Richie's Spirit Foundation received a $10,000 grant from Joyful Blessings Foundation in June 2015. This is follow-up funding from a previous two grants of the same amount made in 2013 and 2014.
In the midst of the holiday season of 2013, Richie's Spirit Foundation Executive Director, Jordan Herskowitz, made his weekly visit to the Foundation's post office box in downtown New York City. Just a few weeks prior, Jordan had released the organization's annual campaign appeal and was hoping to raise enough funds to support the organization for another successful year.
As he sat on the train to return home, Jordan began opening the three envelopes that awaited him. The first two were very generous gifts of $50 and $100 each, large sums for an organization with an operating budget of less than $15,000. But when Jordan opened the final envelope, he nearly fell to the ground in shock.
It was a check for $10,000 from the Joyful Blessings Foundation, a private foundation in Frisco, Texas.
Jordan immediately wrote a letter to the Board of Directors and expressed his sincere gratitude. He knew this was a turning point for the organization and vowed that the funds would go to great use.
Just one year later, Jordan is well on his way to fulfilling his promise of growth. The Foundation has hired its first part-time employee, Foundation Coordinator, Meghan Wood, and expanded its programs by offering additional college scholarships and transplant assistance grants. More than ever, Jordan and the Foundation were financially secure to guarantee its mission would carry on for another year.
In June 2014, Joyful Blessings Foundation, so impressed by the great progress of the organization, sent along another golden envelope: A second $10,000 gift.
This second gift provided even more encouragement for Jordan and his team. In the next several months, the Foundation added three members to its Board of Directors, hosted two new fundraising events, and built its fundraising capacity to just under $25,000. Joyful Blessings Foundation took notice and awarded RSF another $10,000 contribution.
Richie's Spirit Foundation will use these funds to continue its work to promote organ donation to people of all ages. Thank you, Joyful Blessings Foundation, for these incredible gifts. The future for RSF is bright!