit program provides revenue to ThriVe and a significant tax advantage to the donor. Detailed information is available on our website.

Lots of energy and calculator tape were expended this week preparing our development plan and anticipated revenues for FY2009, to be presented to the Board of Directors on Tuesday, May 27. We have a focused plan and aggressive revenue goals - stay tuned for details!

If you have your radio on bright and early this Sunday morning, you can hear 'Today's Issues' host Kristi Carson visit with Alternatives 2 Abortion Project Administrator and Case Manager Gail Robinson and a current client, Trish about the importance of emotional and financial support in empowering women to make life-affirming decisions. Today’s Issues is a one hour long public affairs program which is broadcast weekly on each of the four EMMIS owned radio stations in St. Louis. Here's the schedule:

KSHE-FM, 94.7, SUNDAY AT 6 AM

KIHT-FM, 96.3, SUNDAY AT 5 AM

KPNT-FM, 105.7, SUNDAY AT 5 AM

KFTK-FM, 97.1, SUNDAY AT 5 AM

Run, Walk and THRIVE!

Saturday, May 10th, could not have been a more beautiful day for the 10th Annual Run&Walk 4 Life, our signature fund raising event held for the first time at our corporate facility in the Central West End.

We're still tallying participation and revenue information, but we already know that several hundred people registered and that we raised in excess of $100,000!

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Development Manager Erin Herwig and her event committee chaired by Rachael and Jason Porter, there was truly something for everyone, making for an inspiring day spent in celebration of human life!

Click here to view hundreds of photos, thanks to Amy Bennett and Sheila Richardson.

Additional information, including lists of participating churches, schools, and organizations is being added daily, so check back for an update.
The event has generated enormous interest and support, and we'll be following all leads during the next several weeks, visiting with sponsors, donors, and key participants who have embraced our mission and our organization. Run&Walk 4 Life 2008 has created powerful momentum and we believe more great results are still to come!

We're Singing in the Rain

We are rejoicing in every drop of rain as this front moves slooooowly through St. Louis, trusting that God's going to give us a glorious day for our 10th Annual Run&Walk 4 Life on Saturday, May 10...wet or dry!

THERE IS STILL TIME to register, volunteer or donate so you don't miss being a part of this energetic celebration of living abundantly! Questions? Call Erin at 314-783-3040 x224.

Amid shopping for last minute supplies, picking up the FABULOUS t-shirts from the printer, assembling goodie bags for all participants, printing check-in lists, counting out incentive tickets, setting up tables and booths and getting signs in place, we're also gearing up for our television appearance this afternoon during the Windows segment of Show Me St. Louis on KSDK NewsChannel 5. As of this morning, we have 420 registrants and have raised over $86,000!

Come to the city on Saturday and experience the Run&Walk - it's a great opportunity to enjoy fellowship, food and fun and to partner with us in our mission to empower life-affirming and healthy decisions about sex, pregnancy and relationships. If you can't be with us in person, please hold all participants in prayer!

One of the key programs through which we deliver our mission is our Best Choice sexual integrity program, a series of participatory classes offered in school and to youth groups throughout the metropolitan area. Best Choice - and our Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) grant application for this year - received an enormous affirmation this week when a large, key school district agreed - in writing! - to provide meeting space, adult monitors, and access to announcements to support Best Choice organized and led abstinence clubs in middle and high schools throughout the district. This is part of the Model Program currently under construction and for which we will seek federal funding. We heartened by the district's support and by other elements of the Model which include parent education components and also builds community support structures for young people who choose to remain or return to abstinence. While we believe the Model, strengthened by a recognized curriculum, memorandums of understanding from three school districts, and measurable outcomes based on increased developmental assets presents an attractive package to qualify for funding, we believe that even if not funding through CBAE, the Model does identify the best method for Best Choice programming.

An additional allotment of $100,000 in pregnancy resource center tax credits has lent a boost to our spring major gift solicitation. We're making personal contacts to move credits as quickly as possible in order to secure another allocation before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2008.

