Initial Pitch to Donors

After receiving the land donation, the plan to build the Aspen Center for Learning began to take shape. We had a location where we could build a Center for those with special needs. But it immediately became clear that we had a huge mountain to climb. We estimated we’d need to raise $11m to build the Center.I started sharing the concept and project with everyone I knew. I spoke with clients, friends, and neighbors about the issue we were facing and our solution. People responded so generously, donating money to the cause. David Glenn, a dear friend and successful entrepreneur, was the first to give a very generous donation. This breathed life into the project and validated our thinking. Other friends, including Terri Wright, Troy Peterson, Dave and Rebecca Smith, Danny Labrum, Jeff Hill, Jeff Danley, Jamie Dunn, Erik and Missy Felsted, Mike and Jessica Studdert, Steve and DeAnn Anderton, and Paul and Angela Ritchie, made generous contributions. With these donations, we’ve purchased additional needed water shares and paid preliminary architectural and engineering fees to apply for a conditional use permit.We also pitched our idea to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some well-known Utah family foundations, including the Millers and Eccles. Our presentation was very well received, but all three potential supporters told us we were too early in our organization and lacked the details for them to make a commitment. They advised us to do more work and come back to them when we had an actionable plan.Since then, we have been working on a business plan, detailed construction plans, obtaining a quote from a general contractor, and finding an operator for the school. Once we have these details we are confident that we can approach these and other organizations to request funding to build the Center.

.

‍

‍

‍

‍