“It’s a bit difficult to convey how much this means to our organization, and our families. As an agency, it provides the exposure needed to continue cultivating donations and new supporters. This is critical to work, as 100% of our participants are low-income, students of color, and 100% will be the first generation in their families to attend college. Because we work with our students for a continuum of years (6th through to their college graduation), it’s a costly endeavor, reliant on community support. Sponsorship of these ads help ensure the transformative gift of a college education, for deserving kids who would otherwise only have dreamed of such a future.”
-Rose Jennings Newhouse, Next Generation Scholars Development Director
“Ceres Community Project is deeply grateful to have been selected for funding from Giving Marin Community Partnership as we sustain unprecedented levels of meal production and delivery in response to community need during the COVID-19 pandemic. WE are uplifted by your generous grant to help us provide organic, medically tailored meals, prepared by youth as lead chefs, for our low-income clients with serious health conditions in Marin County through our Healing Meals for Healthy Communities and Youth Development programs.”
-Cathryn Couch, Ceres Community Project Founder and CEO
“On behalf of our corps members, the Conservation Corps North Bay team is incredibly grateful to Giving Marin for using its platforms to share about the work our crews have been accomplishing in the field while gaining the skills they need to achieve financial independence. The young people in our program have been protecting our homes from fire and flood, diverting tons of recyclable materials from our landfills, and helping feed thousands of Marin residents facing food insecurity because of the pandemic. The population we serve is disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and having an outlet to share about their needs as well as their essential work in our communities has been an invaluable resource.”
– Angel Minor, CEO, Conservation Corps North Bay
“The IJ’s Giving Marin ads have boosted awareness of Homeward Bound’s pandemic response pivots and efforts, bringing support and connection to some of the most vulnerable individuals and families in our community. We are deeply grateful!”
-Mary Kay Sweeney, Executive Director, Homeward Bound of Marin
“Giving Marin pages, ads and social media has helped raise awareness of our mission and programs during these unforeseen times. Because of Giving Marin, Bloom has welcomed new volunteers and donors from the exposure and support. We are so thankful for the community minded efforts of everyone at Giving Marin.”
-Lenice Smith, Executive Director Bloom
“We are deeply grateful for Giving Marin’s sponsored ads, social media, and website promotions, as they have connected us to new donors and helped us raise needed funds to deliver essential services to vulnerable people. We’re also appreciative for their role in letting the community know about our emergency rental assistance and food pantry programs, mental health services, and other supports that provide a life-line to those in need, and create opportunities for all.”
-Cheryl Paddack, CEO of North Marin Community Services
“As the Communications Coordinator for West Marin Senior Services I have to find creative ways to get the word out about our small nonprofit servicing an area of over 350,000 rural acres. With a small (almost non existent) advertising budget, Giving Marin has provided us exposure in areas we would not be able to reach. WMSS has gained numerous inquiries about our services, added volunteers and graciously received donations through this resource. Many thanks to all those who make it possible at Giving Marin, it is a joy to work with this team. Thank you for being such a generous supporter of nonprofit work in Marin.”
-Amena Hajjar, Communications Coordinator, West Marin Senior Services
“The voices of the vulnerable in our society are often the hardest to hear. Yet the Marin IJ ensures that our county’s diverse voices are heard. As the director of NovatoSpirit, a charity that serves children in need, I appreciate this newspaper’s efforts to spotlight the needs of those who struggle. NovatoSpirit’s children have directly benefitted from the increased public awareness and donations that have resulted from advertisements published for free in the IJ’s Giving Marin page. Thank you for demonstrating equity in paper, color and ink!”
-Marian Huntington, NovatoSpirit.org
“Last year, with your support, Huckleberry, in partnership with youth and families, achieved the following: 96% of youth sheltered at Huckleberry House participated in family reunification and strengthening services, 100% of Huckleberry Wellness Academy seniors graduated from high school, 76% of Huckleberry Community Assessment & Resource Center clients were not re-arrested within the year following program completion, over 1,800 youth accessed Huckleberry health and or mental health services, over 4,000 youth participated in Huckleberry health education projects. Thank you for supporting us as we grow our continuum of services for youth to thrive in their transition from adolescence to adulthood.”
-Amy Carlson McConnell, Director of Development, Huckleberry Youth Programs
“On behalf of all of us as Novato Music Association, I offer our most appreciative thanks for your generous sponsorship of an ad in the Marin Independent Journal and on your website in November. This gift will enable us to reach many more people than we have in the past. We so enjoy sharing holiday music with everyone at the beautiful St. Vincent Chapel in Marinwood.”
