6 replies to this topic

[Mind]

This is the time of year for year-end reviews and looking toward the future so I thought I would combine them in one thread and try to condense things a bit.

What did Imminst do in 2009? Generally speaking the Institute grew. Imminst grew financially, grew in visibility, and grew in respectibility. Maybe not as much as some would like, but growing is better than receding. Imminst made some new connections with new and existing life extension organizations and strengthened old ties. Some highlights:

1. Raised over $16,000 through a matching grant to help William O'Rights battle cancer and be cryopreserved.

2. Raised over $18,000 through a matching grant to fund anti-aging research at the SENS Foundation. With the addition of Peter Thiel's 50% match the money Imminst helped raise for SENSF was actually over $27,000.

3. Provided SENSFAI-U with another $2,000 in scholarship money.

4. Helped SENSF win the 3banana grant challenge.

5. Started "community supplement design".

6. Continued with the Sunday Evening Update channel, although less frequent live programming than in 2008.

7. Continued the F@H Prize.

8. Many other activities such as Newsletter, VIP outreach, volunteer prizes, Chase grant contest, created the action forum, began a constitutional review, etc...

9. (add your item here)

**********

As far as metrics go, on the financial end of things Imminst did very well considering how poor the economy was and that Imminst spent more money than most years.

Major expenditures (approximations):
$8,000 Orights matching grant.
$8,000 Laser Ablation matching grant.
$9,500 Executive Director Salary (includes taxes)
$2,000 Scholarships
$1,000 F@H and other prizes
$1,000 ED trip to SENS 4 and Life Aid.
______
$30-35K spent in 2009

**********

$55,000 is what we started with on January 1 2009.

$66,000 is what I tallied from all of our accounts today plus we have another $9,000 owed or committed soon, so we are starting out 2010 with roughly $75,000.

This is exactly the way I have tried to manage Imminst finances over the years, leaving each new group of leaders more money to work with than what was available in the past year. I know this is not the way a lot of non-profits work (spend it all and then do major fundraising events), but I think it works for Imminst and as I have discussed elsewhere, it ensures Imminst can function financially well into the future.

**********

Web statistics.

New forum registrations continue to grow (stats from the IPB software)

2003: 380
2004: 478
2005: 712
2006: 898
2007: 1135
2008: 2805
2009: 3880

Google analytics was started in August. These are absolute new visits to the Imminst website.

August: 72,945
September: 74,270
October: 82,507
November: 84,014
December: 76,998

*********

Based on current finances and web presence, IMO Imminst is starting out 2010 in a healthy/strong position and there should be plenty of opportunities and initiatives we can undertake in order to further the mission.

[Mind]

So now on to the bad news. This is written from my perspective and some people will disagree.

The most egregious failure in 2009 is that Imminst did not take another step toward more effective and efficient leadership and communication - and I will take most of the blame. I offered suggestions and dabbled in outreach but did not reach another level of "better" organization. I fully expected to have more employees, regular staff meetings, and a greater revenue stream by the end of 2009. Organization is not my strong suit and I would appreciate some suggestions and help in that regard. Imminst does have some potential candidates for a membership secretary and accountant so we might yet fill some important positions in early 2010. A constitutional review/rewrite is underway that creates some new structure and procedures and that could help - if passed.

So Imminst is starting out the new year in a good position, but Imminst should be even more effective IMO. Decisions and initiatives are still a very organic process in the forums. This has worked for Imminst for many years, but better organization and reporting would be nice, IMO.

Many thanks to everyone who helped guide Imminst in 2009, especially Brokenportal, Caliban, and Shepard who put in a lot of time at meetings and in the forums. Let us do better in 2010.

[Mind]

What are your ideas for 2010?

One common expectation I have heard from members is that Imminst should find some more research to fund. At one point Caliban suggested 2 $8,000 grants to be offered in a competitive application process.

Offer more scholarships?

Continue the F@H prize?

Create a larger/wider media presence?

One thing I think we need to focus on a little more on is moving beyond the forum. There are a lot of other "social" websites where Imminst members interact and we should develop a better presence in these places as well.

Feel free to add your comments, ideas, and constructive criticism.

If you have a well-developed idea/initiative/project then please post it in the ACTION FORUM.

