2020 will go down in the books as one of the most challenging years in modern history.
While few will say they’re sorry to see 2020 go, there’s no doubt it shaped our future. In the midst of COVID-19, we adapted and adjusted as an organization.
Our respective plans might have shifted, but our resolve did not. As a community, you rallied behind us to ensure we found new and innovative ways to serve our families.
This included a significant pivot in:
- Learning as we transitioned from offline to online
- Community building as we moved to a virtual model
- Knowledge and savings training and education
Amid the uncertain times, 2020 presented new, unusual, and uncharted territory. And yet, this moment in time spawned dramatic shifts in how we:
- Embraced the power of technology
- Created strategic partnerships
- Fought racial inequality
- Protected our families with emergency needs
As with any challenge, we could have folded. Instead, these challenges strengthened our resolve. Today, we’re more focused than ever on eliminating barriers to higher education.
But before we move ahead, we want to take a moment to reflect on Inversant’s impact and the year that was 2020.
THE PANDEMIC
As the pandemic continued to spread, everyone in our community was affected. Each family we spoke with had been touched, losing loved ones along the way.
Millions across the country also had their work impacted. Schools were shuttered with the Class of 2020 deprived of their well-deserved graduation and commencement.
INJUSTICE AND INEQUITY
Throughout 2020, we faced unprecedented events of injustice, inequality, and inequity.
Without a doubt, 2020 put our systemic barriers, prejudice, and bias on display for the whole world to see. And yet, through it, we became stronger together.
EDUCATION SYSTEM
We struggled through tumultuous times that exposed the relentless degradation of our educational systems and institutions.
MOVING FORWARD
Despite what 2020 threw at us, we rise above and remain committed to ensuring higher education is available to all. Here’s a summary of some of the key milestones from the past year.
In 2020, Inversant saw over 7,000 students indicate their interest in our innovative scholarships.
Inversant distributed $103,296 in savings matches to 145 families with Inversant Savings Accounts.
Inversant dispersed $43,500 to 435 Inversant Alumni families as emergency assistance at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inversant awarded $10,000 to 10 high school seniors from the Class of 2020. This scholarship pilot provided $1,000 for their unmet needs.
Inversant awarded $25,000 to 10 students (traditional and non-traditional) in a pilot scholarship program focused on at-risk students. Each student was eligible for up to $2,500 each.
Despite everything we faced, the team at Inversant worked hard to continue to serve our families and community this year.
CLASS OF 2020 PIZZA PARTIES
We celebrated 164 high school graduates from 159 Inversant families in 8 Boston area cities.
FAMILY CHECK-INS
After the lockdown, we reached out to over 200 Inversant families the good old-fashioned way.
FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS
We spent the summer developing new financial aid programs for Inversant families. These new programs will be available at in-person workshops (when it’s safe) and online (now).
LAUNCHED MY INVERSANT
We released the beta version of our new online learning management system My Inversant. We published our first new program Understanding Financial Aid.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE AS A COMMUNITY
2020 brought our amazing donor community together like never before. We’re extremely grateful to all of our generous supporters for making the work we do possible. Here are some incredible milestones from our fundraising efforts:
CONTRIBUTIONS INCREASED 19%
Our donor community was undeterred in 2020. You rallied together to make it a record year for the families we serve.
MORE DONORS MORE GIFTS
Imagine our surprise to learn of the unprecedented support from our community. We are humbled and grateful to you all. Our donor base increased by 7% in 2020 with a 10% increase in the number of gifts.
INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS UP 30%
Our community pulled together to offset the financial impact of the pandemic, with individual contributions increasing by 30%. The number of individual donors increased by 15% and the number of individual gifts increased by 27%.
IN-KIND SUPPORT SKYROCKETS 800%
Our in-kind support increased exponentially. Our community shared an outpouring of support with an +800% increase to in-kind donations.
THANK YOU
Everything we achieved in 2020 was made possible by the generous support of the Inversant donor community.
Thank you once again to our major donors and everyone who helped make a difference in the lives of Inversant families in 2020.
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