As it sought to navigate life without the funds from a 2004 capital campaign — and with rising operational expenses — the board of the Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic held several strategy sessions to chart the best path forward.
One idea that emerged from the sessions was a “giving day,” a concentrated fundraising event that similar nonprofits had successfully used to help reach their goals.
“We thought that was something we could do as well,” Moss executive director Karen Dulaney said in a phone interview. “Lo and behold, it worked out pretty well.”
“Pretty well” might be an understatement.
The clinic’s Mayday for Health Giving Day, which was held on May 28, raised $134,000 from the community, Dulaney said. Since the event eclipsed a $100,000 match challenge goal, an anonymous donor will contribute an additional $100,000 to the clinic’s coffers.
“I really, truly do not know who it is,” Dulaney said of the donor’s identity.
It is clear, however, that a large percentage of those who gave on May 28 were new or first-time donors, said Dulaney, “and we’re thrilled about that.” Donations are still being accepted online.
On April 21, supporters of the Moss Free Clinic held a rally in a shopping center near the intersection of Mary Washington Blvd. and Emancipation Highway. Speeches were given, signs hoisted and T-shirts sold, but the clinic’s long-term outlook remained unclear in the face of unprecedented financial challenges.
While those early organizing efforts might not have changed the clinic’s balance sheet, in Dulaney’s mind, they vindicated its purpose in the Fredericksburg health care community.
“We weren’t really sure what to expect, but we were really hopeful,” Dulaney said of Giving Day. “But we knew how much the community was behind us; we knew how much our services were needed.”
She emphasized that Giving Day is just one of many fundraising efforts the clinic is undertaking — including pursuing grants and partnerships — as it seeks to maintain its services as a medical and dental provider for uninsured patients.
In April, the clinic announced that it would only operate four days a week, closing on Fridays. Shortly thereafter, it imposed a 60-day freeze on accepting new patients.
Thanks in part to the funds raised this week, that freeze has thawed.
“We’re making progress,” Dulaney said.
