Dear Friends of The Woods,
We are eternally grateful for the support we receive from the amazing Westminster Woods community. It is because of all of you that we are able to provide a wonderful facility and quality programming to schools, churches, guest groups, families, and everyone in between. In this brief report, we have exciting news to share, and a summary of 2017 finances.
First, our School Programs department, which provides thousands of students each year with outstanding character development and science programs, received generous support in 2017 from the Margaret V. Ping Foundation and other donors, for a brand new microscope lab and a skulls and skins lab! These two labs, created to support our teaching of Next Generation Science Standards, have already been a hit – students have been able to discover a whole new world within natural objects they observed while hiking and exploring throughout The Woods.
We have long wished to upgrade and remodel our camp cabins with added bathrooms, but the limitations of our septic system have stood in our way. After four years working with a specialist to develop plans to upgrade our system, the plans have finally been approved by Sonoma County! We have three years to complete the septic work, but we can begin with a model cabin or two as soon as this year. Our community’s continued support will be as important as ever, with plans to keep upgrading cabins until the job is done. Here’s to the future of The Woods!
We have a few big 2018 events to announce, starting with Westminster Woods Friends & Family Summer Camp, which will be Tuesday, July 31st – Friday, August 3rd! This all-new camp program will be run by our Ministries and Summer Staff Leadership Team. We invite all friends of the Woods, including families, grandparents, individuals, and former staffers to join us. Registration coming soon!
The all-new Ocean Trek fundraiser will take place on Saturday, September 29th – a 13-mile hike from The Woods to the Sonoma Coast! In conjunction, our Weekend at The Woods will be September 28th-30th – families, couples, friends, and singles of all backgrounds are welcome for swimming, Challenge Course, hiking, games, campfires, and S’mores!
Details about all of these events will be shared via email, social media, and our website – stay tuned for updates! In the meantime, thank you for your continued support of our mission and goals. Please refer to the Give Back page of our website for donation options.
Counting Our Blessings - 2017 at a Glance
Westminster Woods is growing stronger – financially and overall – thanks to the dedicated efforts of our staff and board, and the faithful support of our donors.
We ended 2017 with a net revenue of $97,000 over expenses. These funds will largely be used toward upgrading our septic system and remodeling cabins, which should help increase our future revenue!
We encourage you to make supporting our camp ministry a regular part of your planned giving. Regardless of whether you contribute monthly, quarterly, or annually, your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of kids, teens, and adults, in 2018 and for years to come.
Here’s a glance at our 2017 revenue sources and how our expenses were allocated. Note that revenues from our renowned Challenge Course program are included under income for School Programs, Guest Groups, and Ministries.
With gratitude and faith,
Chris Rhodes Brian Gidney Executive Director Board President