Monday Matters: Momentum Matters

A promotional graphic for Mon Valley Academy for the Arts' participation in WCCF Gives. Large white text at the top reads, "DON'T WAIT. DONATE." Centered below is a photo of a music instructor kneeling with a ukulele, smiling alongside five elementary-age children. The background features soft golden lights and faint musical notes. A dark green band across the bottom includes the WCCF Gives logo on the left and the text, "September 10 from 8 AM to 8 PM," on the right. The design encourages supporters to make their donations before Giving Day.

Weekends are usually pretty low-key around here. They're when I catch up on the things that don't need to happen during business hours because, well, they don't involve business.

This weekend was different. On Saturday, the Washington County Community Foundation officially kicked off the first phase of WCCF Gives 2026 by releasing the official Check Contribution Form. That means donors who prefer to give by check no longer have to wait until Giving Day on September 10. They can make their gift today, mail it in, and still have it count toward the event.

That may not sound particularly exciting unless you've ever worked for or volunteered with a nonprofit.

For those of us who have, it's the moment the campaign becomes real.

For Mon Valley Academy for the Arts, Saturday marked the true beginning of our campaign. If you'd like to support MVAA this year, you don't have to wait until September 10. You can visit our WCCF Gives page to learn more about our mission, or, if you prefer to give by check, download the official contribution form, mail your gift early, and help us build momentum before Giving Day even arrives.

I'll admit it. I'm competitive.

I absolutely want Mon Valley Academy for the Arts to have an incredible WCCF Gives.

But I also want every organization I care about to have one.

That isn't a contradiction.

One of the core ideas behind SWAN is that nonprofits shouldn't waste energy treating each other like the competition. The competition isn't the nonprofit down the road. It's apathy. WCCF Gives challenges all of us to replace indifference with action by supporting the organizations that make our communities stronger.

Money isn't the mission.

But without it, the mission can't be met.

A promotional graphic featuring a black kitten named Parker lounging comfortably on the top platform of a gray cat tree with one paw dangling over the edge. Large red text at the top reads, "Parker Says," followed by black text that says, "Make Your Donation!" The background features soft golden bokeh lights with faint musical notes. The Mon Valley Academy for the Arts logo appears prominently at the bottom, creating a playful appeal for donations in support of the organization.

Today also marks another exciting milestone for MVAA.

This afternoon I'll be meeting with Tungsten Creative, the firm we've engaged to develop MVAA's new website. The project is being made possible through generous funding from the Miss Judy Hopson Arts Fund and the NPL&E Permanent Fund of the Washington County Community Foundation.

The new website will be designed around accessibility, usability, and long-term sustainability. It will make it easier for students to register for classes, families to learn about our programs, donors to support our mission, volunteers to get involved, and community members to connect with everything happening at the Academy. Just as importantly, it will be built to meet current ADA accessibility standards, creating a more welcoming online experience for everyone.

This investment represents much more than a new website. It reflects the Washington County Community Foundation's continued confidence in Mon Valley Academy for the Arts and our ability to grow, evolve, and better serve our community. Over the years, the Foundation has repeatedly invested in our mission, and every one of those investments has helped us reach more students, strengthen our programs, and build a more sustainable organization.

On a personal note, I have another reason to be grateful.

The Foundation has invested in my professional development as well. Last year, I had the privilege of participating in the Community PILLARS Program, an outstanding leadership program for nonprofit professionals. It challenged me to think differently about governance, leadership, fundraising, and collaboration, and I came away a better board member, a better fundraiser, and, I hope, a better advocate for the nonprofit sector.

Community foundations don't simply award grants. They invest in organizations. They invest in leaders. And ultimately, they invest in communities.

As someone who spends a great deal of time working with nonprofits, I've learned that organizations rarely grow because someone writes one large check.

They grow because hundreds of people decide they're worth believing in.

...That said, if someone would like to write one large check, I certainly won't object.

You can make it payable to Mon Valley Academy for the Arts and mail it to:

Mon Valley Academy for the Arts
119 Brownsville Avenue
Brownsville, PA 15417

If you do, I'd appreciate it if you'd write "Carla sent me" in the memo line.

While I'm very much a team player and don't do this work in search of the spotlight, if this post happens to shine a little light on the work we're doing at Mon Valley Academy for the Arts, I'll happily take just a tiny bit of the credit.

After all, every fundraiser knows that sometimes the most effective call to action is simply asking.

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