First Partners!
March 16th, 2007 by Stacy Jon Peterson
When I started Alaska Focus Nature Photography, LLC, I quickly notified a few of the nonprofit groups that I’ve been involved with most recently, asking if they were interested in participating as fundraising partners. As discussed elsewhere, my business plan involves giving back a significant percentage of the purchase price to participating nonprofit groups if the buyer indicates that group when they place an order with me.
The response from most groups has been gratifying! Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to make some extra dollars for their organization without paying out any cash? It’s hard for me to imagine, anyway.
GEM STATE ACADEMY
The award for fastest response so far has to go to Gem State Academy, my secondary-school alma mater in Caldwell, Idaho. Their development director, Linda Klinger, responded to my initial email within minutes. I’m very excited that Gem State is going to work with us. I have a lot of great memories from my school years there (nearly 20 years ago, if you can believe that). And I know how financially strapped this private school has been for the last few years. Any bit I can do to help, I do thankfully.
DESERT VIEW CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Desert View Christian School in Mountain Home, Idaho is a small private school in the town of Mountain Home. I served on their School Board for a few years before we moved to Alaska in 2005. Like Gem State Academy, this church school also needs all the financial assistance it can get. I’m happy to help support this school as well.
MAT VALLEY ADVENTIST SCHOOL
Mat Valley Adventist School in Palmer, Alaska, is the local school associated with my current church in the Matanuska Valley. At this point they don’t have a website, but interested parties can contact them through the Palmer SDA Church. I was happy to present my business proposal directly to their School Board recently, and was honored by the resounding approval they provided.
OTHERS?
I’ve offered this partnership to a couple Audubon groups that I’ve been closely involved with in the past. These conservation organizations, like private schools, depend largely on the support of members and their constituency, and it can be a tough road…
I’ve also invited some nonprofit bird research organizations to get involved. We’ll see if my proposal excites their respective Boards.