Project update - December 6, 2024
The ink is dry on the closing documents, and Coram Deo Academy of Dallas now has a permanent home!
At the end of Wendell Berry's greatest novel, the protagonist looks back at his life and sees an endless cycle of ups and downs full of periods of waiting and rushing, with no shortage of surprises, heartbreak, and dead ends along the way.
As he looks back on these winding and broken roads, he has this to say:
“Often I have not known where I was going until I was already there. I have had my share of desires and goals, but my life has come to me or I have gone to it mainly by way of mistakes and surprises. Often I have received better than I deserved. Often my fairest hopes have rested on bad mistakes. I am an ignorant pilgrim, crossing a dark valley. And yet for a long time, looking back, I have been unable to shake off the feeling that I have been led - make of that what you will.”
The last time I read Jayber Crow was on what I now know to be the front end of a property search that would last over six years. There were many mistakes and surprises. We did not always know what we were looking for. We had our fair share of “the ones that got away.”
But two things are unmistakable: we have received better than we deserve, and we have been led all along the way.
I am full of gratitude for this community and its friends who have prayed, written letters, and given sacrificially of their time, energy, and money to make this day possible.
Generations of families will benefit from the work of this community at this point in time.
I look forward to finding ways now and in the future to mark what God has done through you in 2024.
If you have not yet contributed and are interested in joining with those who gave to this project, or you are ready to help us maximize the number of classrooms we are able to repurpose before move-in, please consider a year-end gift or pledge towards that end.
​
We have plenty to celebrate, and celebrate we will!
But for now, I think a prayer of gratitude and a deep breath of relief is in order for all of us.
Project update - November 2024
We are just 24 days away from closing on the purchase of a permanent home for CDA Dallas! Since last month, we have raised an additional $1 million cash toward our goal. Praise God! As you may know, our most urgent need is to raise $6 million in funding, with $3 million of that as cash in hand, by November 30. Please view our progress below and consider how you can help CDA Dallas meet this goal.
Fundraising Snapshot
-
Cash Raised: $2.52 million of $3 million needed
-
Pledge Commitments: $3.33 million
-
Total Cash and Pledges: $5.85 million of $6 million needed
Securing these funds will enable us to close on the property and complete the first round of renovations, laying a firm foundation that will serve students and glorify God for generations to come! If you have not yet made a gift to the campaign, now is a perfect time to pray and ask the Lord how you can contribute. If you made a pledge, keep an eye out for reminders about the payment schedule you selected.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Jeremiah Betron​, Director of Development, if you want to discuss ways to give. I’ve placed a few links below as a resource.
Project update - September 27, 2024
I cannot express how grateful I am for your support and enthusiasm as we are making strides to purchase a permanent home for CDA Dallas. As you can see from the progress tracker above, our most urgent goal is to raise $6 million in funding, with $3 million of that as cash in hand, by November.
Fundraising Snapshot
-
Cash Raised: $1.45 million of $3 million needed by November
-
Pledge Commitments: $4.29 million
-
Total Cash and Pledges: $5.74 million of $6 million needed by November
Securing these funds will enable us to close on the property, laying a firm foundation that will serve students and glorify God for generations to come! If you have not yet made a gift to the campaign, now is a perfect time to pray and ask the Lord how you can contribute. If you made a pledge, keep an eye out for reminders about the payment schedule you selected.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Jeremiah Betron​, Director of Development, if you want to discuss ways to give. I’ve placed a few links below as a resource.
​
​
Project update - August 26, 2024
There have been many moments in the months since our last City Council meeting where the “yes” we received tonight from the Richardson City Council seemed unlikely. I left some meetings with council members encouraged, and others less so. We have worked through Plans B, C, and D in case tonight’s vote did not go our way. And we have continued to try to cast a vision for the merits of this pursuit with potential donors.
We will take a moment to celebrate this Yes together on Wednesday, September 4th at 6pm in the Sanctuary of 1301 Abrams. But in the meantime, I do want to say an insufficient but entirely necessary thank you to each of you, and especially to:
-
Dr. Johnson and the CDA Board, including our Dallas Campus members Britton Church, Katie Gaultney, and Christopher Norfleet.
