Challenge Grant

Dear Friends,

In 2009, a kindly uncle from a far east coast state searched the internet looking for a leadership program for his high school-age nephews. Coming across the NTLP website, he was struck by two things. One, NTLP’s longevity. In today’s world where start-ups have a difficult time lasting 5 years and most fail within 10, NTLP’s 19 year milestone was impressive. Two, the alumni. It was clear that literally hundreds of students who attended NTLP programs were still involved, five, ten, even 19 years later. Why was that? More so, the alumni staff who returned year after year, were not paid staff, but rather volunteers who paid THEIR own room and board to be involved in NTLP. It seemed like a good program to take a chance on.

During the summer of 2009, those three nephews flew from the East Coast to attend NTLP and their kindly uncle came out to pick them up. He attended NTLP’s closing ceremony and the director and uncle briefly met.

What followed, as they say, is history. Based on the reactions of the nephews and clearly, so many who were in attendance in 2009, the program was a huge success. The uncle wondered:

…..is NTLP an organization that aspires to touch a handful of kids lucky enough to hear about NTLP and then make their way there once a year?

Or, is NTLP’s mission in life to help transform the lives of teenagers across our whole nation by developing their innate leadership capabilities to supply our nation with a new generation of leaders?

To help us achieve this lofty goal (something we’ve aspired to for many years) NTLP was offered a Challenge Grant of $25,000 with a “challenge of” raising that same amount in three months. We agreed on “all or nothing.”

February 28, 2010 was the deadline and as you can see our alumni, their families and friends, not only reached this goal but exceeded it…by over $3000!

Over 260 individual donations came in from alumni who attended as far back as 1992, through alumni and their parents who attended in 2009.

Our largest donation was $5000 from a family who’s son attended in 2009 and was also from the east coast (no relation).

Out of 268 individual donations, 145 were under $50 from dedicated alumni giving what they could.

Every single member of the Board of Directors made a significant donation.

Alumni nagged their Facebook friends, wrapped Christmas packages at Kohl’s, asked for donations in lieu of birthday gifts and even ran marathons to raise funds.

This is the power of NTLP.

The National Teen Leadership Program wants to thank every single person who helped us achieve this incentive to grow. We have already begun by adding a second camp in 2010 and are planning a future to become even more accessible to the youth of America.

While this Challenge is now over, our work has just begun. Please continue to support the National Teen Leadership Program.

Please donate what you can here.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Click here to see our wonderful Challenge Grant donors and read their testimonials!