Dear YES Friend,

Let me begin by extending my deepest gratitude to you for your support, encouragement, and committed participation in making YES Consortium's first year so fruitful. In less than 12 months, we have brought our programs to nearly 1,000 participants at 10 program partner sites – accumulating nearly 700 on-site hours in schools, community centers, after school and summer camps and other publicly accessible areas.

"It takes a village to raise a child...” And as you know, YES relies heavily on its volunteers to accomplish its mission to provide financial education to bright children with limited resources. We need continuous support from individuals, businesses and organizations. Some of our program partner schools, afterschool programs, summer camps, and recreational centers have antiquated technology that, at times, hampers our ability to accomplish projects in an efficient and timely manner.

We're taking a proactive approach for the 2012-13 program year. We're hosting YES In the Community event at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Friday, November 9, 2012 from 1:00pm-4:00pm to bring awareness to the importance youth financial literacy in schools. We're inviting all of our partner schools to attend and it's free for the students. We're asking for donations from adults.

Would you be able to help support this event by reaching beyond the generous help you’ve already given? We’ve created a donation form with all the necessary information, and a self-addressed stamped envelope, so that all you need to do is write a check and drop it in the mail (we know you’re busy).

A healthy, well-trained workforce is the most valuable asset to any community. By helping our children understand and demonstrate their developing skills in personal finance, small business development and investing, you will be planting seeds for future business owners, responsible financial managers and savvy investors.

That isn’t all. By contributing, you will also be receiving free advertising and positive public relations in the community. That’s because we will post your name on our Facebook page and website as well as on any materials produced promoting the program. To top it all off, we will have a “Partner Wall,” bearing the names of all the contributors to the event, prominently displayed the ballpark.

Or, if you’re online, you can go to our website www.yesconsortium.org and click on “Donate" to make sure your donation counts toward the impact.

For all of us, the world is a classroom. One of the most exciting lessons we learn is how to manage money. Whether these lessons are taught or “caught,” financial management is a fundamental life skill. This truth is even more paramount for children and youth. We applaud when students achieve high grades in school. However, achieving an A+ in financial education is also a worthy goal - for life. With a solid foundation in financial knowledge, young people are better equipped to excel as they mature into adulthood.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Knox

Founder | CEO