Letter from the President 2009

We are more than our investments. We are what we do for charity. We are how we treat our family and friends. We are what we do for our community and our nation. You are not a balance sheet, at least not one denominated in money. You may have a lot less than you did two years ago, but you are just as good or bad a person as you were then. It is a myth that money determines who you are . . . and if you have gotten over that myth, it will have been a very good year.

- Excerpted from New York Times article by Ben Stein

November 16, 2009

Greetings Friends & Colleagues,

The year 2009 has been a soul-searching one for all of us. At MinneapolisNEXT, looking inward has inspired us to redouble our efforts to reach out to those in need. In Fall ’09 alone, we are helping 45 bright, motivated students through our flagship high school scholarship program — a record number — and enriching the lives of dozens of other promising young men and women through our funding of dance and sports programsthat impart discipline, life skills, and a positive means of self-expression. We’ve come a long way (baby!) since 1998, when we backed our first two high school scholarship recipients.

Don’t doubt for a moment that your contribution is making a real and lasting impact in our community and our nation, as well as in individual families. Thanks to your generosity, money (or lack thereof) need not determine who these great kids can grow up to be. There is a certain sustainability thread that has become a part of alumni of MinneapolisNEXT. We hear from some regularly and they always say how grateful they are, and how they hope to contribute and make a difference. It is humbling to see how appreciative they are.

One graduating senior wrote over the summer to let us know about the full scholarship he’s received from North Dakota State University, and to thank us for the doors we opened for him by giving him a gift of “more than money” — freeing his mother to better support his siblings, providing him with a challenging education that kept him out of trouble, and helping him to become a “stronger and more responsible person.”

Your generosity made this possible. And we are as grateful for your contributions as the students who directly benefit from them. (As you may know, 100% of your donation to our organization goes to the programs we support, since all administrative expenses for the organization are paid in full by the MinneapolisNEXT Board of Directors.)

It’s said that the best exercise is to reach down and help someone up. We hope you agree, and that we can count on your support this holiday season. Donations of any amount are much appreciated.

And we wish you a very good year.

Rexford Holland
President, MinneapolisNEXT