Why hello, fellow youth advocate!  Let’s talk a little, shall we?

For over 20 years now, CPY has been working tirelessly to support our community’s youth and their families, allowing parents to financially support their households while trusting that their children’s needs are being met.  Our work has a positive impact not only on these families’ lives, but also on communities in the Mounds View School district as a whole, reducing the number of unsupervised children, improving the overall development of our youth, and reducing crime and delinquency in the district.  These are just a few of the tangible, positive benefits that CPY has brought by serving those in district 621.

As you may or may not be aware, running a nonprofit organization is an expensive proposition, especially one whose rates are drastically discounted to those with the most need.  This results in the nonprofit being dependent on fundraising, rather than income,  to pay for its operations.  CPY continually fundraises through a mix of community events, grant applications, government/district support, and a number of generous individuals who believe in our mission.

Times have changed in the past 20 years, though, and CPY must grow and adapt.  We’ve seen an increase in the wages required to retain the talented staff we employ.  We’ve seen broader incorporation of science and technology into academics, which requires that we keep up with our own programming.  Transportation, food, basic needs – all have risen in costs over the past years.  One thing has been constant – CPY has continued to serve our at-risk youth charging based on need and means, not on a flat rate.

We are setting a 2018 goal (check out our nifty thermometer on the home page) to find 200 people who believe in our mission and are willing to help us support these cost increases and create a more stable budget.  We would like these fantastic individuals to sign up for a $20/month auto-pay donation.  By foregoing a 12-pack of craft beer once a month, you can help support all the good CPY does in our community.  If successful, this goal will raise $48,000 annually for CPY, which would work wonders to help us mitigate budget fluctuations and continue to support the youth in our own backyards.

Thank you and we hope you’ll consider helping!