Culminating with Gratitude & Grace

Dear WholeHeart Community,

Living wholeheartedly is a lifelong practice. Daily. How do we invite our hearts to have a voice in this face-paced, head-focused world? How do we invite the whole of each encounter and each relationship to be heard, seen, and valued? How do we cultivate a strong web - physically and relationally - knowing that we are all in this together?  

Over the past two years, the WholeHeart board and staff have been engaged in a strategic planning process, asking many questions to discern a sustainable way forward. Your support and presence have guided our care and discernment. Community members have recognized that it is “hard to do heart and soul work in a world that is looking for more bottom-line measurements.”  

Diligently assessing our program engagement trends and financial realities, the WholeHeart board of directors and staff have collectively come to the decision that we will be closing the nonprofit organization by the end of this fiscal year, June 30, 2025, with most programmatic operations expected to conclude in the winter of 2025.  

Three key factors have led us to this decision: 

  • Funding realities: Approximately two-thirds of WholeHeart’s budget are funded by grants and donations. Federal and state funds that assisted our operation post-pandemic have dried up. Donors who have historically supported WholeHeart’s work are stretched thin, often forced to choose between funding our programs or providing aid for basic human needs like housing, food insecurity, and disaster relief. These many factors make it difficult for WholeHeart to run a balanced budget beyond this fiscal year.   

  • Enrollment trends: Engagement in WholeHeart programs has declined over the past years despite a recent 12-month effort to rebrand, create membership offerings, improve program descriptions, launch new programs, and recruit new participants.

  • Lessons from nature:  There are natural cycles and seasons to everything, including organizations. Seeds of listening, connecting, and loving have been planted through WholeHeart and are taking root in the lives of community members. We wish to honor and support this natural flow, acknowledging that while WholeHeart in its nonprofit form may be ending, learning, community, and collective care can continue.

Thus, we extend welcome to walk alongside us during this fall 2024 season as we step into a final chapter as an organization that we envision as: Culminating with Gratitude & Grace

During this season of harvest, we invite you to cultivate your heart and wholeness through a series of offerings created to support the seeds of love within and around you as we celebrate what we’ve created together over more than a decade. Click on the registration links and sign up for the upcoming community offerings:

  • September 1 - The Weekly Oasis: Virtual 13-week program

  • October 10 - Poetry As Portal: Unlocking the Heart

    • In-person event with James Crews & Friends

    • Main Street Landing Performing Arts, Burlington, VT

  • November 12 - Vermont Courage Cohort

    • Information session: Sept. 4, 7-8:15 pm (register in advance)

    • Seasonal in-person retreats during Nov., Feb., and May

    • Hallelujah Farm, Chesterfield, NH

  • December 11 - Harvesting Wholeness - SAVE-THE-DATE

    • Virtual eve together on WholeHeart’s 11th birthday

  • January 17-19 - Living with Courage: Circle of Trust Retreat

    • In-person retreat at Hallelujah Farm, NH

  • February 9 - Valentines of Gratitude: From WholeHeart to You

    • SAVE-THE-DATE

While the structure of the nonprofit organization is closing, living wholeheartedly continues. The seeds of wholeness and heart are growing inside each of us. This energy is greatly needed at this time. May we connect and gather in these next six months to kindle our hearts and courage for the times at hand.  

We appreciate being in relationship with you.  Here are several options for being in touch:

  • We hosted a virtual Zoom gathering for community members on Tuesday, July 30, 7-8 pm EST to hold space for community questions, thoughts, and time to connect personally.

  • For those who couldn’t make the virtual gathering but want to add their questions and thoughts in written form, please complete this feedback form. You can also indicate here if you’d like a staff or board member to reach out to you for a personal conversation regarding these changes.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this message. We know that this news will meet you all in differing ways.

Our intention to "culminate with gratitude & grace" is to hold as paramount the relational values and collective care that have defined WholeHeart all along the way.  

We look forward to seeing and hearing from you. 

With gratitude and love,

Holly Wilkinson, Executive Director
Marybeth Redmond, former Interim Co-Director
Cameron Russell, Board Chair
Danielle Oristian York, Board Treasurer
Drusilla Roessle, Board Secretary
Becca Bass, Board Member
Nanci Smith, Board Member
Marie Vea, Board Member