Dear Friends,

4-H continues to be one of the most successful and positive youth development programs ever evaluated. You certainly don’t have to look far to see the impact — Virginia is blanketed with outstanding 4-H agents, volunteers, and programs that make a difference.

The vision of the Virginia 4-H Foundation is to invest in 4-H to ensure that this important work continues in the future. Virginia needs what 4-H has to offer, and with your help we can expand our reach and increase enrollment.

One specific area where we are making progress is in helping counties and unit offices establish local endowments. Local county endowments put resources directly in the hands of the local 4-H agent, where they can be used as needed. Today, 33 localities benefit directly from local endowments, and several more are underway. We won’t be satisfied until every locality has a local endowment. I know this is a reachable goal; we just have to start the conversation and get he creativity moving.

Establishing a local endowment requires an investment of at least $25,000, which can be raised over a five-year period. Some examples for funding include five people pledging $1,000 a year for five years, 250 people giving a one-time gift of $100 each, or a little of both pledges and gifts. In any of these cases, the endowment can be established. Some localities have chosen an individual to honor, and others have named the endowment for the locality. There are so many wonderful opportunities to consider, and the local offices can determine what works best for them.

Imagine a 4-H endowment in every locality.I know I do! And, I know for certain that this goal is within our reach. When we reach this goal, I’m sure we’ll ask ourselves, “Why didn’t we do this sooner?” Come, join with us, and invest in 4-H now to create a lasting legacy. I welcome the opportunity to visit with you and learn more about your ideas on how we are going to ensure 4-H forever. I suspect you agree with me that “4-H forever” is a vision worth our investment.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Mary Miller, Ph.D.

Chair, Virginia 4-H Foundation