Vanessa Behan Purchases Adjacent Property to Ensure Lasting Impact

Dear Friends,

With hope for the future of kids and families in our region, we’re writing to share some important news with you. The Board of Trustees has agreed to purchase, using a portion of our cash reserves, the lot directly east of our facility on Sprague Avenue (formerly a US Bank branch).

We understand this may seem premature since we just moved into our new home 19 months ago.  We weren’t actively looking for this opportunity but, when it came up for sale, we had to at least consider the option as it may never come again. After a rigorous analysis and vetting process, our Board of Trustees made the decision with conviction that it’s in the best interest of our organization and community. As an investor, and valued partner in our mission, we want to be clear and up-front with you about this decision and address any questions or concerns you may have.

It will serve the community. As you know, the children and families of our community are at the forefront of every decision we make, and we believe this property can help them thrive. That’s why we’re in conversations around leasing the facility to an organization that is going to support our region’s families. We also believe that by investing in Spokane, and the Sprague Union District, we’re helping our community sustain important and necessary infrastructure.

It’s a good investment. We have prided ourselves in not taking for granted a single dollar that is given and always look for ways to stretch the resources with which we are entrusted. Diversifying our investments is the wisest, and most financially responsible, approach to carrying out this goal. The purchase allows us to diversify our savings in a property that, long term, will yield a stronger return than our current (very conservative) investments. Additionally, by leasing out the facility, we will bring in consistent annual income.

The purchase secures our long-term future. We learned some valuable lessons while building our new home and one of those was the importance of adjacent property for long-term growth. While we have much to do to maximize our current space, in thinking about our impact thirty years from now the opportunity to own this parcel may never return. Having property in reserve now ensures that any growth or expansion in the future will be less costly and more beneficial to our children, families, staff, and volunteers.

We want you to remain confident in our mission and vision, which will always be to work towards the prevention of child abuse and neglect. There’s a lot more work to be done and your help continues to be crucial in protecting the children and families of our community. Should you have any questions or comments please reach out to one of us, call Keith O’Brien, Development Director, at (509) 340-0482, or simply reply to this e-mail. We deeply value your candor and feedback and hope to hear from you.

Thank you for working with us to keep kids safe and strengthen families.

Sincerely,