criptible ｜ (adjective) : A French word, most often translated as writerly, describing the bliss of the written text.
A nonprofit's first goal should be to do as much good as possible for the community. In order to do good for the community, we needed to engage donors large and small, and involve the local press.
Donor Engagement
As a not-for-profit organization, a large part of the operating expenses at Asphalt Green were defrayed by charitable contributions. Composing copy to cultivate donor engagement was a large part of my responsibility. Here's an example of what I wrote for the journal at a gala that raised over $1.2 million.
1973 was the year that George E. and Annette C. Murphy laid the groundwork for Asphalt Green. In dynamic collaboration with other community advocates, they looked to the disused Municipal Asphalt Plant and saw five and a half acres where people of all ages from the Upper East Side and Harlem could gather and play. The Murphys’ innovation was to imagine a place unlike any other that existed in the city. They fought to preserve the old asphalt plant and to turn it into something new.
At the end of their long year of effort, Asphalt Green as we know it began to develop. A space for the community to play took shape on the land surrounding the main building of the Municipal Asphalt Plant. The old parking lot was turned into an oasis of grass and trees. Asphalt Green provided the only playing fields for football, soccer, basketball, and softball east of Central Park between 10th and 115th Street.
The modern story of Asphalt Green begins in 1984 when the renovated main building of the Municipal Asphalt Plant was rededicated as the George and Annette Murphy Center. The new center was home to art and photography studios, a fitness center with an elevated track, gymnastic equipment, and the 100-seat Mazur Theater.
It was in 1993 that the organization decided what it wanted to be. Al and Barry Zesiger facilitated the construction of the AquaCenter, boasting the only indoor Olympic-size swimming pool in Manhattan and a fitness center for dryland training. The new building was meant to be a place not just to play, but to teach, learn, and excel. It would not only provide swimming instruction, but also produce elite athletes competing on the world stage – propelling Asphalt Green to new levels of excellence.
2013 saw Asphalt Green expand again, opening a second location in Battery Park City. This expansion allowed the organization to extend its footprint into downtown Manhattan, bringing its vital services to even more New Yorkers.
And now today, in 2023, we commemorate these past five decades of Asphalt Green’s history and celebrate everything that the organization has accomplished. We have grown from a simple idea in the mind of local activists into an institution that changes lives throughout New York City.
Public Relations
Getting the word out to the public is especially important for a nonprofit, and coverage from local press can be critical to achieving success. I drafted press releases and managed distribution lists in Meltwater to make sure that our message reached as many local journalists as possible.
Goldman Sachs to Sponsor Asphalt Green’s Field Day for Elementary School Children in Battery Park City
– On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Asphalt Green will host a field day through its Recess Enhancement Program sponsored by Goldman Sachs –
Goldman Sachs has been a longtime supporter of Asphalt Green’s efforts to provide access to sports and fitness opportunities for all New Yorkers. Now, the organizations are partnering to provide a free field day for local elementary school students through Asphalt Green’s Recess Enhancement Program (REP). Goldman Sachs is sponsoring the event, providing free meals and t-shirts to the estimated 200 children who will attend, as well as sending volunteers from their staff.
Goldman Sachs has supported REP in downtown elementary schools since 2014. REP is Asphalt Green’s program to address barriers to physical activity by reclaiming the most underutilized part of the school day — recess. Asphalt Green trains play coaches to get children physically active through over 150 organized games that decrease conflict and increase self-esteem, safety, and fun.
"Asphalt Green's Recess Enhancement Program helps thousands of children get active each and every day through play,” says David Ludwig, senior director of community programs at Asphalt Green, “the program also helps kids develop fundamental physical skills they'll need to pursue sports and fitness as they get older. REP Field Day is a celebration of the program and a way to reward children with a classic field day event - something all kids deserve to enjoy!”
Says a Goldman Sachs spokesperson: "Goldman Sachs is thrilled to sponsor Asphalt Green's REP Field Day and to support its Recess Enhancement Program in five lower Manhattan public schools. We love supporting children and helping to ensure they develop of love for physical activity, because active New Yorkers create a vibrant and healthy New York City."
The field day on May 24 marks the third field day at Asphalt Green’s Battery Park City Campus. This is the REP play coaches, volunteers, and staff will lead hundreds of kids in organized games including flag football, water balloon toss, an obstacle course, tag, relay races, and more. Asphalt Green will host 200 children from local elementary schools P.S. 63, P.S. 110, P.S. 140, and P.S. 40K. New York City Council Member Christopher Marte of District 1 will make an appearance in the morning.
REP field day will give children in the community the opportunity to have a fun, organized, and interactive experience. Some of the schools in attendance do not have the resources for structured outdoor play, and for many of the students, the event will mark the first field day they have participated in.
Direct Email Campaigns
This email, from June of 2022, was written to a more general audience than our top donors. It was meant to solicit donations from our broader community, at whatever level they were comfortable giving. I include it here as an example of my writing that is more marketing-focused, intended to engage a wide audience instead of a narrow donor segment.
Dear {First Name}
As this school year comes to a close, we would like to thank you for standing with Asphalt Green over the past 12 months. We would not have been able to provide free programming to so many schoolchildren without your generosity and support.
Please consider making a donation before the end of June, when our fiscal year ends. We are already assessing the best ways to expand our programming when school begins again, and your support will help us grow. You can help make a difference in the lives of thousands of New York children.
As a member of the Asphalt Green community, you understand the importance of sports and fitness in every stage of life. All a child needs is one opportunity to kickstart their story. Asphalt Green has offered that opportunity to tens of thousands of children for almost five decades.
These opportunities come in many different forms. Here are just some of the ways we have impacted our community during the past school year:
Next year, we want – and our community needs us – to do even better. Public schools are reaching out asking us to provide REP coaches. Our community sports leagues are at capacity, and we want to add new teams. We need to teach more kids the life-saving skill of swimming. In total, our goal is to provide youth programs in partnership with 75 public schools directly serving 20,000 children next year. Will you help us achieve it?
Your gift today will pave the way for tens of thousands of children to experience a lifetime of sports and fitness which will shape them into the leaders future generations need.
Thank you again for your support. Here’s to a great summer and a bright future!
Sincerely yours,
Your Friends at Asphalt Green
Bedford Stuyvesant
Brooklyn, NY 11206