To all mothers and those who have been like mothers, Happy Mother's Day! We also remember mothers and grandmothers who are no longer with us in this life but who wait for us in the Life that is to come. And we thank our friends and supporters who help us empower mothers every day of the year!

Happy Mother's Day!

Turn Your Radio On!

TODAY! 4:15 PM! KSIV 1320 AM!

Harold Hendrick interviews Run&Walk 4 Life chair Rachael Porter and her husband, Jason. Jason is Pastor of the Fellowship of Weldon Springs. Rachael found us through an internet search and became an energetic volunteer last June, after reading about the Run&Walk event. Rachael and Jason have recently adopted a one year old little girl and are very supportive of our organization. The interview will cover the Run&Walk 4 Life and ThriVe St. Louis and its programs. If you miss the airing, check the About Us/Press section of our website - we'll have the file posted as soon as it is available.

Yesterday on 97.1 FM Talk, Jamie Allman and Crane Durham hosted Alternatives 2 Abortion (A2A) case manager Gail Robinson, A2A client Trish and Trish's son, Gavin for an inspiring and insightful discussion of the impact our pregnancy resource programs can have in the lives of clients. As Crane observed, "It's not about holding a position. It's about following through." You can view a picture of Trish and Gavin with Gail, Jamie and Crane and listen to the interview by clicking here. You'll hear Gavin, too!

NEXT WEEK - Tuesday, May 6, 8:45 a.m. - Allman and Crane host Rachael Porter, Run&Walk event chair on 97.1 FM Talk. Pictures and mp3 file will be on our website as soon as they are available, which is generally by the end of the day of the interview.


We're aggressively marketing tax credits for gifts from $2,500 to $100,000 with personal calls and visits with donors, emails and letters. Gifts for tax credits benefit our operating budget and reduce the donor's state tax obligation by 50% of the value of the gift. If you would like to make a gift for credits, please call Terri at 314-783-3040 ext 225. Please pass this opportunity along to anyone you know who may be interested Missouri state income tax credits. Click here for more information.

Enthusiasm for the Run&Walk 4 Life on May 10th continues to build! As of this morning, 325 participants have registered through our website and website contributions alone exceed $18,800!!! Register, volunteer or donate today.

Today is National Day of Prayer

Why Bother?

As you may have noticed during the past several weeks, a great deal of Development energy has been spent - and will continue to be spent a while longer - planning and executing the Run&Walk 4 Life. Yet the Run&Walk, like most special events, won't raise a huge amount of immediate money, especially given the "production costs" of people-power and time. For the most part, special events are an inefficient way to raise money.

So why do them?

Because despite their short-term yield inefficiencies, special events create numerous ancillary fundraising opportunities and benefits. Here are some of the ways the Run&Walk will leverage ongoing support and major gift opportunities:

• Publicity and Brand Marketing - We're using numerous methods for getting the word out, from church bulletin announcements to flier distribution to interviews with local media. This helps us take a crucial step forward to build visibility in the community. We'll be building on the event throughout the year to get our name and our mission as much publicity as possible. We've scheduled post-event interviews with Jamie Allman hosting the top individual and team fundraisers and will transition into guests more familiar with our programs...like Dr. Carolyn Martin!
  
• Relationships - The event helps donors and potential donors connect with our mission and provides opportunity for more frequent contact and 'face time,' laying the groundwork for large gifts. By getting to know donors better and donor prospects quicker, we more easily identify prospects for major gift cultivation. Some of our 'little' donors have the capacity, the family or the friends for much bigger gifts. Immediately after the event, we'll begin targeted follow-up with those who have emerged as prospects for major giving, connecting their interests to our specific needs and endeavoring to direct their support and enthusiasm to host small group events, help expand our contacts and make multi-year gifts.
  
• New donors - The event attracts new gifts and new givers. This helps us replace donors lost to natural attrition. Our aim is to cultivate new donors into solid annual contributors by consistent and meaningful communication.
  
