“Philanthropists are comfortable taking risks in business…but they are overly conservative in their philanthropic giving…

…it is important for philanthropists to be willing to take the same big swings in donating their money as they have in earning it.”

Melanie Lundquist, ‘activist philanthropist living in So. California.LA Business Journal, December 17, 2018.

It is said that if you don't ask, the answer is always NO...
So, will you please consider making a Bold gift to Strive in recognition of our 34th anniversary in 2024?

Much progress and growth is afoot in our 34th year, 2024. We are expanding our campus & programs onto the adjoining property we recently acquired. [see rendering here] Additional programs will include the next step toward our private academy; ESL; parenting and family support classes; and Music (youth chorus) and art programs. The 34th anniversary of an inner-city non-profit. What an opportunity to make a grand gift to the low-income, highly at-risk students and families we serve. To understand how highly-at-risk, please take a moment to view LA’s most violent neighborhoods . Strive is located in the ironically named Green Meadows neighborhood and bordered by Watts. Find more sobering stats on Our Children’s Landscape

Will you please consider making a significant springboard gift investment in our students and families along the following lines?

• A $500,000 - $1,000,000 34th anniversary unrestricted gift.
• A $500,000 - $1,000,000 Challenge/Matching gift. BookEnd Grant: A front-end gift matched at a given point later with a back-end gift when certain agreed upon goals are met.
• A Challenge or Lead Gift or otherwise substantive gift toward the renovation/construction expansion of our campus and programs. Preliminary estimates on this Capital improvement/expansion are roughly $1.5m. [see rendering here]
• Hybrid Gift: A hybrid gift split between our Capital/Construction needs and our increased program needs.

These could be single year gifts or spread over a multi-year commitment… or

• A 34th anniversary gift. A substantial one time gift investment that springboards our campus and program expansion effectively, efficiently and with vision.

• A multi-year gift that can be spread out over a span of years at your discretion.

• A significant challenge/matching gift that pledges to match a given amount of funds raised from other sources.

• A sizable ‘increase’ of your usual annual gift to Strive.

• A specified or restricted gift toward our endowment/rainy day fund.
  (Please ask for details on current balance and goals)

Why Strive?

• We teach the meaning of the word…Strive. Work and study very hard…and then some!
• We Work with the Willing: It’s an operating motto located on the wall of every classroom at Strive. We are a serious academic program for students and families who hunger to improve their lives and futures by developing their work and study ethic. This operating motto helps us create an effective learning atmosphere where we stress the importance of healthy behavior, a willing attitude, then academics.
• Efficient & debt free: Fully 2/3 of our 15,000 square foot mini campus was donated to Strive in the mid 90’s. The remaining 1/3 was acquired and paid off within 2 years. Strive is debt free and not one dollar is spent on rent, lease or mortgage expense. All grant/donor gifts are utilized efficiently on program and operating expenses in support of our students and families.
• We neither seek nor accept government funds.