|
|
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Arlington, VA 22202
|
|
|
|
January 1, 2021: Year 12; Edition 1 |
|
A FEW WORDS FROM THE NOVA OPEN EXECUTIVE BOARD |
|
NOVA Open Friends & Family,
As we close the books on 2020, please join us in "NOVA H'Open" for a reunion on September 1, 2021!
It does us all good to reflect on the positives that were experienced last year. The convention planners had published a massive schedule of tournaments, events, and extras. The list of instructors and vendors reached all new heights. NOVA Open started out with a great SuperNOVA pre-sale on February 15. Two weeks later, we had our most successful launch ever - foretelling a record-breaking attendance. After the official cancellation of NOVA Open 2020, many of you rallied to support us in the refund campaign. It should not go unsaid that, without those who were able to help, we would not be planning a convention today.
For every down, there seemed to be an up. The most impressive of those, hands down/mic drop, was crushing the NOCF fundraisers resulting in The Gamers' Foundation donating $158,000 to great charities. Every worldwide gamer or sponsor of the raffles can take a bow: You made a difference in the world when it was most needed. Wow!
It would mean a great deal to all of us at NOVA Open and NOCF if you scrolled down to, and spent time reading, the TEN special Thank You Cards below.
The January 1 survey (2nd of 3) is linked in the article below. You can make an impact on what it will look like when we once again meet, battle across the tabletop, catch up with old friends while making new ones. PLEASE TAKE THE SURVEY TODAY! We feel a decent representation of attendees will require input from at least 400 members in the community. Whether you take one or all three, we are interested in what you have to say. We want to know what's important to you. The final survey will go out on March 1.
Valuables lessons were learned about planning in and around a pandemic. We will be using the first quarter of 2021 to watch and gauge the paths taken by virus and vaccine alike. As we study the outcomes, we intend to gather expert opinions and prepare various scenarios to guide the course of our convention planning. Our greatest 2021 asset may be the fact that we are scheduled for September 1. This has enabled us to push registration to May 1.
We will do our best to keep you informed. Keep in mind that, in order to be ready on that day, we are faced with making all decisions regarding this event no later than April 1. The most up-to-date information is always available in the newsletter, on the NOVA Open website, and across our social media outlets.
NOVA H'Open,
Executive Board
|
|
Due to the uncertainty of future rules, regulations, mandates, and attendance restrictions, NOVA Open 2021 Registration has been pushed back to May 1. We hope that, with time, we will have enough up-to-date information by then to avoid the type of situation we found ourselves in during 2020. |
|
HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS & PORTAL |
|
We understand that people have already begun booking accommodations at the Hyatt in Crystal City. We are excited by everyone’s enthusiasm; however, this will affect your ability to receive the best nightly room rates available and could negatively impact our contract with the hotel.
We anticipate the Hyatt/NOVA Open booking portal will become available sometime in February 2021. At that time, we ask that you call the hotel and transfer your reservation to the NOVA Open portal.
We will keep you posted, so please stay tuned…
|
|
We appreciate the many Customer Service inquiries we have received the past few months about this year’s convention. This has been very encouraging to us. As of today, our plans for 2021 are still in the planning phase. We need YOU to fill out each of our upcoming surveys.
Though we appreciate the 110 people who took the first survey back in November, the Executive Board would hope at least 400 people (a 10% representation of attendees) will take the January1 survey. The more people that fill it out, the more helpful the information will be.
The next, and final, survey will be published on March 1, 2021. The information provided by you through these surveys is integral to the decisions we will be making in the coming months. Please mark your calendar and make the time to help us plan for next year.
|
|
NOVEMBER 1 SURVEY RESULTS |
|
Only a handful of our attendees filled out this last survey.
In order to create the best plans for NOVA Open 2021, we need each and every one of our attendees, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, and instructors to take a few moments to fill out the January 1 survey (above) and on March 1.
Your contributions will help us provide a NOVA Open convention which lives up to your high expectations.
|
|
A FEW WORDS FROM THE NOCF BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
|
It is hard to believe that 2020 is behind us. Though challenging, the NOCF thrived. As we've come to appreciate, the compassion and generosity of the worldwide tabletop wargaming community is the key to success. By staying involved and committed to the mission, each of those who participated allowed this community to be part of something greater than itself, providing the type of financial support that will have a huge impact on the charities we support.
Year-in-Review (or) How We Found Success in Spite of a Pandemic:
With the cancellation of NOVA Open, NOCF was able to focus on planning and marketing improvements. Board directors designed and built a new website and expanded the Foundation's social media presence. The blog site posted 172 times and the NOVA/NOCF social media sites posted too many times to count. These efforts received enormous boosts with the support of generous YouTubers and podcasters, both U.S. and abroad. To give color to the projects, 92 photo shoots of the models, together with 64 raffle videos, were undertaken and created by NOCF.
