Friends,

This week I’m in Washington D.C. at a conference on after school programs. I’ve been invited to visit Capitol Hill to tell the story of My Voice Music. I have been inspired by seeing the great work that similar organizations are doing around the country, and I have been able to share MVM’s story with many folks.

I am reminded of how far we have come as an organization in the last five years.

I am reminded that each week we have the privilege and opportunity to provide life-changing moments for youth.

Just last week, I worked with 6 kids, ages 11-17, who were frantically writing and putting final touches on their songs for a performance at Whole Foods Market’s Community Bike Day.

The atmosphere during these dress rehearsals for public performances is always intense. It is filled with high expectations, excitement, and anxiety. It is a time where we place deep trust in our students, and they in us; where we push them to go deeper and they inspire us as they go there.

When they performed at the end of the week, they KILLED IT. And they knew it.

When youth recognize their strengths, they begin to have tools to overcome obstacles, to think critically and succeed in school, to become leaders for positive change in their community. We see this. All. The. Time. Transformation happens when these moments are stacked together.

And I am grateful.

I am grateful for each person’s investment in this organization; from financial gifts, to donations of time and resources, to the students who go on life-changing journeys with us.

And I look toward to the future.

In 2013, about 70 percent of our income arrived between October 1 and Dec 31. This type of cash flow is very hard to plan around. Grants come and go. One-time gifts ebb and flow. This means things get very tight in the summer months and we are often unable to do everything we would like to with kids who would benefit greatly from it.

That’s why monthly recurring donations are so significant. Ongoing, monthly contributions provide a reliable source of support that we can count on as we grow year-round. They can mean the difference between running an amazing summer program, or canceling an amazing summer program.

That’s why I’d like to ask you to join me in becoming a sustaining member of MVM with a small monthly recurring donation. We have some great incentives for a gift of as little as $5. Every gift to My Voice Music, regardless of size, is an investment in a program model that is able to engage youth that do not often fit in well to typical education and intervention systems. And it works.

Thank you for supporting our work and our kids.

I am grateful.

Best,

Ian Mouser
MVM Founder / Executive Director

p.s. Don’t forget to get ticket to our May 30th benefit concert right here!