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President's Message

Thursday, March 19, 2015

President’s Message - Frank McMeen

It looks like we have survived a very rough February.  Spring will soon be here with flowers blooming and birds singing.  Bitter cold, ice storms are certainly not part of our typical winter in the South, but it is something for which we must be prepared. 

When we look at the beautiful and historical properties that we manage and preserve, if it were not for APTA,  its leadership, vision and many, many volunteers, these pieces of Tennessee history would not be here. They would not have survived the many rough Februarys of the last century.
How do we survive the next century?  (1) Volunteers!  The future of each site is developing a strong group of dedicated volunteers who believe in sharing our past with the next generation and others in our future.  The next generation must connect with the value of each of these properties.  That connection will create life into the next generation for these beautiful properties.
(2) Financial stability! The fundraising climate has changed.  Fundraising is not the same as it was in 1950 when APTA was founded. Just as marketing the properties has changed, so has how we generate dollars.

To assist in this effort to provide stability for APTA and the chapters, the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation will offer a challenge grant to establish or grow APTA endowments. The Foundation will provide a $15,000 challenge gift to APTA as a state organization and a $15,000 challenge grant to the chapters as a group.  For every $3 given to the APTA’s endowment, the Foundation will provide an additional dollar, up to $15,000, providing an immediate 30% return on your investment. The chapter’s challenge grant will have a total of $15,000 where gifts to chapter endowments will be matched with $1 for every $3 donated.  All endowment funds are permanent and provide an income stream for the organization and allow for growth so that the income stream grows as well.

How else can the Foundation help our chapters and the APTA as a state-wide organization?  In December we have the Christmas Challenge.  Again we match contributions made in memory or in honor of loved ones with a $1 for every $3 contributed to endowments held at the Foundation.  We set aside $100,000 in this pool and again, these endowment contributions are permanent and are used as the beginning of providing chapters and the APTA with long-term financial stability.

This challenge begins in July so begin to make your plans to grow or start your endowment.