Launching Gilda’s Club into a New Era
As the new Executive Director, I am thrilled to be Reimagining Gilda’s Club Minnesota with you. Join me as we celebrate the phased reopening of our physical clubhouse this October and continue expanding our “virtual clubhouse” to ensure that no Minnesotan faces cancer alone.
In March 2020—the early days of the pandemic—in just 48 hours, Gilda’s Club Minnesota shifted our entire program to an online platform, demonstrating again what our members, volunteers, and supporters know so well: Community is stronger than cancer.®
Shifting to virtual programming by necessity enabled us to get a timely jumpstart on an already-established strategic goal; to increase diversity, equity, and access to our services. Over the last 18 months we have been able to provide our free support services to more Minnesotans impacted by cancer (11% more since 2019) than ever before, including:
- people with compromised immune systems,
- caregivers juggling the demands of their schedules,
- and socioeconomically and culturally diverse populations challenged by barriers to access.
Making it clear how necessary it is to provide virtual access moving forward.
At the close of 2020, we made a promise to our community to, “emerge on the other side of this pandemic … offering hybrid programming that combines the convenience of virtual programming with the irreplaceable experience of being together in person at the clubhouse,” so that no one faces cancer alone.
Simultaneously, Gilda’s Club Minnesota faced two organizational challenges plaguing Minnesotan nonprofits:
- the loss of established fundraising channels and cadences over the past 18 months, especially regular, live events such as our annual breakfast,
- and organizational transition, as longtime staff members moved on to new opportunities.
Meanwhile, the need for our services continues to grow, now more than ever.
A pivotal moment for Gilda’s Club Minnesota
In response to the challenges of the pandemic, Minnesota nonprofits have been faced with three choices: close, scale back or thrive. Unfortunately, nearly 200 Minnesota nonprofits have been forced to close [Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, July 19, 2021].
Gilda’s Club Minnesota chooses to thrive—just as our members do when they are faced with one of life’s most difficult challenges: cancer.
Doing so will require more than simply reopening our clubhouse doors with hybrid programming. Instead, thriving requires us to re-envision and embrace what Gilda’s Club Minnesota can be — in fact, what it is already becoming: the go-to place for all Minnesotans dealing with cancer.
We have our first “all-hands-on-deck” opportunity since the original desire to bring Gilda’s Club to the Twin Cities — as we launch the organization into a new era.
On October 1, we will welcome in the community for the first time in over a year as we:
- reopen the red doors of our physical clubhouse,
- formally open the Virtual Clubhouse—our “second clubhouse,”
- and launch Gilda’s Club Minnesota into a new era, laying the groundwork and building momentum for a two-year push to expand our reach and increase our impact.
Why the timing is right for you to support Gilda’s Reimagining
This time of reimagining gives us an exciting opportunity to partner more closely with our members and supporters while simultaneously leveraging a $100,000 foundation match opportunity from The Wasie Foundation by October 31. Please consider joining us at Gilda’s Club as we reimagine what support can feel like for those in our community facing cancer, and make a donation today.
With gratitude,
Katherine Todd
Executive Director
612-227-2147 main | 952-767-7620 direct
10560 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka MN 55305