• Sponsorships - As the event grows and attracts more and more participants, sponsorship of the event becomes more attractive to businesses who might not otherwise contribute. The increase in participation this year over last year becomes a selling point for corporate sponsorship next year. With just a couple of months after this year's event, we'll begin soliciting sponsors for next year's event.
  
• Volunteers - We're developing volunteer leaders through event committee service with the ultimate goal - a few years down the road - for the event to be volunteer-driven rather than staff-driven.

Stay tuned...there's more to come.

ThriVe About Town

Everybody's talking about ThriVe!

At 6:45 a.m., fueled with slices of Erin's famous cinnamon bread, Jamie Allman and Crane Durham hosted the second of four planned interviews with ThriVe spokespersons. Their guest this morning was ThriVe's newest board member, Rachel Mansfield, who articulately conveyed her enthusiasm and conviction for our mission. Thank you, Rachel!

On Wednesday, April 30, at 8:30 a.m., Allman and Crane will welcome Gail Robinson, A2A Program Manager and Trisha, former A2A client to discuss our Alternatives to Abortion services.

Across town at Bott Radio Network this afternoon, Harold Hendricks is interviewing Rachel Porter – Run&Walk 4 Life 2008 Co-Chair and her husband, Jason Porter – Pastor of the Fellowship of Weldon Springs. They have recently adopted a one year old little girl and are very supportive of our organization. The interview will cover the Run&Walk 4 Life and ThriVe St. Louis and its programs. The interview will be taped this afternoon and will air in the next several days. Details to follow.

Pick up a current issue of Metrovoice and read all about the upcoming Run&Walk 4 Life 2008 to start from our City location - 4331 Lindell Blvd - on May 10th. Watch for a post-event follow-up in the July issue.

Elsewhere...

...at their next meeting, St. Norberts 7^th Grade Girl Scouts are creating thank you cards for our 60 active volunteers

...Channel 5 has invited us to promote ThriVe and the Run&Walk as part of their Show Me St. Louis program on Thursday, May 8 at 2:30 p.m. for airing at 3 p.m. We'll need volunteers to meet at the Channel 5 studio and be excited! Details to follow.

...we have distributed over 15,000 flyers for the Run&Walk 4 Life

...$16,000 has come in through online fund-raising

...over 280 runners and walkers have registered for the event

...and here's a preview of the event t-shirt - IT'S GOING TO LOOK GREAT ON YOU!

Pilgrims and Strangers

Congratulations to Carolyn Martin, Vicki and David Kozeny, and Cheryl Matejka for correctly answering last week’s springtime riddle, “If April showers, bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?”

Pilgrims!

To those journeying with us as “strangers and pilgrims on the earth,”we’re hopeful that you’re planning for the Run&Walk 4 Life on Saturday, May 10. Click here for event details and register, volunteer or donate today for the 10^th anniversary of this important celebration of life!

Jamie Allman – Allman and Crane in the Morning, 97.1 FM Talk - continues his series of interviews with ThriVe representatives on:

Thursday, April 24 at 6:45 a.m.

Wednesday, April 30 at 8:30 a.m.

Monday, May 5 at 8:45 a.m.

You can convey your appreciation to Jamie for his enthusiastic support by sending a quick email.

As you may imagine, much development activity for the next three weeks will be focused on the Run&Walk as Erin and her committee put the final elements in place. As of today:

• 244 people are registered to date (145 total registered in 2007

• Over $35,000 has been collected ($21,290 total raised in 2007)

• Over 15 churches or individuals have reengaged. These are supporters that fell off the map from 2005 to now.

• Churches that have participated in the past by sending a few walkers have now taken up the event as a congregation wide activity. A good example is Central Presbyterian Church – 5 different ministries have signed up teams and they are creating team t-shirts for their walkers.

• We have 10 new groups that are actively recruiting runners/walkers/volunteers and funds.

• Five Catholic Churches/schools have actively engaged in the event to date that have had no contact in the past.

