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These seven options are not meant to cover all the possibilities, but merely to share what is being consid- ered initially. Cedar Cove has great potential, but in a time of dwindling programs and passions, we must decide how best to use our limited resources.
Like many businesses, the institute has struggled to maintain its inventory; in this case, the supplies that are necessary to support its program sites, plus its books and other materials. Basically, we invest in replenish- ing our stock, but then end up using the income generated to cover basic operating expenses with nothing left to replenish those stocks for the next round. This becomes a downward spiral exacerbated by every program site that decides to cut back, every cost increase and vendor decrease, and every volunteer change. Given that our income margins have always been fairly small, there’s just not enough money on hand to invest in some of the more expensive program materials. Thus a more immediate decision is whether to phase out of supporting some or all of our model programs (letting them fend for themselves), and sell down those existing inventories, using the proceeds to keep the organization alive while seeking new sources of income and hoping the tide will return. Of course, the tide may never return, and once the remaining inventory was depleted, the institute’s primary source of income would have to be whatever was generated through Cedar Cove or elsewhere.
The Executive Staff and Board of Directors will be considering these questions and options in the coming months. If you would like to contribute to their delibera- tions, please send your thoughts to info@ieetree.org
21st Century Questions for the Institute
Will the passion for an educational response to the planet’s environmental problems return to this field, or should we turn our environmental hopes and concerns elsewhere?
Should we abandon Cedar Cove or retrench there?
18/Annual Report