OT -- Can anybody help us?

September 18, 2002

there are some very big chariable foundations in america giving money

to totally worthless causes

they have a special tax status which gives some right to expect them

to behave in a socially useful manner

surely you have a right to be heard in respect of your need? or is it

only the professional begging organisations which get a leg in.

>

> Dear Friends,

>

> I am writing to all of you in the hope that somebody out there may

be able to help us. After operating for over a year, our school for

children with autism is on the verge of closing due to insufficient

funds.

>

> We have come a long way since The Mariposa School was first

envisioned in March, 2000. Our biggest challenge was the CATCH-22 of

trying to jump start this without seed money. We needed a site to

attract students, but at the same time we needed to have enough

students to be able to afford a site. After incorporating as a non

profit in December, 2000, we began serving a few students in their

homes in September 2001, while we searched for an affordable site.

As many of you know, last April we located an old (dilapidated!) day

care building in Cary with a playground. The building required some

costly renovations , as well as a lot of old fashioned sweat equity

to make it inhabitable, but since opening it is has been a wonderful

haven for the children. We are currently serving 12 students.

>

> In addition to the children we are helping at the school, we have

been giving training sessions on Wednesday nights for parents to

learn how to teach their children more effectively. And this past

summer, we ran a socialization program which served another 24

students. As there is not much offered here in NC during the summer

for children with autism, many parents were extremely grateful for

this option.

>

> We have also developed a unique method of tracking data for those

doing a VB program. " Pocket-ABLLS " is a set of reusable goal cards

which correspond to the goals in the ABLLS curriculum by Sundberg and

Partington. Each day, probe data is taken and marked on each card in

grease pencil. After the session, the data is recorded in the

student's notebook, and the cards are then cleaned off for the next

day. Our instructors have found this to be an excellent method as

the data cards can be carried in an apron pocket, and goals can then

be worked on and followed through no matter where they go with the

child. They can also communicate with each other by writing notes

directly on the cards. This way, the next person to work with the

child can immediately see what has happened - the data is no longer

buried in a notebook.

>

> After a great deal of time and effort putting this system together,

we had planned to begin marketing it in the next month or two. Our

hopes were that it would not only help other families to manage their

programs more effectively, but that it would also bring in some

revenue to offset the costs of running our school.

>

> There has actually been a great deal of interest in our school now

that we have a site, and at this point in time we have a waiting

list. But the overhead keeps us from being able to provide

affordable services without outside help. We've come a long way

without any seed money. To keep costs down, I have been putting in

50-60 hours per week without pay as the Administrative Director.

This has not been easy for me since my husband's sudden death on

January 1. But I can see that our school is making a dramatic

difference for these children, and I've been determined to do what I

can to keep it going.

>

> We have raised approximately $50,000 through private donations in

the past two years, but startup costs have been tremendous. We are

now seeking additional funding, so that we can continue educating

these children who so desperately need help. I have submitted

several grant applications in the past month, but as you all know,

these take time to process.

>

> There is no other school in North Carolina which provides this

level of effective teaching to children with autism. We need to

raise an additional $50,000 in the next month to sustain us while we

continue to apply for grants. We have children who are now on our

waiting list, but can't ethically bring them on board until we can

honestly say we have enough money to run for at least 6 months.

>

> I think our main problem has been having a great concept in a time

of economic hardship. We started operating as a school last

September. We even had a piece about us on the news on Sept. 10 --

needless to say, we got lost in the aftermath of 9/11. Now it seems

that due to the sour economy, many organizations which might have

given us money 2 years ago, can't make any more commitments at this

time.

>

> If you know of any individuals or organizations which might be able

to help us, please let me know ASAP. I know there are also people

out there who are in the early stages of starting schools, but who

have raised enough money to get started. Perhaps we could

collaberate by trading our knowledge of how to run a school with

theirs of how to raise money.

>

> We have come so far - I hate to give up when we are so close!

>

> I can be reached at the school during the day at 919-461-0600.

>

> s

>

> persistentC@n...

>

> President, The Mariposa School

>

> www.rtphome.org/Mariposa

>

September 19, 2002

Hmmmm.....

waiting list....

operating at a loss...

I think they taught you the wrong kind of economics in school

The correct solution is raise your tuition.

If you do, you will be able to serve fewer children.

If you don't, you will be able to serve no children.

So raise it, now, and have the school there to serve at least a few.

