A Word from the President

Greetings!

With each challenge comes opportunity. The last two years have presented not only obstacles, but opportunity as we forge ahead with “Continuing Resilience” to focus on the mission of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation and take it to the next level. Since its beginning, our Foundation mission has remained the same – to support positive youth development through the Oklahoma 4-H program.

When defined, resilience is “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.” While the Foundation has dealt individually and corporately with COVID-19 challenges and temporarily moving to a new location to prepare for the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall at Oklahoma State University – the Foundation has not slowed down.

Internally, we have been diligent to work on our own governance processes and engage with small and large donors to reach goals including the celebration of reaching our commitment of $100,000 for our part in the New Frontiers campaign. Most impressive is our continued relationship and development with the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma resulting in an additional subsequent gift making this entity our largest donor of outright cash gifts on record.

We treat each contribution as important – whether large or small, whether from a corporation, organization, another non-profit, memorials, “in honor of” gifts, planned giving, individual giving, family giving, directed giving to a scholarship or specific project – it all adds up to making a successful Oklahoma 4-H program. “Each one, reach one” should be our goal as past members who gained from the program as well as others invested in the mission and know its importance.

We appreciate every contributor, regardless of the level of gift, as it takes us all! With this report we have refined our Clover Recognition Program to honor appropriately those who are giving larger gifts and believe in Oklahoma 4-H.  We continue to develop our own professional capacity and our approaches to meet the needs and serve the program adequately. 

Making the Best Better – continues foremost – as the desire of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation board of directors and staff.  In 2022, our resiliency continues!

Paul Jackson
President