WILMETTE INSTITUTE

1233 Central Street

Evanston, IL 60201

www.wilmetteinstitute.org

November 20, 2003

Dear Bahá'í Friends,

It was a source of great confirmation that the National Spiritual Assembly, in its recent document, Vision and Evolution of the Institute Process in the United States Bahá'í Community, recognized the Wilmette Institute as one of the “promising approaches” to the training institute process. In fact, the unique offerings of the Wilmette Institute address the call of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá'í communities of North America in particular to “develop a wide variety of approaches fitted to the needs of the diverse components of your population”.

The programs of the Wilmette Institute continue to grow and develop in response to the needs of the Bahá'í community. Following are some of the highlights of this year:

· The four-year summer residential program, Spiritual Foundations for Global Civilization, conducted in the shadow of the House of Worship in Wilmette, has just completed its eighth summer session. Since 1996, nearly 100 participants have attended sessions in Wilmette and returned home with new skills and greater confidence. Their efforts, resulting from participation in this program, have brought scores of new believers into the Faith.

· Over 1200 students have taken one or more of the nearly 50 distance learning courses of the Wilmette Institute since 1998.

· Local study groups, offered at a rate of $300 per group, make participation in the distance learning courses much more affordable for each group member, providing opportunities for personal interaction not usually allowed by online learning. The popularity of these courses is evident in the dramatic increase in registrations for the distance learning courses.

· Continuous development of the website has improved accessibility efficiency, and aesthetics of the Wilmette Institute’s public face. Information can now be kept up to date much more easily and found by inquirers more simply, and course discussion can be carried better, encouraging greater diversity of voices.

Operating under a mandate of self-sufficiency, the Wilmette Institute receives no monies from the National Bahá'í Fund. It is only able to provide these services to the community as a result of the generous assistance of hundreds of volunteers and through the financial support of friends such as yourself. We therefore ask you, once again, to consider directing a contribution to the Wilmette Institute to ensure that it may carry forward its work to enrich the Bahá'í education and training opportunities available to the community.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

The Wilmette Institute

Nancy Davis, Chair of the Board