Letter from the President 2015

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.
So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future.
- Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

December 3, 2015

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
MinneapolisNEXT is celebrating an exciting milestone this year: The high school seniors in our signature scholarship program were born the same year MinneapolisNEXT was founded.
 
Generally, we prefer to look toward the future, and accomplishments yet to come. But this achievement merits a backward glance. We would have been astounded back in 1998, if you had told us that our efforts to help a few driven, determined young people gain access to high quality educational opportunities would evolve into an innovative philanthropic endeavor supported by a large and extraordinary group of generous donors such as yourself. Our ambitions were far more humble; the reality has surpassed our wildest dreams.
 
But that’s the way the world works. You do what seems right at a given time, and hope for the best outcome down the road. We couldn’t have connected the dots back then, but today, we could not be prouder of the picture that has emerged: In 17 years, we’ve helped hundreds of deserving kids participate in extracurricular sports and arts opportunities. And we’ve provided more than 600 high school scholarships to disadvantaged youth, with more than 55 kids receiving scholarships this year alone. And we’ve helped hundreds of deserving kids participate in extracurricular sports and arts opportunities, enriching their lives for years to come.

Not surprisingly, demand for assistance continues to grow. We don’t want to turn away anyone any qualified, motivated student in need. Can we count on your support, so that we can reach as many kids as possible?

We are steadfast in our commitment that all overhead costs are paid our Board of Directors, so we can continue to ensure that every dollar you commit goes directly to kids in need. Rest assured that whatever contribution you make will connect the dots in ways that are only partially apparent to us today. The true impact – likely to be exponentially greater than what we can imagine – is yet to come. In 2015, 18 MinneapolisNEXT scholarship recipients graduated from high school and headed off to institutions of higher learning and military service. You helped make this happen…one child at a time.
 
Best wishes this holiday season, and for a new year of joy, abundance, and good health.

Rexford Holland
President, MinneapolisNext