It’s a new year, and I already have a full to-do list of things to accomplish in 2022. For me, I’m looking forward to staying healthy, seeing friends and colleagues at NTCA meetings, and maybe even welcoming a new puppy to our household. I also use the new year as a time to reevaluate what causes I like to support and how I can help those organizations further their mission. I recently renewed my own personal gift to NTCA’s philanthropic arm, the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS)- a priority on my annual giving list- and both NTCA and SMC make their organizational gifts to FRS in the spring.
I hope that one of the items on the top of your to-do list is also making your annual contribution to FRS. You’ve heard me sing the praises of FRS, but how familiar are you with what they do – or how they make it happen? FRS helps educate young people in rural communities through scholarships and the popular Youth Tour, encourages economic development through community grants to nonprofit organizations in your service areas, introduces policymakers to issues the people in rural communities face every day, and annually takes key congressional staff out “into the field” to see the challenges faced when deploying broadband in rural markets. I have seen first-hand how so many NTCA members are remarkable community partners in their geographic areas. Still, FRS combines the resources and visibility of all NTCA members to amplify social change across the country. NTCA members need FRS, and FRS needs us! Now is the time!
Last week, you should have received a letter from our FRS leaders asking you to make your annual (and tax-deductible!) gift. I promise that they make it easy! The letter included a form you can fill out and return with a check. Or you can use a credit card and make your gift quickly online at frs.org/donate.
Many will have a terrific time at FRS events throughout the year but going to those parties isn’t enough to keep FRS fully funded and continue the amazing work they do. The annual gifts that come from NTCA members are so important and are at the heart of their programs. Currently, only 25% of NTCA members are also FRS donors, and given how much FRS does for our industry and your communities, I’d love to significantly increase that participation rate. Just think of how much more we could help FRS accomplish in rural communities if more NTCA member companies wrote a check. Any amount will make a difference, although the average gift size is about $2,000.
I’ll say it over and over: I’m proud of the excellent work the Foundation for Rural Service does for people in rural communities, and I know the scholarships, educational opportunities and community grants help hundreds or thousands of people every year. Our community-based providers are true community leaders and FRS helps spread that philanthropy across the map. Thank you for helping make that magic happen.
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