Dear Friend,

Ten years ago, with a team of visionary board members and funders, I had the privilege of helping launch OpenSky Policy Institute. Our aim was to move our state’s fiscal discussion away from being based on hollow talking points and rhetoric and transform it into a conversation driven by solid data, facts and research.

Thanks to generous support from amazing Nebraskans like you, OpenSky in the past 10 years earned the trust of elected leaders on both sides of the aisle, media members and many others. Thanks to our supporters, we are now the preeminent voice in our state’s fiscal policy discussions.

As you may have read, I am stepping back from my role as OpenSky’s Executive Director. This period of transition has given me the opportunity to reflect on what we have been able to accomplish and has left me incredibly grateful for all who have contributed to the work we have done. This time of reflection has also made it clear that our work will only continue to grow in importance as will your support of OpenSky.

It has been an honor to help our organization influence vital policy debates in ways that truly benefit every Nebraskan. Moving forward, it will continue to be an honor to do all I can to help this incredible organization, and the people who make it what it is, move on to even greater success.

My initial step in this capacity is to ask you today — which is Giving Tuesday — to make a one-time, tax-deductible donation to the Renee Fry Legacy Fund, which has been set up to bolster support for the tax and budget policy work that is the bread and butter of what we do at OpenSky. Our goal is to raise $100,000 for this fund. This support will help ensure our organization keeps up the tremendous momentum it has built in its first decade as we move into our next chapter. You can donate online at our Giving Tuesday page. When you donate, please type LEGACY in the donation code box to indicate that your contribution is for the Renee Fry Legacy Fund.

It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as the Founding Executive Director of OpenSky Policy Institute and I am very excited to see where our incredible staff, board and supporters will take us next. While I am stepping back, my support for OpenSky will remain as strong as ever and I hope you will join me in showing that support now and long into the future.

Sincerely,

Renee Fry
Founding Executive Director of OpenSky Policy Institute