November 24, 2018
Dear <first name>,
Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty faces a big
financial challenge and needs your support more than ever.
We recently learned that our largest grant funder would not
renew its support to VADP. That blows a huge $40,000 hole in
our modest $165,588 budget.
For the past four years VADP had received $30,000 to $40,000
from this funder. These grants enabled us to build a strong
foundation and expand our reach across the Commonwealth.
In response to the loss of this major grant, VADP board members
and staff have redoubled our efforts to expand our membership,
identify new potential donors, and apply for new grant funds
VADP recently received a $15,000 grant from the Daughters of
Wisdom, a Catholic women's religious order. Those funds will
help us to finish the year in a stronger financial position.
Your support has enabled VADP Field Director Dale Brumfield to
meet with hundreds of local faith, social service, business,
media, and political leaders in the past eighteen months. He
has been to places like Martinsville, Danville, Floyd, Elkton,
Winchester, Lynchburg, and southwestern Virginia.
In recent months Dale has spoken to six conservative and
Libertarian groups in places like Harrisonburg, Spotsylvania,
Chesterfield, and Springfield. In the coming weeks he will be
speaking to groups in Roanoke, Page County, and Clifton. Nearly
40 conservative and Libertarian activists have joined VADP as a
result of these presentations.
Earlier this year Dale recently had a VADP display table at the
convention of the Virginia Federation of Republican Women. He
got invitations to speak at five local Republican women’s clubs
about the death penalty and met a prosecutor who expressed
support for our work. He has also won support for our cause
from a former Circuit Court Judge who once sentenced someone to
death in Virginia.
It is only with YOUR generous support that we can continue this
important work.
In the past four years individuals like you have increased their
contributions from $36,096 to $81,522. Last year individual
giving made up 50% of all VADP income.
This year that percentage must increase. So far in 2018, VADP
has received $44,410 in personal donations.
In the coming weeks, we need people like you to donate another
$35,000 if we are to finish the year with a cash balance
sufficient to make it through 2019 without slashing our budget
and staff.
That’s why I urge you to renew -- and even increase -- your
financial support today.
Your last contribution to VADP was *, given on *.
Please consider increasing this donation by 25%, 50%, or even
100% to help us overcome the loss of our $40,000 grant.
Without your support, we will not able to keep building momentum
with our grassroots education campaign. We need to continue
building bipartisan support for our campaign to reform, and
ultimately end, the death penalty in Virginia.
With your continued support, we will become the first southern
state to abolish the death penalty.
To abolish the death penalty in Virginia, we need your generous
tax-deductible gift returned in the envelope provided as soon as
you can. (You can also give with your credit or debit card at
our secure web site: www.vadp.org “Donate”. )
Sincerely,
Michael E. Stone
Executive Director
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