Why are we naming Google Ann Arbor our Supporter of the Month? It’s not because nearly everything we ever do at 826michigan begins with the words, “Let’s make a Google doc!” (Although that is really not an exaggeration at all — it is nearly everything we ever do at 826michigan.) It’s because the Ann Arbor office of Google, located right down the street from our Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair, contains SO many generous and lovely people who we can’t wait to thank for their support over the years.
But why are we naming Google Ann Arbor our Supporter of the Month this month? The answer is, “capacity building”. We’ve been thinking so much about this aspect of nonprofit life because we’re participating in the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s Give Local Ann Arbor Area Day on May 6 (during which all donations made to 826michigan through givelocalannarborarea.org will be matched!) The funds 826michigan raises on that day will be dedicated to several of our capacity-building projects, like preparing for our tenth anniversary in 2015. And when we think about capacity building, we can’t help but think about Google Ann Arbor — whose generosity has helped us grow so much, largely in behind-the-scenes ways.
You may recall our Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair Holiday Catalog of 2011, which presented store products and student work in a delightful glossy format. Google Ann Arbor helped us with that! You may have seen ads for the robot store or for 826michigan’s free tutoring services as you browsed the web. Google Ann Arbor helped us with that too. If you are an employee of Google Ann Arbor, you may have seen us at a volunteer fair at your office.
That’s the great thing about Google Ann Arbor. As an organization, it is oriented toward supporting local efforts. . .AND toward encouraging its employees to do the same. We’re so pleased to have Google Ann Arbor employees among our volunteer corps and as ambassadors for 826michigan in the larger Washtenaw County community. From all of us at 826michigan, thank you Google Ann Arbor!