Invitation to a Greater Vision:
The 2009 Chairman's Campaign

CLICK HERE to DONATE NOW

Men,

In October I had the honor of being part of the leadership team of the Arizona NWTA. I was blessed to work beside the man who invited me to the training back in 1992 and who has been a close friend and mentor ever since. And I was blessed to watch three men I had invited to the training go through the journey we’ve all shared: from initial skepticism and resistance, into the descent, to the discovery of the masculine essence within which connects us all. I am amazed how our work is renewed as each new man agrees to do whatever it takes, and then discovers what that really means for him. Our work has always been about individual transformation -- as each man develops through our integration processes and blossoms into a deeper sense of living in mission. One man at a time, we have initiated over 42,000 men. That’s a huge accomplishment, and I believe the ManKind Project has much more to offer a world which is hungry for grounded, clear masculine leadership.

Vision

When I began serving as Chairman of the Project, I said that it was time to turn outward from the fires we’ve been tending to face the outer world. We have begun to do that. Last year an Alumni Consulting Team from Stanford University worked with us to develop a long term vision for the Project. Here’s part of that vision:

They went on to propose a series of “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” to further that vision. The first is very close to my heart: to have a million men sitting in MKP circles around the world within 25 years. (Click here for more on the Stanford ACT proposals.) That is a huge leap, and the Project that could accomplish that would be very different from the MKP of today. And, we’re already taking steps in that direction with a new ManKind Project Journal, a new public website, and new open circle initiatives across the globe. This year the Stanford Team is working with us on ways to develop the financial base to accomplish these goals. For now, our financial wellbeing depends on tuition from our trainings and the generosity of men like you who already sit in our circles.

Action

The goal of the 2009 Chairman’s Campaign is to raise $200,000 to support this vision. We have already raised over half that amount to cover basic operating expenses. The second $100,000 will fund critical information technology projects. The launch of our new public website at www.ManKindProject.org shows what our IT team can accomplish on a shoestring budget. My intention is provide them with the resources to:

• Support the Centers in creating interlinked websites and blogs that will substantially improve our search engine performance, making it easier for men to learn the truth about our work.
• Advance our outreach efforts through social networking sites (like MeetUp.com and Facebook) and our new VistaPrint Store which enables each Center to create its own customized marketing literature.
• Create innovative and effective ways of inspiring men to move from curious web browsers, to open men's group participants, to new brothers, to active members of the community and champions of our work through powerful outreach, engagement and interaction across multiple technologies.
• Transfer our Center Administration Application (which enables Centers to manage their trainings and communities) to a centralized site using advanced open source software to make it flexible, easily maintained, and user-friendly.

I believe all these changes will dramatically improve our ability to attract and retain men in our work and strengthen our centers and communities. To learn more about our IT and Marketing efforts, see this note from our Marketing Coordinator, Boysen Hodgson, or enjoy video presentations by Keith Jarvis at http://mankindproject.org/it-development-plan.

My Request

I am asking every man in the Project to donate at least $100 for 2009 and to make a monthly pledge for 2010. I know many of you can and will give much more, and if you donate $250 or more we’ll send you a gift of Journeyman, a film about Boys to Men (and their New Warrior mentors), Jim Mitchell’s Integration Group Leadership Training Audio MP3 on CD, or the wonderful new book The Good Men Project. Last year's campaign raised over $125,000. I am deeply grateful to you for that. This campaign asks more of you and of me. I have never been more generous to the Project than I am right now. I ask you to join me in that spirit of generosity, expansion, and vision to launch the Project into the next 25 years.

You can donate on our secure server HERE or by sending a check to: Trip Moulton, CFO, 27 Blue Bird Hollow, Eddyville, Kentucky 42038.

Blessings to you all,



George H. Daranyi
Chairman
The ManKind Project
"I bring men to life"

PS: If you donate $250 or more please accept our gift of Journeyman, a film about Boys to Men (and their New Warrior mentors), Jim Mitchell’s Integration Group Leadership Training Audio MP3 on CD, or the wonderful new book The Good Men Project; Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood.

PPS: I particularly want to invite your donation to the MKP Diversity Scholarship Fund, created to provide financial assistance to African American, Latino, and Native American men desiring to participate in the New Warrior Training Adventure in the U.S.