[sentrysnipe]

This is not a "well-developed" initiative so may I please be allowed simply to post it in here. My idea is in marketing, to reach out to the mainstream, raise awareness to dumb (or less intelligent) people using catchy advertising, prominent figures, be they hollywood celebrities, prolific scientists, activists from all walks of life.

Focus on the 18-24 demographic and the baby boomers who have no idea of or are against the concept of Life extension.

Exhaust all marketing strategies, online social networks, facebook, twitter, myspace, join forums similar to the causes of imminst; school symposia, signs, billboards; local advertisements; tv, etc.

[DukeNukem]

The most egregious failure in 2009 is that Imminst did not take another step toward more effective and efficient leadership and communication - and I will take most of the blame.

My god, Justin, you are not to blame in the least. In fact, the way I see it, you're the leading driving force behind ImmInst nowadays. I'm very sad to see you step down.

[Shannon Vyff]

Mind, you've held us together, with Caliban, Shepard and Brokenportal's help mainly. I was against hiring the extra staff as I wanted to conserve funds for our scholarships. If our income is higher, and we could afford a secretary position then I'd support that. We will have the paid Executive Director position for the next year, with a new ED and hopefully Mind will continue to help as a Director.

We should focus on marketing, and garnering media interviews--to get the idea and possibility of ImmInst goals out there, and invite people to be part of our community.

I support setting up an annual scholarship.
Also, I should be able to attend leadership meetings now-being in the UK, if they are quite early in the US I can attend.

[brokenportal]

2009 has become so complex, but that’s a good thing. I think two of the greatest general successes are all the added visibility that has been created and all the small and medium sized open doors that have been installed for the visibility to illuminate.

There are so many ways people can plug themselves in now. One small spot to find those is in this recommended topic. That is just part of the prep work that is coming together for bigger and better things that are in the pipeline and in some cases already in development. If you want to get in on the core circles of teams - like the board, the open meetings, the brainstorm meetings, project meetings, recorders team, specific teams - that are handling and working with those things then let us know.

I think that more people getting their feet wet with the cause, more continued community building has been a success this year.

I don’t think we would be anywhere with out Caliban and Mind. Having them, keeping them on board I think has been a big success. With out Calibans structure, engineering, constitution work and other work then would we have a platform for Mind, and sponsors and the like to work? If mind hadn’t stepped up then would we have people inspired to take action, to work on projects? Would we have sponsors that want to be a part of this, and as many members that want to join?

Besides what Imminst has done, another success is all the things that all of our affiliates have done. Those things help sweep us along, help us continue to set our stages, help inspire and motivate us. As I like to say, the momentum is here, the iron is hot and ready to strike, strike now, this next 5 or 10 years is pivotal in the success of this cause. As the penny doubling effect illustrates, just a few dozen of us going one way or the other for this cause, can/probably will make or break us.

So the very best thing I think that we can all do for 2010 is just simply to continue to step it up. I wonder if maybe we can work it in some place that we make a Imminsts 2010 motto be, “Imminst 2010, everybody continuing to step up together.”

Im reminded of some quotes:

McArthur said, “It is fatal to enter any war with out the will to win it.” It is, its directly fatal.

Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If you cant run then walk, if you cant walk then crawl, but by all means, keep moving forward.” Silence, inaction is the very worst thing we could do, which reminds me of another MLK Jr. quote. To paraphrase, “Far and a way the worst thing that happened to us in those times was not the clamoring violence of the bad people, but much more worse was the appalling silence of so many good people.” Continue to speak up, you need only continue to act like you want it, and you can have it.

In addition to all the small and medium things coming together, a 5 year plan to get through to the world is continuing to come together. If we all stick with everything, and keep expanding, working on small things here and there, getting the word out, bringing in more team players, then I am confident that we are going to be able to continue to see the realization of medium term plans to get through to the world and help create other successes for this cause.

Another main sentiment that I think people should keep in mind most for 2010, I would say is something along the lines of, if your life is the most important thing you have then you have to put this cause first in your life. Not 2nd or 3rd or 5th or 10th, you have to put it first. If we do that I can not imagine us not being successful.

That reminds me of these two quotes:

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” -Theodore Roosevelt

"The most important thing is at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." –Charles DuBois


Imminst 2010, continuing to step up together!