Dear Friends,
If I had to describe 2011 in one word, that word would be “relationships”.
I take a great deal of pride, as does our board of directors, in the fact that one of the things that helps separate our foundation from many other organizations is our continued quest to enter into and build relationships with those we interact. At every turn in 2011 we did just that. Whether it was organizations that we supported or those that supported us, whether it was with our all volunteer staff, or individual recipient of awards or corporate and indirect donors, we continued to look for ways to build ongoing, meaningful relationships.
Our board of directors continued to work side by side to ensure our foundation remained true to our vision, mission and goals. Their oversight, input and execution to our mission and goals continued to bring clarity to our future direction and memorialize our path. I continue to be honored and humbled by their dedication, hard work and personal involvement in helping us expand our reach in making a difference.
Our organizational relationships continued to expand and deepened as we entered into new relationships and broadened existing relationships. Some of the organizations included: The Hole In The Wall Gang, The Ronald McDonald House, ARC, The Charity Cycling Committee, Special Olympics, and FISH of Howard County to mention a few. We had several on site visits, shared best practices, attended fundraising events, and increased our knowledge and learning about each organization.
Our relationships continued to grow and deepen with our past scholastic recipients as they entered into a new school year, began internships, started to utilize and build upon our mentoring program and continued to execute their life plans. We are extremely proud of our past recipients and feel fortunate to be a part of their journey.
I cannot say enough about the continued increase in support and donations. We had an outstanding year despite the continued tough economic head winds everyone is experiencing across the globe. There were many events held in our honor and several multi-year commitments made by individuals and companies. The response and support of these events has been truly heart warming and I along with our board of directors thank everyone involved for their time, energy and contributions. We continue to be proud of the fact that 100% of all donations go directly to helping others with a particular focus on children and young adults.
We feel fortunate that in 2011 we were able to expand the number of individuals, homes and organizations that we were able to make part of our family. I am both fortunate and blessed to be involved with such a great group of board members, volunteers, and individuals that believe in making a difference. There is a saying that asks: Do you know who can change the world? The answer: those who want to.
Please consider joining our efforts in helping us reach more individuals by making a tax-deductible contribution. All amounts are greatly appreciated.
You may make a check payable to The Zukowski Family Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 87, Clarksville, MD 21029 or you can visit us online at ZukowskiFoundation.org and make an online contribution.
Best Regards! — Ray and Cheryl Zukowski
