KAITLIN 5

Well here we are once again, with me trying to put the emphasis on the FUN in TFFT’s Annual FUNd! So come along with me for a second, and we’ll see how I do.

At first glance, Annual Funds are not the most exciting topic. They are necessary, but not necessarily glamorous. If glamorous is getting dressed up and feeling fancy, the Annual Fund is putting on your workout clothes and going for a run.

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However, while it’s fun to spice things up with a little glamour here and there, the appeal is really in the novelty. For me, dressing up and feeling fancy would get old quickly if it were part of my everyday. However, workouts keep me healthy and energized daily!

As far as TFFT supporters go, there are many unique ways to support TFFT’s work: coming to an event, volunteering, sponsoring a child, peddling for RIDETZ, making valentines, and collecting books and shoes. The appeal—or glamour if you will—is in the novelty: The live auctions, the roll-up-your-sleeves connection, the grade reports and personal letters, the Tanzanian biking adventure, the arts and craft project, and the opportunity to make a tangible contribution.

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The Annual Fund, however, is critical because it covers the expenses that enable TFFT to operate on a daily basis. The Annual Fund’s support of the everyday, makes all the unique opportunities above possible and ultimately helps us achieve our highest goals. The Annual Fund is essential for TFFT’s sustainability, just as workouts are essential for health. The Annual Fund is integral to the everyday growth of TFFT and our Teachers Training, Scholarship, and Full Circle programs.

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In life there are occasions to dress up, and there are the sweaty workouts in between that you wish you could ignore. There are SOS galas, and there are Annual Funds. And they are not mutually exclusive. We need both, but today, we need the Annual Fund.

The Annual Fund is simply the BEST way to commit to TFFT’s mission purely because of the lack of allure. There is no big, celebratory night, no instagram-able moment, no trip to Tanzania, and no connection to a specific scholar.

The truth is that your commitment shows MORE in the sweaty, honest, day-to-day moments than it does in the shiny moments. You know that point in a relationship where you’re able to throw your hair in a messy bun and wear sweats and feel loved and accepted just as you are? THAT is the FUN of the Annual FUNd! We want to take your relationship with TFFT to that level!

The Annual Fund is the way to support TFFT’s work in its entirety—not just when it’s shiny, but ALWAYS.

The Annual Fund is about participation. Participating in the Annual Fund is THE opportunity for you to declare your commitment to and believe in TFFT’s work. The Annual Fund doesn’t have to be the BIGGEST way you are a part of TFFT. In fact, the size of the gift does not matter. What matters is that you show up.

The list of people who give to the Annual Fund should include everyone who is involved with and cares for TFFT.

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Are you a first time reader or someone who follows along but hasn’t ever made a donation? If so, you may think that the Annual Fund isn’t the best place to start. Or maybe you’re someone who regularly attends TFFT events or is a loyal donor who has given to TFFT for years? In turn, you may think that it’s not necessary to give to the Annual Fund because of all the other ways you show your support. Or maybe you’re a RIDETZ rider, and you think to yourself, “Surely I am doing enough for TFFT this year! I’m giving my blood, sweat, and tears!”

If any of the scenarios above describe you, you are exactly who we are counting on to donate $12, $15, $25, or $100 to the Annual Fund! We are not asking for a grand gesture, we are asking for a week’s worth of coffee money in order to communicate that you are here for TFFT simply because you believe in TFFT. Show us that you are here to sweat through the workout in addition to the glamour of TFFT events.

Will you be there for TFFT for those critical day-to-day moments?

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Will you support TFFT with an Annual Fund gift?

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2014-03-13T14:40:04+00:00