It is hard to think that we are on volume 5 and coming up on our sixth month at The Hedrick Project. Time sure does have a way of flying by.
This month was an excellent start to 2023. Things are coming together, and we are excited to make extreme progress in various aspects of our business. Here's what we've been up to:
The Power of $1,250
Together, we have planted 8,333 trees and paid for 125 hours of work with our reforestation project. We are only just getting started.
I've written an entire piece on the power of $1,250 - check it out here.
I just want to take the time to thank you. This was our first donation, and it is a surreal moment to see money leaving our account that, together, we raised going to a better good.
Together we are changing lives. I truly believe that.
Raptor Project
Our Raptor Project is Live!
We have partnered with The Carolina Raptor Center and could not be more excited!
The Carolina Raptor Center (CRC) is a nonprofit organization on a mission to ignite imaginations and inspire engagement in the natural world through the exploration and rehabilitation of birds of prey.
CRC has a three-quarter-mile walking trail and a zoological facility that permanently houses and displays more than thirty birds of prey. Carolina Raptor Center uses this walking trail to host programs that inspire life-long education and stewardship of the environment and raptors.
In addition, CRC has a medical facility for injured wild raptors filled with extraordinary medical staff that evaluate 800-1000 raptors annually. In its 40-year history, Carolina Raptor Center has admitted over 20,000 birds.
Land Conservation Project
In addition to our Raptor Project, our Land Conservation Project is Live.
We have partnered with Catawba Land Conservancy to lead this project, and we are excited to tell you more:
Catawba Land Conservancy (CLC) protects land in the Southern Piedmont of North Carolina through conservation easements, land donations, bargain sales, and preserves.
Their conservation efforts improve water and air quality and protect wildlife habitats, farmland, and open natural spaces. CLC is dedicated to helping balance the inevitable growth of our communities with protecting those places that improve our quality of life.
In addition, Catawba Land Conservancy is the lead agency for The Carolina Thread Trail - a regional network of trails, blueways, and conservation corridors that will ultimately link more than 2.3 million citizens in North and South Carolina.
Media Exposure
In the last month, we started producing informational shorts as an experiment to see what kind of exposure we could bring the organization. I would say it was a success:
On Instagram, we reached 43,000 accounts in the last month. We also grew our followers by 60%.
On YouTube, we reached 12,300 accounts, grew our following by 53%, and had a 282% growth in watch time.
The Board Update
Our Board of Directors is coming together nicely. I'm extremely happy with our progress and excited to introduce them to you when we finish appointing each position.
The process of filling a board of directors is, and always will be, the most important thing that a nonprofit has to do. The board functions as the supervisor of everything the nonprofit does. From donations to hiring to media to everything in between. Making sure that we have the best people, not just someone who can sit in a seat, is paramount.
Because of this, I'm excited that our process is taking some time. We have multiple interviews that we conduct, and we want to ensure that everyone who has an opportunity to sit on our board deserves it.
With only a few positions left, I'm excited to have this part of the beginning stages of the nonprofit complete. I'm glad we didn't rush it. I've already learned so much, made some friends, and am excited to see what will happen when we all put our heads together on our mission.
What's Next
In the next two months, I think that THP is going to evolve. We have a project launch that we have been working on for months, and we will be able to truly show the world who we are and what we can do. Be prepared for some high-quality media and stories from the field.
We have an exciting new program launching for business owners. We are working together to be much more than the obligatory write-off many business owners make. We want to establish partnerships that help businesses grow, build brand, and connect with customers.
We have some fundraising to do. We need to expand our reach and get some people on the payroll. There's only so much one person can do, and that will be a focus for a while. I want to make some of our first hires by the end of the year. Employees are expensive for a new business, but they are well worth it. It'll allow THP to breathe and grow, and I'm excited to see who our first hires will be. I know they'll be special.