In February 2023, in the midst of a hectically wild season, I submitted a federal grant application on behalf of Restorations thinking that we wouldn't receive it, but also knowing that we couldn't get what we didn't apply for.
Just over a year ago, I was notified that we were successful in our grant application. Elated, I went to the grant agreement form and was confused by the funding amount provided. I experienced something I'm betting I won't get to experience again in my fund development career: the grant we received was *twice* the amount I had requested. When I called the foundation issuing the grant, I told them they had made a mistake with the amount, and they responded that they saw such a great need for what Restorations Second Stage Homes was doing, they wanted to give us those extra funds so we could really dive into this work.
So just over a year ago, we began the project “Revitalizing Restorations’ governance strength and planning for continued growth.” The grant from the Community Services Recovery Fund allowed us to:
→ Evaluate and update our current governance policies, and
→ Develop an organizational strategic plan.
Today we shared this strategic plan publicly. As we dive into the next 5 years of continuing to support survivors of human trafficking and exploitation, our strategic direction is focused on "strengthening the support network for survivors through increased visibility, capacity, partnerships, strong governance, solid infrastructure and diversified funding."
I have learned so much about governance and organizational development this year. My brain and my heart are full. I look forward to the project being wrapped up this week and reporting to the funder next month about what we have achieved over the last year to strengthen and grow the organization to better support survivors.
As I wrap up this mushy post, consider checking out our new webpage highlighting our next phase of growth: https://lnkd.in/giA-vFdR
As interim board chair of Hacienda, I want to express a sincere thank you on behalf of the board of directors. Thank you OnPoint Community Credit Union for your partnership and support.