July 15, 2010

Dear Member,

Just one month ago, I sent you a letter explaining the difficult financial situation we found ourselves facing.  Our members responded with such an incredible outpouring of help that as of today, $46,778 has been contributed in response to our call.

Thank you.

Your generosity and quick response is remarkable.  You have kept us from having to make some hard decisions about American Stewards’ future.  Because of your help, we have been able to make some changes and plan through the end of this year.  But, we are still in a very difficult situation and need your continued help.

Enclosed is information on our current financial position so you have a better understanding of where we are and where we need to be.  The national economy not only affected us, but it affected some of our greatest grant-givers representing nearly $100,000 or 1/6th of our budget.  

Another loss we experienced was the destruction of our production facility due to a severe storm.  Over the years we have purchased used pieces of equipment that allow us to produce most of our membership mailings in-house, at a substantially reduced cost.  It took well over seven months of negotiations with the insurance company before we had this facility operating again.  

The combination of these events led us into a budget deficit of $82,000 as of June 30, 2010.   We knew we had to make some major changes in order to continue.

The good news, however, is that American Stewards carries no debt.

This means that even though we are facing a large budget deficit, it can be corrected with some organizational changes and your continued help.   

The first action we have taken is to substantially reduce our budget through the end of 2010, which started with a 25 percent salary reduction.  Still, with these cuts in place, we need to raise $330,000 in order to cover our expenses.  We anticipate that $80,000 of this will be contributed through renewal gifts and coordination support.  This leaves a $250,000 budget gap that we need to raise by September 30th.

Already, in response to our last letter, our members have contributed $46,778 leaving only $203,222 to be raised in order to fund our revised 2010 budget.  This goal is entirely achievable with your help.

We are counting on you once again because we must meet this goal.

We have cut as deeply as we can and still be able to fulfill our mission to protect property rights.  Our staff is spread very thin and yet continues to produce remarkable results.  But there is always a breaking point, and deeper cuts would cause us to consider carefully whether the level of support we are giving those in need can be maintained.

Will you make the extra commitment to help us raise the remaining $203,222?  Will you send a generous contribution today to help us meet this goal?

We have said many times in the past that you are the strength of this cause.  That is as true today as it has ever been.  Frankly, we cannot operate without your support.  But when you give to this work, great things happen, such as the incredible victory when we stopped the I-35 Trans Texas Corridor from crossing America.

Every day we are able to work with remarkable local leaders who have stood up for their community, teach them how to implement the coordination process, and then sit toe-to-toe at the table with the federal agencies, drawing a line in the sand for their land and people.

It is one of the most remarkable things I have witnessed and been privileged to be a part of.  The help we give and the strategies we teach are the only line of defense we have in this nation to protect ourselves from an ever increasing government.  But, the work is hard and there is a lot of it.  We put hundreds of hours into each community we help learning their issues, finding the legal mechanisms they can use to protect their position, and helping them keep the agencies at the table when they resist the process.

When you take on the government, you need more than the law on your side.  You need a skilled team of people with experience sitting at the table.  This is the support we give our members who are using the coordination process.  Sometimes the victories are just small steps forward, and sometimes mind blowing.  

We would not be able to do any of this without your help.  Every issue won is a victory you have had a hand in achieving.  It is critical that we continue this work because, right now, we are the only organization standing between the people and an ever-encroaching government.

I hope you will answer the call again today and help us raise the needed $203,222.  Your contribution, whether it be $35, $1000 or whatever you can afford, will put us that much closer to holding a strong financial position to the year’s end.

Please send in your extra contribution today.  We are counting on you.

Sincerely,



Margaret Byfield
Executive Director