Posted below is A Greater Applegate’s spring fundraising letter. A donation to AGA is a donation to your community. Please consider giving!
Dear Community Members,
Thank you for all you do to make the Applegate great. We are thrilled to share community with you, and to work together for a stronger, more vibrant, and more connected Applegate Valley. As we wish our departing Executive Director Seth Kaplan a very happy retirement, the team at A Greater Applegate (AGA) invites you to learn more about, and support, our plans for the future. We—Megan and Angelique—are humbled to be writing to you as the new Co-Executive Directors AND excited about what we can accomplish in partnership with you.
A Greater Applegate is your community-building organization. Our 500-square-mile rural watershed is a wonderful place to live, but with no formal governing structure and limited services across multiple rural jurisdictions, the hurdles to having community voices heard and needs met are many. For 26 years now, AGA has been working to fill the gaps traditionally held by entities like city governments, chambers of commerce, and even utility providers. With the completion of the Applegate Valley Vision this fall, we now have a clear, and ambitious, roadmap to building a more resilient, vibrant, and inclusive rural community, economy, and environment.
Please make a generous gift today to ensure A Greater Applegate’s ability to implement this visionary community plan.
AGA is currently 95% grant-funded, and the vast majority of that funding is restricted to programs that directly benefit our Valley. Together, we’ve accomplished some big things with this support. And we are heartened by your enthusiasm thus far. Working groups have formed to begin implementing key vision components. More people than ever are availing themselves of our services—from free training and technical support for businesses to fresh produce and meat from the Farm to Food Pantry project. The Applegate Valley Business Network and Non-Profit Network are both steadily growing, as is readership of Applegate Valley Connect.
But we need more than just your time and expertise—we need your donations, too. We have achieved our recent goals thanks largely to project grants from foundations outside of the Applegate. Our small team—six human staff and one office dog—is now counting on YOU to give us the flexibility to make our collective vision a reality. Those foundations expect to see success not just in programs but also in community support for this work. And we agree that a circular economy is a healthier economy. AGA NEEDS the communities we support to support us.
Our plans are BIG, and we are committed to achieving them. Our top 2023 priorities include:
- Supporting Working Groups and Community Action Teams that come together to implement projects and strategies from the Applegate Valley Vision;
- Providing training, resources, technical support, and networking opportunities for the Applegate Valley Business, Non-Profit, and Farm & Food Networks;
- Growing the Farm to Food Pantry program to provide more healthy, local food for lower-income families;
- Continuing to work with service providers and public officials to improve internet access and affordability;
- Fostering an innovative, rural economy by developing projects with the Business Network, the Farm and Food Network, the local hospitality industry, and the Village Hubs situated throughout the Applegate Valley;
- Connecting neighborhoods and building the skills of those who want to serve their community in a leadership role;
- Expanding our online presence by growing the community use of Applegate Connect and Applegate Marketplace;
- Increasing rural representation and a sense of belonging in this place we all call home.
A Greater Applegate exists to help build all of our valley communities’ capacity to thrive. We look forward to learning more about you and how we can work together to makethe beautiful vision we created together a reality. Won’t you please donate today to help ensure our success?
To donate, click here.
In gratitude and hope for the future,
Megan Fehrman and Angelique Stewart, Co-Executive Directors
P.S. Are you a local business owner? We invite you to learn more about the benefits of becoming an AGA Business Sponsor. Please see our website for more details. A Greater Applegate is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. As such, all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
