A Major Milestone:
Practicum & MHA Completion
August marks an exciting milestone for Verdant Valor Sanctuary and for Melissa personally. After months of work, research, planning, and development, Melissa has officially completed her practicum and is now finished with her Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree.
The work completed through the practicum has directly supported VVS by producing planning tools and foundational work in operations, programming, regulatory readiness, financial sustainability, and site development. Graduation weekend and commencement will be held in Wilmington, North Carolina, in December 2026, and all VVS board members, supporters, and friends are welcome to attend and participate in the festivities.
💰 Financial & Tax Readiness
This month also brought important progress in closing out the organization’s fiscal year. Tax documents have been prepared and are ready for filing, with the Form 990-N, not the 990-EZ, filing planned for September 1, 2026.
Completing this process will allow us to formally close out our first fiscal year and move into the next year with a clearer financial foundation. We are also beginning to develop fundraising plans and identify strategies that can support both the organization’s immediate needs and future land acquisition.
🤝 Networking & Building the VVS Community
Melissa also attended a nonprofit networking event with Michael and the ConnectIDD team. The response to the VVS concept was incredibly encouraging, with many people expressing enthusiasm for the idea and even suggesting that they would love to see something similar established in Texas.
While VVS remains focused on developing its home in North Carolina, the response reinforced the potential for the model to have broader appeal. Going forward, we should continue building relationships with agricultural, IDD, veteran, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations throughout North Carolina. These connections can become important sources of knowledge, referrals, partnerships, volunteers, funding opportunities, and community support.
💚 Fundraising Ideas Taking Shape
With the organization’s foundation becoming more established, fundraising planning is beginning to take a more prominent role. Early ideas include a VVS fundraising mixer, silent auction, gala-style event, food sponsorships, merchandise and T-shirt sales, and partnerships with local restaurants.
These ideas are still in the brainstorming stage, but they provide several possible avenues for generating community awareness while raising funds to support the organization’s development. As we move into the fall, we will begin determining which opportunities are realistic for VVS and which can provide the greatest impact.
📣 September Focus: Marketing & Fundraising
September will be focused on increasing our marketing and fundraising efforts while continuing to build awareness of VVS. We will also look for opportunities to participate in fall festivals and community events, monitor relevant news and current events, and identify ways to connect the VVS mission with conversations happening in our communities.
As our social media presence continues to grow, we will also work toward developing more consistent messaging around who we are, what we are building, and how people can become involved.
🎂 One Year of VVS
October will mark an especially important milestone: one year since Verdant Valor Sanctuary was incorporated. It is hard to believe how much has happened since the original VVS pitch in August 2025.
What began as an idea has developed into a formally established nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status, a board, banking infrastructure, developing programs, community partnerships, financial planning, and an ongoing land search. We may not have a physical sanctuary yet, but we have built something important: the foundation to make it possible.
🌿 Closing Reflection: Keep the Momentum
As we close out our first fiscal year and approach VVS’ first anniversary, I want to thank everyone who has continued to stick with this vision. The past year has included plenty of exciting moments, unexpected challenges, changes in direction, and lessons learned. Through all of it, the goal has remained the same: to build something meaningful, sustainable, and worthy of the people we hope to serve.
We are entering our next chapter with more knowledge, stronger relationships, clearer financial planning, and a better understanding of what it will take to make VVS a reality.
The foundation is here. Now we keep the momentum going. 🌿