01/08

   Dear Supporter:
   


T his issue of the Operation Kids newsletter is one of many elements designed to take our efforts to a higher level. While strategies are important, the reason behind them is of greater importance.

As we look back at 2007, we see the launch of a unique program designed by Operation Kids for New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany. The project demonstrated that you can have measurable impact even in an area as complicated as post-Katrina New Orleans. We are very proud of this program and of our association with Drew and Brittany.

The year featured a new online marketing partnership with Cobalt Communications Group that has launched Operations Kids into a new and commanding presence on the Web. We invite you to visit our Web site and blog. While there, don’t forget to join our mailing list. You will also see links to social media pages that are generating new exposure and placing Operation Kids at the forefront of Web-based accountability and fund raising. 2007 also saw:

  • The expansion of all Boards and Committees to be announced very soon via a special email announcement
  • The sale of our assisted living centers which put into place a strong endowment fund
  • A refinement in our approach to children’s issues through the active implementation of the Whole Child Committee, which broadens our reach while focusing our efforts
  • New corporate partners responsive to our approach and insistent on results
  • Continued support and loyalty from corporate partners who have believed in us from the beginning


    • I am confident and motivated by these accomplishments and relationships. I am grateful to a visionary Board of Trustees, a passionate National Advisory Board, and


    a credentialed and caring Whole Child Committee. We also thank and recognize donors, both corporate and private, who touch so many young lives; which brings me back to the beginning.

    The reason behind all of this strategy, planning and effort, is and always will be the pure desire to build a better world for children. Core to our mission is the belief that the world is filled with generous people. This country, in particular, gives at a level that could and should show more results. We believe donors should expect results. We believe that with more planning and oversight, more can be done. We have tested this theory and we know it works.

    Well-managed donations can result in measurable results in places where waste and fraud have diluted and diverted millions of precious dollars. We have seen it in tsunami-ravaged Thailand, in Katrina-devastated New Orleans and in countless communities across this country where people of vision and skill manage programs that have a measurable impact on the well being of children.

    We are enthusiastic about the future. The steps we have taken to expand the Operation Kids concept of accountability and results are promising. We are grateful for your support and commitment to our approach. Because of you, we are literally changing the way the world looks at charitable giving. Thank you.

    Rick Larsen
    President

    Join our new social network on Change.org. As part of our online expansion, we are very proud of our presence on www.change.org/operationkids. Change.org is the first company dedicated to helping nonprofits use social networking technology to meet their objectives and accomplish their goals. Our social networking site on www.change.org/operationkids is customized to help us better engage our supporters, recruit new donors, build a strong online community and spread viral fundraising and advocacy campaigns across the Web.
    We would love for you to join our network on Change.org. Please take a moment to click through and become familiar with this great social networking site.