• Four schools are actively advertising the event to their student body.

• The Right to Life Apostolate placed an announcement in all Catholic Parish bulletins in the region.

In addition, Mark and I are contacting and visiting with donors who traditionally make springtime gifts. We are also encouraging all donors who claim tax credits to send in their applications sooner rather than later so that we may receive further allocation of credits before the end of June.

Please hold all our efforts in your prayers!

April Showers of Blessings

Since April showers bring May flowers, we’re expecting the city to be in full bloom by May 10, the day of the 10^th annual Run&Walk 4 Life. Ten seems to be the magic number – on this 10^th day of April, as online donations for the event have today reached and exceeded $10,000! ($10,139 to be exact.) If you have not yet set up a fundraising page and would like help in doing so, please call Erin at 314-783-3040 ext 224.

On four occasions during the remaining weeks leading up to the Run&Walk, Jamie Allman will be interviewing someone or a group of people from ThriVe on his 97.1 FM Talk morning show, Allman and Crane in the Morning. This week, it was our Best Choice peer speakers. If you’ve not already received a link to this energetic discussion, Click here to hear the interview!

The schedule continues on April 21, when Jamie will chat with our newest Board member, Rachel Mansfield. On April 28, a Pregnancy Resource Center client is scheduled to visit the show and on May 5, Run&Walk 4 Life event chairperson Rachel Porter will be Jamie’s guest. If you miss the on air interviews, you’ll be able to hear them on our website. From the home page, click on “About Us” and then on “Press” in the blue box in the lower right-hand corner.

Erin will continue to spread the word about the Run and our mission at the St. Louis University ‘Run for Their Lives’ on Saturday, another race event sponsored by the SLU pro-life committee. She’ll be hosting a table and presenting at Chatham Bible Church on Sunday. If your church, neighborhood, business, school or civic organization would like to learn more about our mission, please call me to request information or to schedule a speaker – 783-3040 ext 225.

We’re getting great response to our ‘spring cleaning’ mailing to churches. We sent letters to over 140 churches who have been active donors at some point in the past few years, asking for corrections and updates to the information we had in our database. As a result, we have renewed relationships with some churches that had been inactive since 2005.

The St. Charles chapter of Lutherans for Life has stepped forward with an offer to assist with the expansion of the St. Charles center. The group anticipates being able to help in a variety of ways!

Further, our cultivation of individual donors has proven fruitful this week, with several supporters pledging increased levels of giving in 2008.

And just to see if you’re paying attention – you can win four general admission passes to the Missouri Botanical Garden if you’re the first person to correctly answer my favorite springtime riddle…

“If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?” Email your answers and enter as often as your wisdom allows!

Think Spring!

We’re celebrating the first day of Spring with our next newsletter delivered to the printer, our Annual Report information sent to our graphic designer, and the Resource Shop at our St Louis Center gratefully receiving over $2,700 worth of baby supplies and equipment donated this week by the Women’s Group of Central Presbyterian Church!

Enthusiasm continues to build for the Run&Walk 4 Life with well over $5,000 raised to date! Three youth groups have signed up this week to participate and 15 new fundraising pages have been set up by event participants. We now have over 58 active fundraising page – is one of them yours?? If not, here’s the link http://www.firstgiving.com/thrive.

We continue to contact individual donors, especially those who typically give in the Spring, visiting with them about our mission and determining what particular areas of our ministry they are most interested in supporting.

Our Spring Cleaning includes tidying up our database and we’re starting with churches, contacting them with the information we have on file to secure corrections and updates. You can help us stay current with your home congregation by mailing Chris Blassingame a copy of the weekly bulletin – or just the contacts section - once every quarter.

April is just around the corner. We’ll be featured and Mark Dungan will be speaking at Bonhomme Presbyterian as part of their Faith in Action series. All month long, Bonhomme congregants will collect and donate diapers, baby wipes and personal care products for our Resource Shops!

Enjoy Easter!

