Chances are that your mail box and e-mail box receive daily some sort of request for support at this time of year. That is no surprise since this is the giving season for gifts to family, friends, and favorite charities. Please don’t become numb to the messages; end-of-the-year appeals are critical to charities. Here are the three reasons why.

Contributions to charitable organizations speak to both the human and business sides of what it takes to help an organization do what needs to be done.  How you choose nonprofits to support reflects how you and the organization share values as to what is important. Here are some universal reasons why people give:

• Contributions show a sign of love for all that the organization does and for the people who make it happen. Never underestimate the power of your generosity on the hearts and minds of the staff, board, leadership, and volunteers.
• Your donations are a sign of faith in the organization’s mission, vision, and direction.
• Nonprofits needs funds to operate. I encourage you to ask questions about work the organization is doing, what is needed to complete that work, and how it aligns with what you deem important. End-of-the-year contributions comprise a substantial part of any nonprofit’s gifts for the year.  We hope you include the NCSML in your plans.

Contact me, Dion McInnis, at 832-877-8821 if you would like to talk more about our great programs that match your interests and would benefit from your support.

Featured Opportunities

• The winter issue of Slovo magazine will focus on the Velvet Revolution through a variety of stories and articles. It can be dedicated, which provides you the back cover to use as an honor or memorial page to celebrate a theme or people important to you.  Please contact me if you would like to discuss this unique dedication opportunity. Slovo is a benefit of NCSML membership. Past issues are available for purchase through the NCSML store.
• Velvet Voices of Freedom Speech Competition.  The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library seeks to honor Václav Havel and his many diverse talents by initiating the annual Velvet Voices of Freedom Speech Competition. The intention of the competition is to celebrate the incredible power of human passion expressed through speech to transform the world. High school students will perform a variety of Havel pieces and be judged by certified speech coaches and according to Iowa High School Speech Association standards. Donations are sought for awards for the winners.
• Endowments. There is always a need for contributions to endowments because this organization will be here always. Solid, perpetual funding is critical to our long-term health.

You can learn more about supporting the NCSML’s programs on our Support page, and feel free to contact me with any questions at DMcInnis@NCSML.org or 832-877-8821.