Agros Blog

Well, my friends, this has been a year to remember.When I arrived at Agros as Director of Resource Development, it was September 2008 and we were well on our way to fully funding 6 new villages and continuing our commitment to the 34 already in place. When the global recession hit our leadership team met to deal with the situation in October 2008. We knew that we had to do all that was possible to trim our expenses in Seattle and the five countries where we work. We were guided by the belief that we needed to cut as many expenses as possible without compromising the progress of our villagers out of poverty. We let valuable staff go; we slowed down certain initiatives; and we only launched four of the six new villages within the original plan (the remaining 2 will be starting in the first quarter of this new fiscal year).

June 30th marked the end of that fiscal year, and despite the challenges, as we look back over the hurdles of this past fiscal year we are grateful for all that has occurred.

There are so many things to be thankful for, and so many of you to thank.  Let me attempt a partial list here:

• Thanks to those of you who used the Agros Gift Catalog to give twice: once to the poorest of the poor, and again to your loved ones.
• Thanks to those of you who struggled mightily with your own budgets, personal and corporate, to keep your commitment to Agros.
• Thanks to those of you who called us to say that you had to adjust your allocation to Agros downward, but who would not give up supporting our villagers.
• Thanks to those of you who realized that we would be in need of additional funding, and who stepped up to give more than you had originally intended.
• Thanks to the hundreds of people who monthly sent us their pledge to support a specific village.
• Thanks to those of you who introduced your friends to Agros, and encouraged them to support sustainable, holistic development.
• Thanks to the couple who generously stepped forward with $100,000 to match the gifts of those who would help end our year well.
• Thanks to those who responded to that challenge with $117,109 in new funding: 8% over our end of fiscal year matching campaign goal!

I was going to say that I don’t want to have another year like this again, but now that I’m done with our list of thanks, I realize that with so many rallying to the cause of supporting the poor in tough times, I have come to know an amazing group of people with hearts that are deep and wide.

It’s clear what really made this year remarkable: you did, and we thank you.