“What you are doing is more important than ever. Here is my gift to help.”
With these words, a long time friend and supporter recently stepped up and boosted Isles’ Capital Campaign. The donor also sent a message that, in the face of such economic uncertainty, good people feel the need to act on hope, not just talk about it.
For 30 years, through good economic times and bad, Isles’ work has grown steadily. By providing tools for self-reliance and cleaner, more sustainable environments, we have watched thousands of people and families grow and develop alongside us. Together, we have pulled ourselves through the tough times — because that’s what a community does. It is also what our community will do in the weeks and months ahead.
While many organizations are cutting back, suspending campaigns and halting building projects, Isles is tightening its belt, but moving forward full steam. As a result, we are very pleased to announce that, with recent exciting gifts to Isles, we have raised over $7.8 million toward our campaign goal of $12,000,000.
The centerpiece of the campaign is the green redevelopment of Mill One, a former textile mill along the Trenton and Hamilton border. Once complete, the site will house the Scheide Center for Youth Development named for long-time Isles supporter William H.
Scheide. The Center will enable us to expand YouthBuild and the Center for Energy and Environmental Training (CEET) and create
a culinary arts training kitchen and café. The project will enable
Isles to grow into the future and consolidate our operations, now operating out of three locations in Trenton. The site will also house the new Center for Research and Design (CARD), a collaborative
effort to involve Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, College of New Jersey and others. These universities will partner with us to collect and analyze data, track indicators of Isles’ success, and research best practices across the country.
The Campaign is being led by co-chairs Robert Harris, Anastasia Mann, and Katherine Hatton with a committee of Honorary and Steering Committee members that includes:
Honorary Co-Chairs
Scott & Hella McVay
Douglas H. Palmer & Christiana Foglio-Palmer
James & Louise Rolling
William & Judith McCartin Scheide
Harold & Vivian Shapiro
Allan J. Tulp
Paul Volcker
Steering Committee
Richard Bilotti
Tom Byrne
Barbara Coe
Isabella de la Houssaye
Liz Gray Erickson
Jon Erickson
Leslie E. Gerwin
Steven Goodell
Daniel A. Harris
Katherine Hatton
Betsy Lane
Michele Minter
Jeanne M. Oswald
Linda Warder Revelle
Eldar Shafir
Manish H. Shah
Susan Taylor
Barbara Trelstad
Isles’ Campaign still has a long way to go, but we are confident of success with the help of people like you and our good friend quoted above.
We see opportunity in the weeks and months ahead. As government and private sector leaders re-think their roles and responsibilities, we think they will (and in some ways, already do) look to Isles to find new ways to solve costly old problems. Donors will ask harder questions about the impact of their donations. Of course, we look forward to that discussion.
On June 17 2009, Isles publicly announced its Capital Campaign with keynote speaker Paul Volcker, Chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Click here to see WZBN’s news coverage.
For more information about campaign events or for ways to participate, please contact Yuki Moore Laurenti, Isles’ managing director of resource development at 609-341-4721 or ylaurenti@isles. org