Identifying Prospective Donors

A visit with any of our program managers will identify dramatic needs and projects that merit attention. Almost without exception, what impedes critical needs and worthwhile projects is the lack of funding. And the quest for funding, as you all know, is led by Development.

Although we have made progress during the past year, there is much more that must be accomplished. One of our immediate goals is to maintain a steady inflow of donor prospects to help increase the number of regular supporters and replace donors lost to natural attrition.

Churches are one place to find prospective donors, so Erin is charged with building and strengthening church relations and she has worked feverishly during the past several months to do just that! We have been invited to speak, to provide mission materials and bulletin inserts, or to participate in mission fairs for more churches in the past three months than we have in the previous nine months combined. And, we're recruiting new volunteers and receiving more in-kind donations from churches, too.

Erin's contact with churches has been targeted to promote involvement in the Run&Walk 4 Life 2008 and as of today, we have 50% of the number of registrations and 20% of the total income raised during the 2007 Walk event!

If you have questions about our church relations program, or would like to request information or a speaker for your congregation, please call Erin at 314-783-3040 ext 224 or send an email to eherwig@thrivestlouis.org.

Another avenue through which we are introduced to prospective donors is by referral from existing donors. We strive to maintain clear and consistent communication with our regular donors to keep them aware of our programs, our progress, and opportunities for further funding. We invite them to bring friends for tours of our City center to introduce them to our mission.

Donors and potential donors are most moved by hearing how their contributions help individual people. We can show people where we counsel clients or show them the ultrasound room, but it makes a far greater impact when we present a true-life and compelling story to illustrate a human need. Please help us keep that 'story bank' full by sharing your successes, challenges and prayer requests with us by email to me at thunter@thrivestlouis.org or call 314-783-3040 ext 225.

Speaking of prayer requests, this one is for Angie Davis. Her story is chronicled at http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/ where she wrote "We are not praying because we believe that God will heal our Audrey. We don't know that He will. We are praising Him because He can."

Truly He can.

Pennies from Heaven

It's a happy day in the Development Department - we received an additional allocation of $20,000 in tax credits, which will leverage $40,000 in gifts! Yippee!!!

As you may know, ThriVe participates in two Missouri State Tax Credit programs through which the State of Missouri allows individuals and businesses to claim a state income tax credit equal to fifty percent of their donations to our organization.

And you may also be aware that there are a limited number of tax credits available, with allocation dictated by the State of Missouri annual budget. We market these credits aggressively as a tool to attract new donors and to encourage existing donors to increase the amount of their gifts.

Since this is the season when taxes are on all our minds, please keep tax credits in mind, too. If you or someone you know may benefit from a state tax credit, we can help. Give me a call at 314-783-3040 ext 225, or check out the additional information is available on our website, if you would like to know more. Just cut and paste the following link into your browser -

http://thrivestlouis.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=48

And join us in giving thanks for 2,000,000 pennies from Heaven!

Silent Auction Sneak Peek...

Regardless of how you choose to spend your leisure time, the Spring Fling silent auction has offerings to entice.

Planning a family outing? We have passes to Six Flags (any of the 21 parks!), Raging Rivers Waterpark, Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri History Museum, Museum of Transportation, and the Sachs Butterfly House...

Spectator sports? Look for St. Louis Cardinals baseball and Rivercity Rage indoor football tickets...

Are you a Culture Vulture? You'll find opportunities to attend performances at the Sheldon Concert Hall, or of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Stages St. Louis...

Teeing up for some spring golf? Check out our rounds of golf at various area courses...

Something more personal? You'll find romance packages, spa services and plenty of other indulgences...

Make plans to attend - invite your friends - and bid early and often! It's all for a GREAT cause!

Click Here to Read Our Newsletter Online!

As we continue to broaden our exposure and develop our website, the Winter issue of our Connections newsletter is now online and will be distributed beginning this weekend to nearly 8,000 current and prospective volunteers, donors, employees, businesses, youth ministers, life teams, churches, supporting organizations, collaborative partners, event participants, sponsors, prospective mission partners and board members...just to name a few!

