June was about deciding what this organization is. Saturday is about deciding what it does next year. December approves the budget and the final goals — Saturday sets the direction.
One page on purpose. The detail lives in the conversation, not the pre-read.
The June retreat tracker assigned these to this meeting, and none of them came up in the September 22 pre-board call. They need votes, not discussion.
Deliberately empty. Coming in with targets already written invites reaction; the useful version is the one the board builds in the room.
| Area | Where we are | 2027 target |
|---|---|---|
| Total revenue | $171k budgeted for 2026 | |
| Scholarships funded | 14 | |
| Applications handled | 2,150, largely by hand | |
| Flagship campaigns run | 2 | |
| Recurring monthly donors | Effectively none | |
| Team — development / ops hire | Approved in June, not started | |
| Operating reserve | None designated | |
| Board size | 5 |
The most useful question of the day: if 2027 goes badly, which three of these do we protect?
What moved, and what did not.
| June commitment | Where it got to |
|---|---|
| Ashley Ryden — follow up with last year's $25k donor | Renewed at $25k |
| Partner portal live | Live and self-updating |
| Fall board meeting scheduled; pre-board briefing held | Done |
| Angie onboarded to the AI systems | Done |
| Calendar to the printer | Not yet — 80 pre-orders in hand |
| Year-end giving plan finalized | Saturday's agenda |
| 2027 cash budget | Moved to December |
| Integrated comms / site overhaul, end September | Was joint with Roxy — needs rescoping |
Two things happened that were not on anyone's list: $60k from TW and $25k from Ashley Ryden, both one-time and unrestricted — which is what makes a reserves policy urgent — and the film premieres in about three weeks, after which application volume is expected to rise sharply.
The 2027 cash budget, the goals formally adopted, the reserves policy language, and the 2027 board calendar.