-
Britton Church, who led our reapplication efforts.
-
Nick Lewis (Architect) and Ruth Davis (Traffic Engineer), who worked and re-worked our application materials.
-
Jeremiah Betron, who has been leading the charge in our fundraising efforts and organizing prayer gatherings for this project.
-
Dozens of you who connected us to folks in the City of Richardson who are supportive of our efforts.
-
Hundreds of you who prayed regularly and wrote letters of support and encouraged your neighbors to do the same.
-
Those of you who have already given a gift or pledge to the campaign, and those who are ready to make one now that we have a Permit.
I am especially grateful for the countless moments where you helped our team roll with the punches by laughing with us and by reminding us that God does what God does for good reasons.
Praise God. Let’s all take a deep breath, and sleep well this evening!
And then let’s go buy a building.
Project update - August 29, 2024
I have a few updates to share in light of Monday night's wonderful news. I have tried to keep these brief, but also provide enough information for you as we all work together to get across the finish line. If you want to jump to a specific section, feel free to follow the links below!
​
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
As of this email, we have received $3.96 million in gifts and pledges for the Campaign. Praise God for this! We have never raised this kind of money as a campus, and I could not be more grateful for how God has worked through your generosity this past year.
The question being asked by many of you is a good one: What do we need to raise to finish this deal?
Here are a few brief notes in the direction of an answer to that question!
-
We are planning to close on the purchase of the new property by the end of 2024. It is clear that 1301 Abrams is the new home of the CDA Dallas Campus!
-
We are aiming to raise more than $8 million in gifts and pledges throughout the duration of this campaign. The purchase price is $11 million, and the property needs at least $5 million of work before we can move in. We are able to secure debt for portions of the project, but we need to be wise in that process.
-
The overall length of our Capital Campaign and the timing of the groundbreaking for our most pressing renovations are both entirely dependent upon how close we get to that fundraising target in the next 30 days. The next month is crucial to our overall campaign.
-
The extent of our initial renovations—what we are able to do to the property before we move in—is dependent upon how close we get to that target in the next 90 days. If we are significantly short of our goal, it will impact what can be done to the property before moving in. Exceeding our goal will allow us to do more work before moving in to the property.
-
One way or another, I would plan to begin the 2025-26 school year at Temple Shalom, and finish that school year at our new property.
This is a big ask, but I am encouraged already: We have raised half of our goal in the midst of contract negotiations, inspections, and permitting uncertainty.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
We are seeking 100% response from Dallas Campus families for this Capital Campaign. Whether your response to making a gift or pledge today is Yes, Soon, or Not Now, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to Jeremiah Betron or me.
-
Our 100s Chart Fundraiser is a helpful way to target outside donors. Keep getting those charts filled out ahead of our Friday, September 6th deadline! With full participation from most of our families this PTF fundraiser has the potential to contribute $1 million to the campaign.
-
Your gift can come in the form of a one-time gift or multi-year pledge, and we are also equipped to receive stock donations, donor advised funds (DAF), and company matches. Please reach out to our Jeremiah, our Director of Development, for transfer information.
-
All donations to the campaign are tax-deductible!
-
We would love to take you to coffee, lunch, or a tour of the property to talk more about your family's gift! Please reach out today to schedule a time to talk more!
​​​​​​
​
Project update - July 11, 2024
Please see below for the latest summer video update on our pursuit of 1301 Abrams, as well as some key information you need to help us on that front. In short:
-
Our City dates have been moved! We need CDA Dallas families at both meetings.
-
City Planning Commission is now on Tuesday, August 6th at 6pm
-
City Council Meeting is now on Monday, August 26th at 7pm
-
-
We still need your letters of support AND those of your neighbors! More details below.
-
We have raised a total of $3.4 million to date! Please reach out if you have questions as you consider a pledge.
-
We are holding an in-person CDA Dallas Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, August 27th, the evening directly after the City Council Meeting. Save the date now, and come ready to hear what happens next.