The Beacon’s big, new fall canvassing drive got off to a good start in early October. We enlisted about 20 of your friends and neighbors as canvassers, and by mid-October each canvasser had picked the names of a dozen or so of their friends and neighbors who hadn’t donated to the Beacon yet this year.
As I write this, our “boots on the ground” are contacting people on their list – by e-mail, by phone, by knocking on the door, at the Post Office, at the dump … whatever it takes! – with a reminder that it’s truly up to all of us to help keep the Beacon going.
Is the Beacon Failing?
Absolutely not! This big, new fundraising drive is because while we are not failing, we also are not in a financial position to continue forever.
The problem is a simple one – I’m getting older and definitely plan to step down from my full-time position at the Beacon at some point (sooner rather than later, hopefully). But the problem is that I work too many hours for too few dollars to reasonably expect anyone else to take on this job.
If the Beacon is going to continue long past my tenure, the Beacon’s Board of Directors estimates it will require the financial support every year of about 650 Andover households. At that level of support, we expect to be able to hire a part-time person to help with the workload and also increase the salary for my position to the level that the job marketplace expects for someone who runs a small non-profit organization.
So let me say it again: The Beacon is not failing! But it can’t continue forever with only 200 Andover households donating every year. So please, get a round tuit and donate today!
So far, the results look promising. This year, we could get close to half way to our ultimate goal of having 650 Andover households donate to the Beacon each year. That would definitely be a step in the right direction and would confirm our suspicion that the Round Tuit envelope in the February issue every year isn’t enough – we need to do person-to-person canvassing every fall from now on to help everyone remember to “get a round tuit” and support the Beacon every year.
If you haven’t donated to the Beacon yet this year, please don’t wait for someone to knock on your door! Use the coupon on page 4 of the current issue, or click the Donate button on any page of AndoverBeacon.com. If you have questions, visit TinyURL.com/Beacon-Donor-FAQ or contact me at Charlie@nullAndoverBeacon.com or 735-6099.