Summer staff enjoy racing in the Sonar fleet after a hot day of work.

Question: How does one eat an elephant?

Answer #1: One bite at a time.

At The DSC, I try to keep this mantra in mind. Whether the elephant is fleet improvement, staff development, or fundraising, I try to remind myself that progress is made one bite at a time. It is slow going at times, but our community deserves the high quality, welcoming, and inclusive environment that The DSC is striving to provide.

Sailors enjoy "Women on the Water," a volunteer-supported program that is for women by women. Though we have a long way to go, The DSC has quadrupled its number of women skippers in ten years.

There is an even better way to "eat an elephant."

We can accomplish the task together.

The DSC needs your help. At 26 years old, we are past the point where we should be planning for our financial future. Over the past twelve years, we’ve built an accessible sailing dock, doubled our marina space, and built a hoist pier. Some of that was paid for by angel donors, some was absorbed through member and program fees, and much of the expense has been paid down through annual fundraising contributions.

This past decade, we institutionalized our fleet, purchased sails with reef points (and taught folks how to use them), added protective fenders to all of our boats, increased the size of our powerboat fleet, and added more Accessible boats and equipment.

In the past three years, we added a fleet of RS Feva junior boats, purchased a fleet of kayaks, restored a coach boat, and created a safer and more functional marina facility. We have standardized our systems and curricula. All along the way, we have generally focused our efforts on maximizing sailing access rather than building a financial safety net for long term sustainability.

Coach Janel leads our Siebel Sailors in a chalk talk on our renovated 'B' dock marina in one of our three outdoor classrooms. The development of these outdoor spaces has enabled us to increase our program offerings while reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Photo courtesy of US Sailing.

People and Things

People are what make The DSC, and we have done well over the years to maximize our investment in serving the people who sail with us. To that end, we offered 20 camp scholarships this year. Our Siebel Sailors Program, the first sailing program of its kind in Baltimore City in more than 20 years, is offered free for the kids who want to sail with us. Our Access-ability Saturdays continue to be free for participants. Our CIT program, generously grant funded for nearly 20 years, continues to rely on donations to settle the balance. What's more, we continue to offer scholarships and membership discounts to persons who have traditionally been denied access to our sport and our waters.

Kayaks are a new addition to The DSC and enable more folks from more backgrounds to enjoy the harbor in a safe and wholesome way. The dinghy and kayak launch ramp was built in 2020 by volunteers and is paid for by supporters like you.

But our community sailing center incurs more than just a human cost, and we do not yet have a safety net in place to deal with our future expenses. Our docks will eventually need to be replaced… as will our Sonars, J/22s, Hansa 303W (Access) dinghies, and our powerboat engines. Though these things last us a long time because we take good care of them, no material thing lasts forever. How can we provide high quality sailing opportunities for all if our fleet and facilities are not up to the task at hand?

In the present, The DSC continues to incur expenses for steady fleet improvements and long term sustainability. Doing things the correct way takes a methodical, planned approach and it often comes with a higher initial price tag than doing things the cheap way. With your fundraising support, we will not only cover today's costs but we will put ourselves in position to be successful over the long haul.

Dylan was a camper, then a Siebel Sailor, and is now a Counselor in Training (CIT). He raced with us this summer in the Sonar fleet. The DSC is committed to providing a welcoming environment for a new generation of sailors.

W need your help. Our future DSC needs your help. Please fundraise through Ya Gotta Regatta today. We need to raise $100,000 minimum in individual contributions this year in order to keep us on track, and I am counting on your support.

Your fundraising dollars will directly support more than $30,000 in direct programming expenses and $20,000 in facilities costs we have already incurred for the 2021 season, and additional funds raised will cover critical infrastructure and staffing costs to keep us moving forward into 2022. All donations above the $100,000 help us make sound financial decisions for our future. More information about how your donations will be used can be found HERE.

Our Ya Gotta Regatta Fundraising site makes it easy to donate. Even better, it provides our supporters with an easy way to share our message with your friends, family, and professional networks when they become fundraisers. Information on how to set up your fundraising page can be found HERE.

Or, you can figure it out on your own. Once you become a fundraiser, you can simply copy and paste your personal URL into messages to your friends. If you were a fundraiser with us last year, look for your name among our active fundraisers. Please consider joining us as a fundraiser and sharing your story with others. Our staff team has done everything we can think of to ease the fundraising burden, and now we are relying on you.

Thank you for making sailing accessible, inclusive, and welcoming. We still have a long way to go, but we are making progress one bite at a time.

Sincerely,

-Stuart Proctor, Executive Director