Monthly Archives: December 2009

2009: The Year in Numbers

By Mark Hecker | December 31, 2009

A brief overview of our work in 2009: 45,777: Dollars raised. 3,000: Amount of largest gift. 1: Amount of smallest gift. 249: Number of donors. 199: Days since Reach was incorporated in the District of Columbia. 3: Articles published about Reach, Inc. 8: Corporations that have given. 3: Foundations that have given. 2: Board meetings. [...]

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A Little Break…

By Mark Hecker | December 22, 2009

As a holiday gift to myself, I am going to take a short break from the blog. In the coming week, I’ll be working hard on tying up loose ends for 2009 while planning for our exciting 2010. I look forward to providing a summary of our success in 2009 when I return to writing [...]

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A Quick Note

By Mark Hecker | December 17, 2009

This week, a new research study was summarized in an article in the LA Times: It’s not surprising that an intensive six-month training program for children with poor reading skills improves their performance, as a new study has demonstrated. The unexpected finding is that the skills program actually spurred brain changes that could be the [...]

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The Why.

By Mark Hecker | December 14, 2009

Reach, Inc. began as an idea almost six years ago as part of an independent study at Duke University. Now, less than a year away from program launch, it still feels so far away at times. However, during  a visit to Wheatley Elementary School, I was able to experience, once again, why I’m doing this [...]

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A Great First Event…

By Mark Hecker | December 10, 2009

A big thank you to everyone that came out to Libations for Literacy on Tuesday night at Cleveland Park Bar & Grill. On a rainy night, we had almost 75 guests and raised over $1,500. I am grateful to all those that attended and to those that donated even if they weren’t able to attend. [...]

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A Day (And a Half) In The Life…

By Mark Hecker | December 8, 2009

I’m currently in the middle of a 36 hour stretch that I think effectively encapsulates my experience being the leader of this brand new organization. Monday, December 7th: 10am: Meeting with Professor Peter Edelman to discuss reconnecting disengaged youth, from a policy perspective. 12pm: Return home. Send a thank you note to The MB & [...]

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Building a Board

By Mark Hecker | December 4, 2009

As Reach, Inc. moves from the start-up stage toward a more sustainable organization, Board development will be an incredibly important aspect of our work. This week, I had the great opportunity to begin thinking about how we will approach this work. To incorporate, a nonprofit organization is required to have three members of a formal [...]

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