April 2023
MESSAGE FROM MARY DAVIDSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As I look back on my first year with Sky’s the Limit Fund, I hear my dad saying “If you love what you do, it isn’t work. Find something you are passionate about and do it”. In my younger years, I didn’t always listen to his advice, I’m so grateful that I did this time.
I have spent a lot of time focusing on our mission to provide extensive support and financial assistance for wilderness therapy to adolescents and young adults in crisis and their families in need. Every time I read it, the word accessibility comes to mind. What can Sky’s the Limit Fund do to increase access, serve more families of underserved demographics, and improve equity within our space? We have helped so many families over the last 13 years, but how can we expand our support? The mental health crisis for adolescents and young adults is at an all time high. We can do more.
As STLF focuses on our new strategic plan, we will be asking these questions to the staff, our board, our constituents and to anyone that will listen. As I said above, when you are passionate about something, finding solutions is not work, it is a pathway to finding hope and helping to heal families in crisis.
In this newsletter, we are addressing our first step to leading with diversity. I look forward to continuing this journey with you and keeping you up to date on our plan. We couldn’t do it without you!
Warmly,
Mary
-CURRENT EVENTS -
FINANCIAL NEWS
For the third consecutive year, we’ve earned our 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency with @CandidDotOrg! This is the highest level of commitment and transparency recognition offered by Candid(Guidestar). Support our work with trust and confidence by viewing our profile.
We successfully completed our fiscal year 2022 audit. This was our first audit and we received an Unmodified (clean) Opinion. The state of California requires an audit if revenue for the fiscal year is more than $2M. While we may not hit the $2M mark this year, we hope that revenue in future years always exceeds $2M.
LET'S CONNECT! EAST COAST VISIT
Sky’s the Limit Fund is heading to the East Coast in May and we hope to see YOU!
Mary Davidson, Executive Director, will be in New York on May 11-12 and in the DC area on May 15 to meet with the STLF community of supporters. Your thoughts are important to us. We welcome you to meet with Mary for a one-on-one or small group meeting to share updates about the industry, and exciting news about Sky’s the Limit Fund. For more information, contact info@stlfgives.org.
NATSASP ADVOCACY DAY - MAY 17TH
Sky’s the Limit Fund will be at NATSAP’s Advocacy Day in Washington, DC on May 17th to help communicate the importance of the therapeutic industry to legislators on Capitol Hill.
NATSAP would like to increase the visibility of therapeutic treatment programs through the introduction of staff, parents, alumni, and industry programs and professionals to legislators. We’ll be there to discuss important information and share compelling stories.
-IMPACT & GROWTH -
IMPACT
This fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2022, STLF has provided over $1M of support to 155 youth/young adults and their families. In comparison to last year at this time, we helped 128 families. Given the current economy, we’re experiencing an increase in applications with requests for more financial assistance.
THIS YEAR WE ARE LEADING WITH DIVERSITY
At STLF, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) play a significant role in our expansion, both internally and externally across 14 program partner sites.
Before developing our internal DEI plan, the STLF team will conduct a Diversity Organizational Assessment at the beginning of Q2. This assessment will include our team, our board, and our stakeholders so we can best hear all voices and perspectives
Internally, we will be focusing on our strengths and areas for growth. With our DEI assessment, we hope to better understand our DEI profile across the following segments of our organization:
• Our mission, values, and goals
• Our organizational policies, procedures, administration, and staffing
• Building our workplace culture
• Our program and service delivery
• Our outreach, fundraising, and advocacy efforts
• Building and maintaining partnerships
Our external work with program partners is just as significant. At STLF, our DEI mission is to foster a culture that exemplifies teamwork, embraces innovation, and values diversity, equity, and inclusion to achieve mission excellence. For the next 3 months, we will work collaboratively with our 14 program partners to explore ways to make the wilderness therapy experience more diverse and accessible. Survey results will be shared during the National Wilderness Therapy Symposium on August 23- 25, 2023.
TESTIMONIALS
“My son was challenged and stretched to his limits, he was supported and encouraged in deep and powerful ways. Most importantly, he had precious time and space to explore and learn so very much about both his challenges and his capabilities. While there is now an even longer journey ahead of us, I believe he enters after-care with a far greater chance of success because of his wilderness therapy experience. He is more peaceful, more willing, and fully engaged in the process.” – grant recipient parent
Wilderness therapy broke a cycle – though there is still much work to be done, wilderness gave all of our family a framework and language to speak to one another and look to the future. Most importantly, our son is open to and beginning to accept that he “is enough”…that he is loved and worthy of self-love. And that will open doors.” – grant recipient parent
- COMMUNITY -
SPOTLIGHT
“WoodNext Foundation is guided by our overall mission to advance human progress and remove obstacles to a fulfilling life with priorities that include mental health. We support the important work of Sky’s the Limit Fund in providing financial assistance for mental health care for adolescents and young adults in crisis.”
We are inspired by the philanthropic work of WoodNext Foundation and are honored and privileged to receive their generous support. Through this, we provide financial assistance for wilderness therapy and transitional care to youth and young adults and their families who otherwise could not afford it. Thank you WoodNext Foundation!
STLF SPEAKER SERIES PODCAST
The STLF Speaker Series podcast is an educational resource for parents seeking information about topics close to wilderness therapy.
Full episode pages are available on our website. Find all of our podcast episodes on Apple, Google, and Spotify and video recording on YouTube.
Recent Interviews:
IT’S OKAY TO BE VULNERABLE AS A PARENT – Casie Fariello, Co-Founder & CEO of Other Parents Like Me
PARENTING NEURODIVERSE GIRLS – Sarah James, MA, LCMHC, LCAS Trail Carolina
THE ANXIETY AND FEAR OF YOUR CHILD GOING AWAY TO TREATMENT- Tony Issenmann, Ph.D., LMFT BlueRidge Wilderness
A WILDERNESS JOURNEY: THE STORY OF A TEEN’S ROAD TO HEALING – Tami Ann, author of A Wilderness Journey
- WAYS TO SUPPORT -
Corporate Sponsorships
We are very grateful for the support of our Corporate Partners. Through their sponsorships, we continue to break the barrier of cost for wildnerness therapy and transitional support. For information about our sponsorship program, contact info@stlfgives.org.
Donate
Sky’s the Limit Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (tax ID 27-2592172). Your tax-deductible donation supports youth in crisis through wilderness therapy and STLF Coaching Service.
Does your company match your contribution? Company matching is an easy way to increase your giving and support to youth and families we serve. Consider making a recurring gift with a monthly or quarterly donation. For information on donating stock or mutual funds, or assistance with your company match, please contact info@stlfgives.org.
Be a Peer-to-Peer Fundraiser
There are lots of ways to make good things happen! Join your personal journey, passion, a race or fun event with your desire to help youth/young adults in crisis through wildernesss therapy by raising needed funds as a peer-to-peer fundraiser. For more information on how to get started with your fundraiser, contact info@stlfgives.org.
Birthday Fundraiser
very day more than 45 million people give birthday wishes on Facebook. Here’s an opportunity to make your birthday more meaningful by creating a fundraiser on behalf of STLF. Start your Facebook birthday fundraiser: 1) go to your Facebook home page, 2) on your news feed, scroll to Fundraisers, 3) select Sky’s the Limit Fund, 4) personalize your story, and 5) share your fundraiser.
