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What a year 2024 was. From performing in New York City to performing at the Newark Arts Festival, to say I am proud of what this organization has accomplished this year is an understatement. 2024 was a year of growth, accomplishments, and success, and I cannot wait to carry this momentum into the upcoming year. None of this would be possible, however, without the unwavering support you have given us. We will continue to encourage new people to get involved and, above all, support young students through Keys 2 Success.
Jee-Hoon Krska, Executive Director
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The Last Keys Concert of 2024!
Closing Out The Year With Style
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Our 2nd Annual Year-End Concert at the 7th Day Adventist Church was a night to remember! The evening was filled with exciting music, mouth-watering desserts lovingly prepared by parents, and most of all, an overwhelming sense of community.
We were excited to welcome our first Newark-based corporate sponsor, The DaSilva Team, the #1 real estate team in Newark, and deeply touched by the church’s generosity in providing flowers, which later brightened Thanksgiving celebrations at Hyatt Court and Pennington Court.
The highlight was when Board Member Phil Bingham surprised everyone by announcing a $1,000 donation to buy a full-size keyboard for Emely, a 6th-grader who has been with us since Kindergarten. Emely only had a toy keyboard at home and would walk to Pennington Court every day after school to practice on a real piano. Her stunning performance of “Silent Moon” left the entire room silent, hanging on every note. Thanks to Phil’s generosity, Emely will now have a proper keyboard at home to continue her musical journey.
It was a night filled with joy and generosity. I hope you can sense a bit of that night's excitement through the picture collage below!
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Timeline for Growth
Keys Path to becoming a Sustainable Non-Profit
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2016: Keys 2 Success is Launched!
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2017-2018: The Famine Years.....
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Despite spending countless hours applying for grants, without personal connections, our efforts yielded only a few micro-grants. We scrambled to raise money from friends and acquaintances, facing significant challenges in sustaining operations. Meanwhile, demand for our services kept growing—we were serving 54 students by 2018. However, revenue remained nearly flat, with total income in 2018 was $34,646, and only 9% coming from grants.
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2019-2020: Rise of the Volunteers
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Unable to secure additional grants, we increasingly turned to the support of volunteers. Living just 10 miles from Newark in New Providence, I was surrounded by moms like myself eager to give back. These volunteers (including all of my own children) became the heart of Keys 2 Success, with over 20 joining our summer camps to foster meaningful connections between students and their communities.
This shift was a turning point. The volunteers started bringing in their friends to support us financially as they saw our growing needs. By 2020, these efforts had raised $105,292, with 87% coming from individual donors. This taught us another important lesson: individual donors, driven by personal connections, were much more loyal to the cause than grant funding.
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2021-2022: Building A Foundation To Last
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Over time, a volunteer system naturally took shape, with a smaller “inner circle” focused on core activities like teaching in Newark, and a larger “outer circle” helping to organize fundraisers and manage administrative tasks.
Our reach continued to grow steadily, and by 2022, we were teaching 100 students! Total revenue in 2022 nearly doubled to $203,630, with 75% still coming from individual donors.
It soon became evident that we needed to hire “office” staff to support our teaching staff in driving this mission.
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We hired a part-time grant writer in 2022. This grant writer, who deeply understood our mission and had strong connections in the foundation world, secured a $50,000 renewable general operating grant. This grant was a game-changer, enabling us to launch new initiatives and expand our capacity. This also taught us our third major lesson: securing grants is more than about writing, it requires personal connections.
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2023-2024: Infrastructure Takes Shape
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By 2024, our organization had swelled to 225 students, with total revenue reaching $342,138. We were winning more significant grants, and our individual donors continued to grow with us. That year, individual gifts constituted 71% of our total revenue. We saw a growing number of recurring donors whose consistent support reflected trust in our mission and a stronger connection to our cause.
Despite this growth, I continue to serve as both the Executive Director and Artistic Director, receiving a small stipend and working with a part-time team of operations and teaching staff, many of whom are working second and third jobs to support their roles.
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2025: Looking Ahead to Year 9!
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Our goal is to build a fully sustainable organization with an annual revenue of $800K by 2029. This includes paying staff a living wage to reduce risks like losing key leadership or staff leaving for better-paying opportunities. To ensure long-term program quality, we will need a full-time Executive Director, Artistic Director, and Development Director to strengthen operations, programs, and funding.
This year, we are taking a giant step forward by aiming to raise $500K—70% from individual donors—as a powerful leap toward our ultimate goal of reaching $800K in annual revenue by 2029. This is more than just a fundraising goal; it’s a bold move toward building lasting change, strengthening our community, and securing the future of Keys 2 Success. I hope you will join us!
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We are thrilled to announce that Shayo, our one of our talented Keys 2 Success students, has been accepted to Middlebury College with an impressive $60,000 in financial aid! Middlebury is a highly selective college with only a 13% acceptance rate, renowned for its strong programs in the arts, STEM, global studies, and environmental science.
Shayo’s success is a testament to his hard work and the power of community support. Volunteer Kathryne Yoon, an expert college counselor, encouraged Shayo to dream big and guided him toward Middlebury, recognizing it as a perfect fit where he will be both challenged and supported.
Shayo’s ultimate goal? To graduate, build a successful career, and return as a board member for Keys 2 Success, giving back to the program that helped shape his journey. His younger sister, AJ, is already following in his footsteps, studying piano with us at just 9 years old.
This is why we invest in Keys 2 Success—to open doors to opportunities that transform lives and communities. With your support, we’re not just helping students succeed today; we’re building a foundation for generations to come.
Thank you for being part of this journey! Let’s continue making dreams like Shayo’s a reality. 🌟
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Keys 2 Success has worked tirelessly to provide music education and endless opportunities to various students across Newark. We have taken a unique approach to address the gap in the music education system, driving around Newark almost every day of the year with our pianos and stands, setting up a classroom in gardens, public housing, churches, and anywhere in which there is a desire to learn. Most importantly, we work with and listen to Newark communities. Keys 2 Success is a program built with and for Newark, with local partners providing free spaces and residents spreading the word.
However, none of this would be possible without the incredible support from the broader community. With the help of our generous donors, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters, we have raised $178,351.10 in the past 5 months alone! With just a few weeks left in 2024, we are on track to raise $101,649 more by the end of the year. While this is not an easy feat, we have no doubt in our hearts that with your support, we will reach our goal. For the past 8 years, Keys has thrived because of the amazing support system we have built and the thousands of contributions we have received. Join us in continuing to make an impact on the lives of over 200 ambitious, young musicians.
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