The cancellation of NOVA Open was a big loss of fundraising revenue for the Foundation. The 2020 goal of $100,000 seemed unattainable. The Board made a decision to replace it with two Virtual events to wrap-up the summer and fall seasons. These events, born on a steep learning curve with help from Forge the Narrative (Paul, Adam & Josh), were quite successful. They also set the table for even more videos ~ 4 from our charities, 16 sponsor and artist interviews with Paul, and 4 narrative videos to accompany the fall Miniac armies. How successful were they?
|
|
For your reading pleasure, and with the Board's great appreciation, enjoy the following record-shattering NOCF 2020 statistics:
- Three (3) separate raffle seasons were run featuring 68 offerings from 70 national and international artists, plus dozens of Miniac painters.
- The raffle prizes included 15 armies, 38 individual models, 8 squads, and 7 specialty items.
- A total of 4,545 people placed orders from 52 different countries.
- Tickets sales more than doubled previous records, hitting 20,559.
-
An amazing $165,464 was raised using items created by miniature artists, sponsored by miniature companies, and offered to the miniature community!
The following 2020 charitable donations, totaling $158,000, were made:
- WIRES, $3,000
- ACPD Friends and Family Fund, $5,000
- Fisher House, $40,000
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation, $55,000
- Doctors Without Borders, $55,000
The year put us on an incredibly challenging road and we are grateful to all who came along for the ride. To be fair, since inception in 2013, it has always been a very rewarding journey. As of today, The Gamers' Foundation has donated $463,160 for the charitable works of many great organizations. That number is staggering when we realize it was raised from miniature sprues, glues, and paints. Special thanks to an incredibly talented group of people who turned those plastic bits into the very raffles that raised nearly half a million dollars in 7 years, The NOCF Artist Consortium!
Please scroll down and read the TEN Thank You cards to everyone
(including you)
who helped make 2020 such a huge success.
NOCF
Board of Directors
|
|
NOCF INTERVIEW SPOT LIGHTS |
|
The Virtual Foundation Lounge event on December 4 was a real hit! We have a few more interviews to share with you that didn't make it into the live event.
Please subscribe to the site to be kept up to date on our next raffle!
|
|
NOCF FALL RAFFLE WINNERS! |
|
We are beyond excited to share with you that the NOVA Open Charitable Foundation raised over $90,000 in the Fall Raffle fundraiser ~ almost impossible to manage with just 8 entries. "High Five" to NOCF and everyone who helped and/or supported this incredible success!
WINNERS’ LIST
Congratulations to the winners of the NOCF 2020 Fall Raffles!
Daniel Clauss - Engen, GERMANY
Stephen Trow - Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
Harlan White - Salem, Massachusetts, USA
Kyle Chasteen - North Plains, Oregon, USA
Patrick John Woods - Sola, NORWAY
Nicholas Krywy - Westland, Michigan, USA
Jared Moreau - Timmins, Ontario, CANADA
Jens Mehwald - Herne, GERMANY
|
|
ORDER OF OUR LADY OF JUSTICE - UNPACKED! |
|
Thank you for sharing this video of you unpacking your prizes (TOO FUN!), and for your support of the NOCF.
Thank you to our Sponsors who provided some fantastic game aids to go along with this massive army.
|
|
|
NOCF YEAR-IN-REVIEW & THE HEROES |
|
The NOCF Board met in early December for its annual Year-in-Review conference. As outlined above, it was a year to remember ~ and now it is time to thank Our Heroes.
Nearly 11,000 orders were placed and over 20,500 tickets were sold throughout the year. These are HUGE numbers which demonstrate an increase of nearly 200% over our best year in 2019!! The Gamer’s Foundation is reaching a wider international audience than ever before and NOCF has a lot of people to thank for that.
This success starts with a great Board of Directors and the most talented and incredibly generous artist in the world – the NOCF Artist Consortium. The Foundation also depends on the sponsors who give so freely of their support and products to the raffles. And, in 2020, some very special YouTubers issued a Call to Arms, with NOCF beneficiaries providing video appreciation to the ALL OF YOU, the international tabletop wargaming community!