Then it becomes much easier to raise money for scholarships for needy

autistic children than it does to do blanket fundraising.

Andy . . . . . . . . . . . . .

September 19, 2002

giant steps here had a similar problem and were on the verge of closing. they

solved it by hiring a professional whose has to raise the funds for the school

and his own wage. I am constantly amazed at the amounts he manages to find from

charities. one of those was AU$30,000 to run an asperger support program in

state schools. he just asked for that amount on the off chance and it was

granted, no worries. he also has a squad of elderly women who sell raffle

tickets on commission. they raise a fortune. anyway, it doesn't cost to discuss

it with a financial advisor and the benefits could be huge.

I am writing to all of you in the hope that somebody out there may be able to

help us. After operating for over a year, our school for children with autism

is on the verge of closing due to insufficient funds.

We have come a long way since The Mariposa School was first envisioned in March,

2000. Our biggest challenge was the CATCH-22 of trying to jump start this

without seed money. We needed a site to attract students, but at the same time

we needed to have enough students to be able to afford a site. After

incorporating as a non profit in December, 2000, we began serving a few students

in their homes in September 2001, while we searched for an affordable site. As

many of you know, last April we located an old (dilapidated!) day care building

in Cary with a playground. The building required some costly renovations , as

well as a lot of old fashioned sweat equity to make it inhabitable, but since

opening it is has been a wonderful haven for the children. We are currently

serving 12 students.

In addition to the children we are helping at the school, we have been giving

training sessions on Wednesday nights for parents to learn how to teach their

children more effectively. And this past summer, we ran a socialization program

which served another 24 students. As there is not much offered here in NC

during the summer for children with autism, many parents were extremely grateful

for this option.

We have also developed a unique method of tracking data for those doing a VB

program. " Pocket-ABLLS " is a set of reusable goal cards which correspond to the

goals in the ABLLS curriculum by Sundberg and Partington. Each day, probe data

is taken and marked on each card in grease pencil. After the session, the data

is recorded in the student's notebook, and the cards are then cleaned off for

the next day. Our instructors have found this to be an excellent method as the

data cards can be carried in an apron pocket, and goals can then be worked on

and followed through no matter where they go with the child. They can also

communicate with each other by writing notes directly on the cards. This way,

the next person to work with the child can immediately see what has happened -

the data is no longer buried in a notebook.

After a great deal of time and effort putting this system together, we had

planned to begin marketing it in the next month or two. Our hopes were that it

would not only help other families to manage their programs more effectively,

but that it would also bring in some revenue to offset the costs of running our

school.

There has actually been a great deal of interest in our school now that we have

a site, and at this point in time we have a waiting list. But the overhead

keeps us from being able to provide affordable services without outside help.

We've come a long way without any seed money. To keep costs down, I have been

putting in 50-60 hours per week without pay as the Administrative Director.

This has not been easy for me since my husband's sudden death on January 1. But

I can see that our school is making a dramatic difference for these children,

and I've been determined to do what I can to keep it going.

We have raised approximately $50,000 through private donations in the past two

years, but startup costs have been tremendous. We are now seeking additional

funding, so that we can continue educating these children who so desperately

need help. I have submitted several grant applications in the past month, but

as you all know, these take time to process.

There is no other school in North Carolina which provides this level of

effective teaching to children with autism. We need to raise an additional

$50,000 in the next month to sustain us while we continue to apply for grants.

We have children who are now on our waiting list, but can't ethically bring them

on board until we can honestly say we have enough money to run for at least 6

months.

I think our main problem has been having a great concept in a time of economic

hardship. We started operating as a school last September. We even had a piece

about us on the news on Sept. 10 -- needless to say, we got lost in the

aftermath of 9/11. Now it seems that due to the sour economy, many

organizations which might have given us money 2 years ago, can't make any more

commitments at this time.

If you know of any individuals or organizations which might be able to help us,

please let me know ASAP. I know there are also people out there who are in the

early stages of starting schools, but who have raised enough money to get

started. Perhaps we could collaberate by trading our knowledge of how to run a

school with theirs of how to raise money.

We have come so far - I hate to give up when we are so close!

I can be reached at the school during the day at 919-461-0600.

s

persistentC@...

President, The Mariposa School

www.rtphome.org/Mariposa

__________________________________________________________________

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September 19, 2002

,

I know of a woman in the UK with two autistic twins who sued local government in

order to get money to send the children to a school in the States becaues there