Dear Shadowcliff Community,
This has been an extraordinary time in our world. Our day-to-day lives have been altered in ways that affect us in both our personal lives and in the livelihood of our communities.
Shadowcliff is not immune to these same impacts. As you already know from the update on April 17th, the Board of Directors has decided to cancel Memorial Day Volunteer Weekend, and the remainder of the Summer Season is in question. Board committees are meeting 2-3 times a week, weighing various financial projections. But, first and foremost is the safety of our guests and volunteers. Shadowcliff isn’t a typical retreat space — it is a high touch place, by design. We embrace this quality of Shadowcliff. But in 2020, we might not be able to execute it in the same way that we have been for the past 50 years.
Through this challenging time, know that the Shadowcliff Board of Directors and staff are working hand-in-hand to compensate for 2020 losses. Some strategies we have already identified include:
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Cutting Expenses - Line by line, our staff leaders have identified ways to save. Incredibly generously, they have also offered to reduce their own salaries for 2020.
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Small Business Loans - We have applied and been approved for two SBA forgivable loans.
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0% Interest Loans from Donors - Generous members of our Shadowcliff community have offered relief in the form of no-interest loans. Clearly, Shadowcliff’s very existence has made a significant impact on people’s lives.
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Response & Recovery Committees - Board task forces have been created, including the COVID-19 Response Committee, to take on the challenges before us as an organization, addressing needs in the short term and cultivating sustainable opportunities for the long term.
Stimulus Pay-it-Forward
Fortunately, we have an engaged and motivated Board that is ready to think big about the future of Shadowcliff. We are working on some bold, new ideas that we will be excited to share with you in early May. Look for an invitation to a virtual Q&A with Shadowcliff Board members and Director Kathy Baldwin where we will discuss in more detail our overhead costs (approximately $9200 per month) and the current cash flow picture.
To focus on crafting this new future, however, we need your help now. If you have received a federal stimulus check and are in a position to pass some or all of this on, consider giving to Shadowcliff to help us cover early season loss of income.
When we are together with friends and family at Shadowcliff, the love we have for the place and its community is obvious. But, how will we show love for the community when that place is unavailable? How do we sustain? These are the questions we’re going to be answering in 2020. For now, we do know that a gift of any amount is incredibly helpful. Please consider giving at Shadowcliff.org/support or by sending checks to: Shadowcliff PO Box 658, Grand Lake, CO 80447.
Please know that whether or not you are able to give now, we appreciate your love of Shadowcliff and we value you as a member of our community.
We promise to be back in touch with you soon,
Kelly Yarbrough & Terry Woodbury
Shadowcliff Board Members, caring for Shadowcliff’s future