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TODAY!!!
Click the #GivingTuesday logo to donate
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A lot of worthy organizations are asking for your support on this #GivingTuesday. VCOG is no different. We all rely on the generous donations of our supporters and friends.
I do ask you, though, to think about how your contribution can make a difference to an organization as lean as our’s, with an annual budget of under $90,000.
Consider, for instance, that in November, VCOG’s executive director, Megan Rhyne, has…
- traveled from VCOG’s base in Williamsburg to Loudoun County to talk with parents of special needs children seeking information from their school district;
- spent an evening at a Henrico library introducing residents there to foundational principles of open government;
- went to Chesapeake to present the FOIA portion of VCOG’s webinar series on FOIA and records management in partnership with Tidewater Community College where more than 300 government employees were registered; and
- taught two of three scheduled classes at William & Mary’s adult education program on how to follow the General Assembly.
And along the way, on behalf of VCOG, she …
- met with legislators;
- penned an op-ed on the Amazon HQ2 deal’s provision on open records;
- met with advocates of bringing to light the chemicals and compounders of drugs used in lethal injection;
- attended oral arguments at the Supreme Court on a FOIA case VCOG filed an amicus brief on; and
- met with court personnel on proposed rules for access to judicial records.
The executive director’s job is to educate and advocate. So none of these engagements should come as a surprise. But these engagements have a cost. The cost of travel, preparation of materials and time out of the office, where VCOG’s administrative needs must be met, as well as the needs of the dozens of citizens, government and reporters who call each month seeking answers to questions about FOIA.
VCOG’s executive director is essentially the non-profit’s program. But just like other non-profits, we have administrative costs as well: insurance, office supplies (though Megan uses her own computer and works from a home office), phone bills, financial audits and more.
So, your contributions — even small ones — make such a difference to both the program and the general operation of VCOG. It keeps our lights on. It keeps our newsletters flowing. It underwrites our travels all over the state and into cyberspace.
It ensures that Virginians always have someone to make the case for open government in Virginia every day, every month, every year.
Please. Donate today.
A note from Megan: In September, I made a personal donation of $1,200 to VCOG. Can you help match that this #GivingTuesday?
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