I’m writing to let you know that we have reached a pivotal point in the life of our community.
When the Samson Society started back in 2004 I could not have imagined where we would be today … thousands of men in weekly in-person and online meetings, dozens of men from over 100 countries joining every week, meetings in several different languages, and a sister organization for women suffering betrayal trauma. And the growth is accelerating!
Through all of this growth we have remained a lean, self-supporting grassroots organization. The Samson Society does not have a bank account. We collect no dues or fees — but we do have expenses, and as our reach has expanded, our expenses have too.
In order to meet the financial demands of our mission, we established an independent, nonprofit organization in 2017, one committed to supporting the health and growth of the Samson Society. That organization is Samson House. Samson House has taken the lead in launching online meetings, hosting retreats and intensives, producing a popular podcast, developing online resources, and even securing a brick’n mortar refuge called The Harbor. Due largely to the support of Samson House, Samson Society has become a center of gravity in the recovery world.
But at this crucial moment, our mission is in danger. Even though most of our members are actively engaged in the lifesaving work of the Samson Society, fewer than 1% of our members are contributing financially. As a result, Samson House is struggling to meet the Society’s basic needs, and vital opportunities are being ignored.
That’s why the Board of Samson House has decided after serious and lengthy considerations to take a dramatic step. Beginning on June 1, 2023, Samson House will be offering a low-cost subscription to all members of the Samson Society. This subscription is not mandatory. As you know, there are no dues or fees for Samson Society membership. Samson meetings — online meetings as well as local ones — will always be free. However, resources and services that up until now Samson House has made available at samsonsociety.com will be moved to a subscribers-only Samson House website, along with new resources.
We are asking ALL current members to subscribe to SamsonHouse.org (use password NoBullBrotherhood to access this website) at the modest monthly rate of $7.95. We will be grateful if you can commit more, of course, and whatever you contribute above the small monthly subscription amount will be fully tax-deductible.
If all of the guys on Slack or one-third of the guys on our email list subscribe to Samson House, we will meet 75% of our budget. Then, the contributions of those who are able to give above the subscription rate will help us meet our budget and expand our reach.
I hope you find this innovation as encouraging as I do. This adjustment in the way we fund ourselves will make it possible for us to rescue more families and reach many more men. If you have any questions, feel free to email me or Tom Moucka.
On the Path together,
Nate Larkin, with Tom Moucka
No comments:
Post a Comment