Our Supporters

Donor Spotlight: McShane Family Foundation, Midtronics Inc.

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Steve McShane, his family and his company, Midtronics Inc., have been supporters of Reading In Motion for years, finding a shared passion in helping at-risk students learn to read. Also, Steve has a relationship of mutual respect and trust with RIM Executive Director Karl Androes.

“I think the case Reading In Motion has been able to make over the years is very compelling for me and my family,” Steve says. “It’s of particular interest for us because we know and have a high regard for the person who started the organization, and we’re also very much aligned with their objective and mission.”

What’s developed is a partnership that goes well beyond financial support. Karl and Steve talk about RIM’s mission but also the business of running a non-profit and making it as efficient as possible. Midtronics has adopted RIM classrooms, been pen-pals with RIM students and donated books to their adopted classroom. Steve serves on the Executive Council of RIM’s Board of Directors, and Erin is a volunteer member of RIM’s Human Resources Committee.

“It’s an organization that’s small enough for us to see the value of what we’ve been able to contribute financially, but the RIM team has an impact on the community that goes far beyond its size. It’s also important that Karl and the staff have sought and responded to advice and counsel from outside the organization,” Steve says. “We have a sense of a group that is listening and working hard to improve the way they provide services and the way their internal processes work.”

Steve’s wife Kathy and daughter Erin have been involved with RIM for many years, and Erin and Steve have visited RIM classrooms to observe the program in action. “The fact that we can actually see the performance results of RIM programs is extremely fulfilling,” Steve McShane says. ”This is an organization that fits with our values, and we know they are in concert with our mission. With RIM we also have a group that listens and cares about ideas for improvement, creating a very satisfying experience for us.”

Donor Spotlight: Debra and Mark Snider support RIM because "we know that Reading In Motion is achieving results"

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When Debra and Mark Snider first heard about Reading In Motion and started looking into supporting RIM’s work, they were excited that it matched their passions and interests. “Literacy is what I care about more than anything else. I honestly think the ability and desire to read have enormous benefits both for the individual and for society,” says Debra, an author and speaker formerly of Chicago. Debra and Mark, who practiced internal medicine for 25 years and now teaches and tutors at the college level, live near Las Vegas. “I also like the connection to music, drama and dance,” Debra adds. “I think the arts tend to get short-shrift, and I feel pretty strongly about them.”

The Sniders have been supporters of Reading In Motion for more than 10 years, and Debra has worked with RIM on an organizational design project, served on the Board of Directors and is currently a member of the Executive Council. Besides reading and the arts, RIM’s commitment to results has also kept the Sniders engaged.

“The other aspect (Executive Director) Karl Androes and therefore the organization understood right from the beginning is that audited results, proven and indisputable, are most compelling,” Debra says. “RIM can point to actual results from its children. It’s very compelling to not have to think you’re doing a good thing but to know you actually are.”

Debra’s passion for literacy led her to volunteer to tutor adults at one point, “but honestly I’m just not cut out for it. The limited amount I could do was way less than I could accomplish in donating to an organization like Reading In Motion,” she says. “I’m a believer in putting my money where my interests are. I know that Reading In Motion is achieving results that are measureable.”

The Sniders may have moved far from Chicago – to the mountains and sunshine of Nevada, Debra says – but they remain connected to RIM and have recommended it to friends and colleagues looking for organizations to support.

“I know that that money is well spent and is going to improve the lives of people that otherwise wouldn’t be improved,” says Debra, formerly a transactional lawyer and corporate senior executive. “It’s extremely personally satisfying because I feel like I’m doing something to help disadvantaged children become more advantaged adults.”