The BeaLine: August 2013

Just as it seems summer has finally arrived it seems to begin winding down.  How can it be that we are already thinking about school and fall when the temperatures are still so high?  In looking toward the fall, we get ready to move things into high gear in October.

As Domestic Violence Awareness month, it has always been a busy month for us with lots of outreach activities – including our Annual Meeting and Volunteer recognition event, Clothesline project, and election of Board members.  In the past four years it has also included the SueB Memorial 5K walk/run event which raises funds for our Endowment.

While we are always looking to fund current operations first, it is also important for us to continue putting money aside for the future.  If we continue to grow our Endowment nest egg, we will one day be able to count on a sizeable contribution from Endowment fund earnings to help us meet our operating budget.  In a time when Federal budgets are shrinking and look like they will continue to decline, finding other ways to support our daily operations becomes increasingly important and urgent. Really, this is no different than a family saving for a rainy day – or for retirement.

Knowing that some years are not going to be as good as others, having savings to draw upon during the lean years can help minimize the impact on client services and staff, while gradually building the balance in our organization’s “retirement” account may mean that one day we don’t have to depend so heavily on competitive grants (government or otherwise) to support the critically needed services our clients rely on.

The SueB 5K walk/run is also important as it helps bring awareness to our work in a very positive way. With the tagline “Take the reins, enjoy the freedom,” the event encourages healthy relationships built on self-confidence and independence. What could be better than an event the leads to current well-being while building an ever more secure future for the WCA?