By Jenny Davidson, CEO CSMC
In the first days of January, as I prepared to return to work, I opened an email that contained some extraordinary news.
“Having considered the very important work done by CSMC and the dedication of its board and staff, we would like to give a donation of $150,000 each year for the next five years,” it read.
Ian and Leslie had been donating to CSMC since 2023, but the arrival and scale of this pledge was unexpected.
I responded to the email, expressing my sincere thanks, and invited Ian and Leslie to visit our office the next time they were in town.
Happily, Ian and Leslie accepted the invitation and joined us for a cup of tea in April. After a tour of our little offices, we chatted about family, single mothers and CSMC’s history, but there was one question I was burning to ask: “Why did you choose to donate to CSMC?”
Ian responded by saying that they could have donated to one of the larger or more well-known charities they support, but they both felt that being a smaller organisation, their donation would have a significant impact for CSMC. They were right.
Ian and Leslie’s donation is transformative for CSMC, not only because of the substantial sum and because it is a five-year investment in our work, but also because they trust us to use the funding where it is needed most.
As a small not-for-profit that relies heavily on government funding and grants tied to specific programs and projects, Ian and Leslie’s donation is a game changer for CSMC. It means we can be strategic; we can respond to unmet or emerging need; we can innovate in our approaches to service delivery; and we can build capability for long-term success.
We are excited by the growth possibilities presented by this generous donation. The surety of multi-year funding enables recruitment of new staff members or expansion of roles which will increase CSMC’s capacity to provide direct support, advocate for single mother families, and improve efficiencies.
Thank you Ian and Leslie – and all our donors. We are deeply grateful for your continued support and commitment to advancing social justice for single mother families.
Big or small, every donation to CSMC goes to supporting single mother families when they need it the most. If you are in a position to make a life-changing donation to support single mothers, we would welcome your gift.
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