This represents a 3,000 copy increase over previous issues in addition to those who will read it online! (You can view it online right now by clicking on the title of this post.)

We have a limited number of extras copies for your use. Please call our Development Administrative Assistant, Chris Blassingame, at 314-783-3040 ext 227 or email her at cblassingame@thrivestlouis.org to request additional copies.

If you have ideas or suggestions for newsletter content, Erin would love your feedback at eherwig@thrivestlouis.org. You may also reach Erin by phone at 314-783-3040 ext 224 or by cell, 471-3444.

And so you have all Development contact information in one post, my email address is thunter@thrivestlouis.org. You may reach me by phone at 314-783-3040 ext 225 or by cell, 314-740-9857.

ThriVe in the Morning - on 97.1 FM Talk

A few weeks ago, we welcomed radio personality Jamie Allman to a Lunch and Learn at our City location. Although Jamie had been supportive of our cause and had even interviewed Best Choice program manager Emily Limbaugh Pagan and President/CEO Mark Dungan on his radio program, he had not visited a Center or heard the full scope of our mission.

As a result of that visit, beginning Wednesday, February 20, Jamie Allman will be the radio voice of ThriVe St. Louis! We were able to secure 97.1 FM Talk as a media partner for our upcoming Run & Walk 4 Life and Jamie as an Honorary Chairman. In addition to on-air promotion and web-based fund raising, Jamie is planning a live broadcast from the Event site on May 10!

If you have the opportunity, please tune to "Allman and Crane in the Morning" - 97.1 FM Talk, Monday through Friday, between 6 and 9 a.m.

If you like what you hear - or if you don't like what you hear - please send me an email - thunter@thrivestlouis.org. I will appreciate your feedback.

Run & Walk 4 Life – May 10, 2008

With the addition of online registration this year, the event is off to a great start!

If you have not yet set up a web page and offered your friends and family the opportunity to support our mission, please follow the link from our home page to see how easy it is!

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Erin Herwig by phone at 314-783-3040 ext 224 by via email to eherwig@thrivestlouis.org.

Federal Appropriations Request

As we endeavor to broaden our revenue streams, we’ll be pursing several grants and other funding opportunities.

For example, last week we submitted a request through Senator Bond’s office for $340,000 to fund a Sexual Health and Wellness Initiative focused within the City of St. Louis.

Please hold this, and all our fund development activities, in your prayers.

Spring Fling '08 - Save the Date!

On March 27, the spring banquet returns to Windows on Washington, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Tom Klein!

This “dressy casual” affair with music, volunteer and client testimonies, and awards aims to net over $35,000 for our operating budget and introduce at least 40 new people to the ThriVe message while honoring, celebrating and uniting our stakeholders.

Watch your mailbox for an invitation – volunteers are in our conference room preparing invitations as I type!

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Our January goal was to involve 50 churches in the distribution of 5,000 ThriVe St. Louis bulletin inserts and to activate ThriVe St. Louis’ current volunteers and staff as speakers on the organization’s behalf.

Thanks to the hard work of at least 24 volunteers and staff members, 15 speakers delivered the ThriVe message at 14 church services while two organizations and 57 churches included ThriVe St. Louis in their SOHL activities, distributing nearly 10,000 of our bulletin inserts!

If you are interested in speaking on behalf of ThriVe at local organizations and churches, send an email to thunter@thrivestlouis.org. We'd love to visit with you about our Speakers' Bureau.

And, if you know of an organization that might enjoy hearing the ThriVe message, please let me know. We're always interested in opportunities to spread our message.

Guardians of the Tree

Over the past few months, we have begun a system to recognize the generosity of our donors, particularly those who have supported our organization through the years.

Drawing of the concept of the Tree of Life, we decided to establish a giving society known as "Guardians of the Tree." You'll be hearing much more about "Guardians" during 2008. As a preview, here's a the rendering for the donor appreciation signage to be installed on the mezzanine. What do you think?