DIRECTORS MESSAGE

During a recent State Directors meeting the question was posed, “Is there a document of some sort we could share with donors, members and volunteers that would show where our money comes from and how it is spent?” That is a great question so I thought I would address it in this Director’s Message. MUFON is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our financial data is a matter of public record. Although that financial data is only available to the Board of Directors, it can be viewed upon request from the IRS. MUFON was created as and remains a VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION. It has never paid its Field Investigators and never will. The Board of Directors, by law, cannot receive any pay. MUFON receives its funding from a number of sources: The generosity of our donors, membership dues, book sales, the annual symposiums’ podcasts, MUFON TV, merchandise sales, state/national chapter fees, TV and movie production companies who pay for rights to use our materials. And of course, our volunteers who give their time, skills, and knowledge without which MUFON would not be what it is today. We cannot quantify their contributions, but they are essential to the existence of this organization. The income...

February is general known for harsh weather and drab atmosphere. The holidays are over, the lights and festive decorations have been packed away, and most of us are huddled down for the Winter. But there is one bright spot and that is Valentine’s Day. So, do not forget to let those closest to you know that you love and care for them. It’s a simple act that can mean so much. Meanwhile, here at MUFON it’s a whirlwind of activity. With the renewed interest in UFOs and the mainstream approach to reporting and acceptance, MUFON continues to thrive. Our membership continues to grow, and our stature as one of the world’s most recognized repositories of UFO research and investigation remains strong—a shining beacon of UFO knowledge. Not a day goes by that Team MUFON is not busy dealing with requests for interviews, information and appearances from both domestic and international news outlets, TV producers, publishers and talk shows. Additionally, we have scores of volunteers working on preparing more and more data to be entered into our CMS files; the volume of that data is approaching the point where MUFON might have to buy its own servers to handle the storage....

WOW! What a year! Now, I would be fibbing if I tried to tell you I am not glad to see 2020 end. So, here we are in 2021, and things are looking a lot brighter for our world, our nation and, of course, MUFON. MUFON has been tempered in the fires of disruption and sadness but not despair or chaos. We have emerged stronger and sharper than ever. And, we are evolving! Our communications and marketing are becoming more focused. Our website is being over- hauled and our plans for a global translatable database continue to develop. Our corporate headquarters has been relocated to Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, just a few hundred yards down the road from “Hangar 1.” (Hangar 1 is actually Hangar 3, but the series producers thought Hangar 1 sounded cooler.) Cincinnati is a more central location, being that 80% of the population of the US is within a six-hour drive. Our Irvine office is now referred to as the West Coast Field Office and will remain open and operational until the termination of our current lease. Our Field Investigator Manual and State Di- rector Handbook are being updated to reflect our global scope. Even our...

So, I was sitting at my desk suffering a severe case of writer’s block, trying to determine a suitable topic for the December issue, which of course leads right to “the Holidays.” I was thinking about all the things that MUFON, the organization, has to be thankful for despite the difficulties we all have faced this year. This list can go on and on. First and foremost, however, has got to be our members. From general membership to Board of Directors and everyone in between, this group is top-notch. That does not mean we don’t occasionally disagree with one another. We do, but with very few exceptions we can disagree without being disagreeable. Believe me, that means a lot to any organization. Then there is the fresh, bright atmosphere sweeping through MUFON, the growing interest on a global scale, the impressive membership growth, the increased stature, acceptance, and respect of our organization; as long as we “stay the current course,” MUFON has a wonderfully bright future. As I stated, this can go on and on, but then another thought popped into mind…right after Thanksgiving comes…CHRISTMAS!! Yep, that’s right, in just a few weeks it will be upon us. And if...