Today, I'm feeling amazed and grateful. As this issue of Real Change goes to press, we have surpassed our audacious Winter Fund Drive goal of $175,000 during November and December. We are deeply grateful to the more than 700 donors who stepped up to help us close out this last year on a remarkable note.
Why remarkable?
We overcame strong opposition from neighborhood gentrification advocates and moved to Pioneer Square after 15 years in Belltown, and in the process showed that Real Change isn't the sort of organization that is easily pushed around. This fight came on top of the typical work and expense -- such as remodeling, new furniture, and tech infrastructure -- associated with a major relocation. Our new offices will help provide a foundation for continued excellence and growth for years to come.
We reinstated a number of services we'd once offered our vendors but were forced to suspend due to severe capacity constraints, including our computer lab and skills workshops on topics like photography and blogging.
We led the opposition to the downtown interest's bid to criminalize panhandling in Seattle, and further undermine the civil rights of the poor. This has been a goal of the Downtown Seattle Association for years, and they believed that their time had come. They miscalculated, and their highly divisive and dishonest full court press backfired. Real Change was awarded the Seattle Human Rights Award for 2010 for our role in this campaign.
We continued our newspaper's focus on quality by hiring Amy Roe as our new editor, winning three first place Society of Professional Journalists awards and upgrading the quality of our paper and printing.
During 2010, about sixty percent of our budget, or around $470,000, came from grassroots reader support. Over 1,300 readers contributed to our success this year.
2011 begins with the completion of a strategic planning process that will create renewed focus and energy in fulfilling the mission, vision and values that make Real Change a truly great organization.
Thank you for your role in seeing us through a critical year of transformation, and into the exciting new period that will soon launch. You, in all of the many ways you support our work, make us what we are.