-Judith Pomeroy, Secretary, Novato Music Association
“We really appreciate your support. So far, our progress is far exceeding our expectations. In the midst of all the divisiveness in our world today, we feel so humbled and grateful to have brought together folks from all walks of life to give these children new opportunities, new hope. Thanks for helping us get the word out to all of Marin’s open-minded and generous readers.”
-Annette Venables, Founder and President, Tribe Rising
“To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation supports Marin and Bay Area nonprofit organizations that provide critical emergency/direct services and financial assistance to breast cancer patients. Since 1996, we have granted over $5.5 million through our Bay Area Breast Cancer Grants Program. We are a volunteer-based organization and your September sponsorship in Giving Marin will greatly assist us in expanding awareness of our organization so that we can continue our vision that no one should face breast cancer alone.”
-Kristen Bennett, President, Board of Directors, To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation
“Tucker Grooms and the entire Barrel Bag team thanks you for your continued support of our grassroots movement for clean oceans and beaches! On September 21, 2019, we will mark the one year anniversary of our organization. We are so grateful for the press coverage as well as the ad placements that you and your organization have awarded us. Thanks to your generosity we have been able to expand awareness and grow our community of Barrel Baggers to over 5,500 users and growing. Most importantly, please know how much we love your paper and the support of civic-minded programs you are providing not-for-profit companies, such as ours, that are striving to do good in and for the world.”
-Loren Quaglieri, COO Barrel Bag
“We are delighted to learn that community sponsors of Giving Marin will be underwriting an ad for our upcoming show. Our modest budget would never permit such impactful publicity. WE are grateful for the extraordinary exposure to Independent Journal readers. Before Giving Marin was put in place, we struggled to reach potential audiences. The IJ’s Thursday Giving Marin page has been promoting our activities and shows. Our Mayflower organization strives to bring affordable, high quality musical entertainment to the community. We thank the Giving Marin underwriters and the Independent journal for supporting our mission.”
-Jan Gibbs, Vice President, Mayflower Choral Board of Directors
“On behalf of FIRESafe MARIN’s Board of Directors, I want to say thank you for sponsoring our advertisement in the Marin Independent Journal during the month of May. Giving Marin, the unique and extraordinary partnership between the Marin Independent Journal and generous Marin businesses, is an incredible program that benefits so many Marin County nonprofits. Thank you for creating this powerful tool that benefits not only non[profits by Marin Independent Journal readers too. Your generosity will help raise awareness about steps residents can take to make their homes and families safer during wildfire season. Thank you for helping FIRESafe MARIN spread the word about wildfire safety!”
-Linda Fissori, Fundraising Coordinator, FIRESafe MARIN
“Thank you for your donation of sponsored advertisement as part of the Giving Marin program. Your kind gift means we can continue to be standing ready to answer calls, connect people to critically-needed resources, provide therapeutic programs that improve abilities and offer support that inspires renewed hope. You are truly providing a critical lifeline of hope and healing that will change hundreds of lives this year. Thank you once again for giving survivors and their families a place to turn for help and a reason to hope.”
-Patricia Gill, Executive Director, Schurig Center
“This program has significantly increased awareness throughout the County of the work Marin Villages does to empower Marin’s older adults to stay active, connected and independent in the place they call home. As a small nonprofit, without this program we never would have been able to achieve the level of visibility the Giving Marin ads have provided us. An added benefit has been the pride and delight our own members and volunteers have felt when seeing our organization highlighted in the IJ. We certainly hope this Giving Marin program will continue in the future. The creativity and generosity that went into development of the program by the IJ and the other Giving Marin sponsors have been a wonderful gift, not only to us, but to many others in Marin’s nonprofit community. Thank you, thank you!”
-Lisa Brinkmann, Executive Director, Marin Villages
“On behalf of all of us involved in the Youth Poster Contest, I want to thank you for your simply outstanding feature on this year’s contest in today’s Giving Marin section. How heartwarming to see the smiles and pride of Marin’s youth beaming in front of their posters on issues that are so important to them. This year’s contest was quite simply – amazing! We are already looking forward to increasing the engagement of Marin youth for the 2019 Youth Poster Contest, with a special emphasis on reaching into underserved communities to try and level the playing field for all Marin youth to engage in this important expression of their feelings. Your coverage today and your support throughout this endeavor is highly important to ensure the public platform we promised for the messages of Marin youth to reach a large Marin audience.”
