WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO IT ALONE

Since our founding, Raphael House has provided over 20,000 individuals (more than 4,200 families) with personalized family-centered solutions to build brighter, independent futures. On average, 90% of the families we serve in our Residential Shelter achieve stable housing, and 93% maintain that stability long-term through our Bridge Program. We’re calling on your generosity and dedication to our mission to assist us in raising the required funds to keep our doors open.

WHAT LED US HERE?

• The shifting landscape due to the pandemic and the current state of the economy and inflation has altered priorities and, in certain instances, caused many of our regular donors to leave the city.
• Raphael House was built on a model that depended on live-in volunteers to support families and oversee our fundraising endeavors. Since altering our staffing approach, we have continuously grappled with the pressures of inflation, the rising cost of living, and the compensation of our highly skilled and devoted staff. 
• We have the responsibility of maintaining a century-old building, which requires substantial ongoing maintenance and repairs; these expenses have only grown due to the rising cost of doing business in the city.

OUR CURRENT PLAN

We have made necessary choices to reduce expenses in every possible way while ensuring that every family we support will still have access to our complete range of services. Our budget shortfall affects all our programs. Nevertheless, we remain committed to serving families to the best of our abilities and will maintain transparency throughout this ongoing process.

In this time of crisis, please know that we fundraise to serve our families now. We are fully committed to continuing our 52-year-old tradition of service so that we can build our sustainable future and continue to provide individualized support to our families as we always have. Our mission and goals will never change.

MOVING FORWARD

• Private funding: we ask that our major donors help us bridge our current budget deficit while we pursue public funding as well as liquidating assets. These additional revenue generators will take time to implement and we are asking for urgent funding now to keep our doors open. 
• Government funding: we are pursuing grants from the city, county, and state, however, the funding process is cyclical and will take time to be included in our revenue projections. Please note that the decision to pursue public funding is not taken lightly. Our mission remains to continue providing comprehensive support to families experiencing homelessness and collaborate with them to rebuild their lives. We will continue to operate with this mission, regardless of our revenue streams. 
• Strategic Planning: We are working to adjust and strengthen our operations, programs, and impact for the long term via our new strategic plan (to be completed by January 2024).
• Consideration: Our city cannot bear the loss of a homeless shelter and crucial services provider for families. If we had to cease operations, families are at risk of reentering homelessness, which would cost the city, county, taxpayers, and other organizations significantly more to serve them than what it would cost to keep us open.