LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KAREN MURPHY TO CAMPHILL FOUNDATION SUPPORTERS ABOUT TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL GALA

In Response to Increasing Concerns About COVID-19, Camphill Foundation will Transition its 2020 NYC Gala to a ‘Virtual Gala’ Fundraising Campaign

March 13, 2020

Dear Friends,

As you know, we have been preparing for a special 80th Anniversary Gala in New York on March 26th. In response to increasing concerns about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have decided to transition the in-person Gala to an eight-day “Virtual Gala” online fundraising campaign.

In making this decision, we listened to many voices throughout Camphill. One community member e-mailed this week to say that, “During these times of uncertainty surrounding the virus, we need to counter this with warmth and love.” This perspective is guiding our efforts to foster inclusion, camaraderie, and kinship amidst widespread social distancing. There is no better way to honor the community-building spirit on which the Camphill movement was founded.

Please plan to join our special online celebration. And stay tuned to your mailboxes and e-mailboxes for details about upcoming Virtual Gala festivities, including:

• An online auction and raffle for inspiring and uplifting prizes;
• A major gift matching announcement that will shape Camphill’s work for the next 80 years; and
• More 80th anniversary Camphill stories because, right now, we could all use a reminder that community is so much more than proximity.

Camphill communities are greatly needed, and the financial needs of our communities remain great. Traditionally, proceeds from Camphill Foundation’s Gala fund annual grants to Camphill communities and organizations. We are counting on your support of this year’s Virtual Gala. Your partnership matters more than ever.

Yours in community,

Karen Murphy, Executive Director of Camphill Foundation