-Bruce W. Burtch, Producer Youth Poster Contest
“Thank you so very much for helping to spread awareness of Kids Cooking For Life. Since the Marin IJ started publishing our ads, we have been catapulted to the next level. We have won more grants, began additional programs at different schools, and have expanded our staff. We are in the midst of expanding our programming to include more students with special needs and are definitely benefitting from the publicity. Being featured in an esteemed paper like the Marin IJ really helps to add credence to our nonprofit. And for that, I thank you.”
-Lara Rajininger, Development/Outreach Director, Kids Cooking for Life
“What a difference an ad makes! The College of Marin sponsored advertisement of our Autistry Scientists & Artist Party in the Marin IJ not only reminded our supporters about the event but brought many new families and individuals to our studio. One couple with an autistic grandchild in southern California read the ad and came to meet other families and to learn about support services. A mother, who had been sent the ad by a Marin friend, brought her autistic son over from the East Bay to show him the studio and inspire him to keep on creating. I would estimate that our attendance increased by 15% and that our phone inquiries increased that week by 60%! Thank you, Giving Marin for expanding our community and helping us reach those who need our services.”
-Janet Lawson, LMFT, CEO/Executive Director, Autistry Studios
“All of us at The Spahr Center want to thank you, not only for sponsoring our organization’s ad through Giving Marin, but also for creating and co-founding the Giving Marin Community Partnership Initiative. What the Giving Marin Community Partnership Initiative offers the non-profit community is invaluable. This advertising opportunity expands our visibility, helping us reach both the community we serve, as well as those who may want to support our work. We are grateful to have your support, and as you know, many hands do make light work!”
-Jennifer Malone, Executive Director, The Spahr Center
“For an organization that channels nearly every dollar into getting more nutritious food to more people in need, Giving Marin makes a significant difference for ExtraFood.org. The ads increase awareness of our county-wide food recovery program and augment our modest marketing budget. That leads to more food donors enrolling in our program, more funders investing in our high-impact business model, and more volunteers joining with us to share excess food from businesses and schools with Marin’s most vulnerable children, adults, and families. Thank you to Giving Marin and its partners for helping to end hunger and wasted food in Marin!”
-Marv Zauderer, Founder, ExtraFood.org
“On behalf of the Environmental Forum of Marin, we would like to thank the Independent Journal for providing the opportunity for our ads to be sponsored through Giving Marin. The Forum is in its 46th year of serving the county by teaching classes on environmental education and stewardship to Bay Area students. We are launching our fall Master Class series and appreciate your support in getting the word out about our inspiring programs.”
-Kim Rago, Executive Director, Environmental Forum of Marin
“Thank you for sponsoring Call of the Sea. As a nonprofit, finding room in the budget for marketing can be challenging. Our ad in the Marin IJ, enabled by you, will increase our visibility, and hopefully connect more young people to our programs. You are helping direct Bay Area youth to our life-changing, on-the-water experiences, empowering the next generation of environmental stewards. On behalf of them, from me, Thank You!”
-Mary Rutz, Program Director, Call of the Sea
“You are making a difference by helping Matrix get the word out about our fundraising event. In 2018, we look forward to bringing Matrix services to more families through our expanded outreach and geographically centered parent organizing. As this letter is being written, parent groups are taking shape and we are planning support gatherings, as well regular meeting opportunities, for families. When families connect with us and with each other, their futures look brighter. Your generosity is helping with the important work of changing lives for families and children with special needs.”
-Nora Thompson, Executive Director, Matrix Parent Network
“I want to thank you for sponsoring an ad in the Marin IJ on behalf of Tamalpa Institute. Quite meaningful to be seen in our own neighborhood!”
-Daria Halprin, Co-founder, Tamalpa Institute
“We are delighted that you chose Resilient Neighborhoods for the free ad space as part of the IJ’s wonderful Giving Marin program. Thank you for your generosity. The ads will help us fill the climate action workshops we have coming up at the San Rafael Community Center and the Mill Valley Public Library. When our Mill Valley Team completes on April 18th, over 1,000 people in Marin will have reduced over 5 million lbs of CO2 pollution! ”
-Tamra Peters, Executive Director, Resilient Neighborhoods
“I just want to take a moment to tell you how much I enjoy the IJ’s Giving Marin program. Volunteerism is an important part of Marin County culture and it’s heartwarming to see the IJ celebrate that spirit. Personally, so far I have attended a Homeward Bound event showcased in the paper that I otherwise would not have been aware of. I also found a volunteer opportunity that I want to pursue. I am recently retired from a non-profit and now have time to support our non-profit community in other ways. Giving Marin makes it easy to do so. Thanks to you and your staff for creating this worthwhile program.”
-Karen Noreen, formerly of Hospice by the Bay