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| 2004 End of Year Report | ||
| Sapphire Fund concluded its first full year in existence on June 1, 2004, having been incorporated in September of 2002. It has been a busy and successful year both organizationally and operationally. The Fund has been fortunate to have a dedicated and hard working Board who took their responsibilities very seriously. Organization Sapphire Fund was lucky to have the efforts of Debbie Spadafora as administrative coordinator during much of the last year. Debbie brought a depth of knowledge of Blue Ball and the community that few could match. Her devotion to the Fund and to the organizations we serve was impressive. In addition to being central to the production of Blue Ball, she was also able to begin a structuring of our files and processes that will continue as we move forward. Events Fund activities began with the assignment of Tony Fisher as events chair to oversee and implement Blue Ball 2004. Blue Ball has been and remains the primary community outreach and fund raising activity of Sapphire Fund. Tony recruited an essentially new team of over 25 individuals and brought off a flawless weekend of events. Attendance, revenues and net were up over the prior year, and the general consensus was that the entire weekend was one of the strongest ever. Even more importantly, a team spirit was created that has resulted in most of the Blue Crue wishing to return next year. While work remains to be done to improve communication and lines of responsibility, clearly a new tone has been set. He has turned over the reigns to Wayne Hamilton, former main event chair who will work with Malik Wilson who will stay on as main event chair. Philanthropy Beneficiaries for this year were chosen last May: the William Way Center, The Attic, and MANNA. The Fund was able to highlight these worthwhile organizations through our marketing and promotional efforts. They were each given over $26,000 at our annual check presentation event which marks the end of our fiscal and event cycle. We have embarked on a new RFP, having placed an ad in the PGN requesting interested organizations to apply for 2005. Fund Raising Seth Eakers, Brad Richards, and Peter DiForte have taken on individual giving and have begun to create a program of events and outreach to a growing number of our dedicated supporters. Events last summer and early fall resulted in a significant increase in the number of high level donors. The Friday VIP reception and Sunday Brunch of Blue Ball weekend were well attended, and provided our donors with a sense of our appreciation of their commitment. They are already at work on events in May for fiscal year 2005. Community Outreach The Fund held its first planning retreat in March to further explore its growth and mission. It was felt that two more events beyond Blue Ball weekend were possible, focusing on supporting worthwhile community organizations, both organizationally and financially. The next effort will be to sponsor the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival this coming July. A more formalized strategic planning process will be undertaken in the fall. In summary, this past year has seen Sapphire Fund become well known within both the glbt community and the city at large, as both an events and philanthropic organization of accomplishment. Reinvigorating and reinventing Blue Ball so that it again has relevance to the wider audience as well as staking out a broader mission of community support, Sapphire Fund in its second year has much to be proud of and much to look forward to. About Sapphire Fund Sapphire Fund was established in 2002 to support the efforts of organizations contributing to the health and well-being of Philadelphia's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and those who support them. It is a volunteer organization, conceived and run by members and supporters of the Philadelphia GLBT community. The Fund is an outgrowth of the long-standing annual Blue Ball fundraising event, which was first held in 1991. For more information, visit www.sapphirefund.org Sapphire Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. |
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