Dear friends and supporters of IT Tender,

On Thursday, February 20th, we broke ground and kicked off extensive renovations on the building that will become the new educational center of IT Tender! Breaking down fractured walls to rebuild, restore and renew something beautiful for our community reminds us of the stories of our students. Many of them come from broken homes and profound deprivation. However, at IT Tender they are mentored and empowered to dream bigger, to discover and display their God-given talents, to enjoy a quality education, and to overcome generational poverty. As the students are building a better future, we are building a better place to encourage their growth.
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Just prior to the start of renovations, we shared the following video on IT Tender's social media accounts. The video below is a quick tour of the building right before the transformation. Let us share with you this vision for a vibrant community hub where diverse learning and growth will flourish. Imagine a thriving space featuring a state-of-the-art computer lab, preschool, library, ballet studio, urban garden, discipleship café, and more – all under one roof!
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As this vision for the new center takes shape, please join us through your prayers and support as we near the finish line for the "Big Leap" fundraising campaign. Thank you to everyone who has donated towards our new educational center for the poor in Manila. Reaching our target would allow us to complete the renovations without any stoppage in construction and to purchase the fixtures and appliances we need to provide the best programs and services to our students.

Thanks to your support and pledges, we have thus far raised $416,150 CAD of the total $470,000 CAD needed to purchase, renovate and outfit the building. For our American supporters, that's $309,895 USD already donated or pledged towards the $350,000 USD target. If you've made pledges to give, thank you for continuing to make your timely donations.

Our entire community is thrilled to be entering the final phase of our journey to a new home! Thanks to God's guidance and your unwavering support, we've made remarkable progress. Now, we need your help to cross the finish line so that we may complete this state-of-the-art facility by the summer of 2025. Every gift counts, and we're grateful for your partnership.

Click the link below to contribute to the Big Leap Project and receive a tax-deductible receipt in recognition of your generosity. Let's take this final leap together and create a brighter future for our community!

‍CANADIAN DONATION (select "IT Tender - Philippines")

‍AMERICAN DONATION

‍UK DONATION

‍Whether or not our charity receives public recognition or attention, our mission to empower the urban poor in Manila remains unwavering, driven by our passion to create lasting change. Although we've grown over the years, we still consider ourselves at IT Tender a relatively smaller charity. We always take notes from the larger non-profit organizations that have paved a path for us. This is why our humble team was genuinely shocked when IT Tender was one of just a handful of charities selected to attend the Wish Music Awards (WMAs), a celebration of the Philippines' top artists and bands. Imagine receiving a personal invitation to a front row seat at the Grammys (this is the Filipino version of that). Plus, this event was a remarkable platform for us to shine a light on our mission and what God is doing.

On Sunday, January 19th at the Araneta Coliseum, what unfolded was nothing short of miraculous. We knew that for each major award (e.g., Best New Artist, Best Pop Song, etc), the winning artist or band would select a charity to receive a generous donation. We presumed that the larger, more well-known charities would be the ones selected. As awards were presented, we were astonished to see IT Tender's logo appear on the screen, announcing our selection as the recipient charity for generous donations – not once, not twice, but four times! Gabby (the head of our after-school program) and John (our executive director) were already grateful just to enjoy a spectacular show and to rub shoulders with some talented Filipino artists. Shaking hands with some exceptionally talented artists and meeting the Filipino member of the Black Eyed Peas were highlights of the night.
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We believe this unexpected blessing was a divine appointment. The award-winning artists' decision to support IT Tender was likely influenced by our educational initiatives, particularly our music and dance programs, as well as our ambitious Big Leap Project. This timely support not only bolsters our efforts to establish a new center but also inspires our students to pursue their passions in music and dance, knowing that their heroes believe in them. We're grateful for this powerful endorsement and the ripple effect it will have on our community. Imagine your favorite artist or band choosing to invest in you, your talents, and your future. This is what our students are feeling now.‍

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Thank you to the artists and to Wish 107.5 for this incredible honor. Your support will have a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.
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We also thank YOU for your tireless support. Please check out the current prayers and praises of our team here below.

- The Tender Team
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• Continue to pray for the Big Leap Project. Our final target is to raise the remaining $53,850 CAD ($40,105 USD) to accomplish the renovations of the new center.
• Pray for the safety and protection of the large crew of construction workers and foremen handling the building renovations. May this project also be a great help to the local economy and the families of the construction crew.
• Pray for God to help us overcome any hurdles or barriers that may try to impede the progress and establishment of His new center for the poor.
• Pray for the upcoming renewal of our government license later this year.
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• As renovations for the new center have begun, we're already purchasing some of the new furniture and appliances, we're witnessing our dream come to fruition, and we have an immense gratitude for God bringing together so many people and pieces to make this possible. Some leaders in our community have even experienced prophetic dreams, seeing visions of a beautiful new center overflowing with joy, music, learning, passion, and other remarkable fruits of our investments in the community.
• We would like to name the celebrated Filipino artists and groups who selected IT Tender as the recipient of charitable donations at the Wish Music Awards. These names are well-known and beloved by Filipino music lovers across the country. Thank you to Jay-R (the Philippine King of RnB) for choosing Tender twice, to Binibini (the popular female group), and to Ken (the lead rapper and lead vocalist of the Filipino boy band SB19). You have inspired our students through your music and your support of education and the arts for the less fortunate.