NOCF thanks the many people and organizations who came together in spite of a pandemic to create and support its mission, making this world a better place through commonality, compassion, and community.
|
|
THANK YOU: NOCF ARTIST CONSORTIUM |
|
Every year, you bring your time, talent, and some truly beautiful treasures to the NOCF raffles. Your dedication to the mission and continued support overwhelms us. The Miniac Project needed a little help filling army list gaps ahead of the launch and, once again, several of you simply jumped on board to help. You are all awesome!
We hope everyone reading this takes time to visit the NOCF Artist page, spending click-and-read time learning more about every one of you ~ signing on the follow your social media platforms, hiring you for commissions, or learning from your tutorials online. You are the heart and soul of NOCF and the reason for its success. |
|
THANK YOU: NOVA OPEN, LLC
|
|
Thank you, NOVA Open Board, Staff and Volunteers.
As the sister company of the NOCF, you have underwritten expenses for Foundation fundraising endeavors since its inception in 2013. Even with the convention cancelled, you still found ways in 2020 to substantially assist our charitable efforts.
And a special THANK YOU, NOVA Open volunteers, for always showing up to help the Foundation manage, repair, base, paint, pack . . . and so much more!
|
|
THANK YOU: FORGE THE NARRATIVE |
|
You stepped up to help NOCF by hosting and producing virtual closing events for the Summer and Fall raffles. We could not have done it without you. These were needed to replace a giant revenue stream lost to NOVA Open’s cancellation.
Your incredible support of this mission and this community was on full display and the beneficiaries are the people around the world who will be helped by the funds we raised.
Both shows brought the gaming community together in a tough year, and grossed $20,000! And you’ve all agreed to do it again whenever asked? How nice is that?!
|
|
You all showed up in 2020 to provide us with product, prizes, models, bases, mats, cash donations, and so much more. NOCF could not run these fundraisers on just 10 cents on a dollar without your generosity. Though that time covers PayPal fees and shipping costs, you and your contributions allow us to cover administrative expenses, business costs like insurance and licensing, and so much more.
Thank you, also, for every time you help spread the word about the wonderful work NOCF and its Artist Consortium do. This is integral to opening up the tabletop wargaming and hobby painting community to the world and inviting everyone to join the fun.
It is our sincere hope all readers will take the time to click the links below and spend time browsing your stores and supporting your businesses.
|
|
THANK YOU: GOOBERTOWN HOBBIES |
|
When you volunteered to paint for “Crossing the Rubicon,” the NOCF Summer Raffle Blood Angel army, you joined not only that team, but the NOCF Artist Consortium. You also introduced NOCF to the powerful force behind this community’s YouTube subscriber audience.
When you featured yourself painting 30 Intercessors in a 24-hour marathon with Miniac and Midwinter Minis, prior to the Summer Raffle launch, NOCF site visits soared. In August, before the season ended, you posted a Goobertown tutorial on working with NOCF and how to paint Blood Angels – and sales soared! These videos busted all-time records at the Foundation and set the bar high!
When NOCF asked for help getting the word out about our Fall Raffles, you did not hesitate and again impacted the most successful season raffle ever ~ one, in fairness, NOCF had no reason to expect in this particular year. Welcome and Thank You.
|
|
Thank you, Scott ‘ Miniac’ Walter, and your amazing YouTube subscribers.
You brought your Big talent, a Big idea, a Big audience, and a Huge heart to the table. Your charitable plan inspired the NOCF Board, its Artist Consortium, Chris Stover, and NOVA volunteers to work with dozens of your subscribers to accomplish the Massive Miniac Charity Project.
More than 110 Miniacs participated in the purchase, building/painting, and shipping of more than 600 models necessary to create FOUR (4) Mournival 9th Ed armies. The plan was an enormous success!
The generosity and compassion of the wargaming hobby community is well-known, but your “Call to Arms” video brought NOCF's fundraising ability to new, unbelievable heights.
|
|
|
THANK YOU: MINI WAR GAMING
|
|
NOCF reached out to you for some last-minute help this fall. We hoped you might be able to rally the masses and spread the word. We were awed by the speed with which you engaged MiniWarGamers, and blessed by their generous reaction!
It’s being whispered in the boardroom that you offered your help as we move forward in 2021. We are a fortunate organization to have such renowned support. We hope to bring even more fans to your doorstep.
|
|
THANK YOU: THIS IS YOUR FOUNDATION |
|
NOCF is "The Gamer's Foundation." Its mission is to represent this community and present it to the world as the generous and compassionate force it is. In its 7-year history, NOCF has donated $463,160.00 to world-changing charitable organizations. This was done primarily through raffle ticket sales of miniatures, by miniature artists, to miniature players.
Each person who participated made a difference, but together this community has impacted the world. The charities you support through NOCF have taken the time to acknowledge your contributions to their work, and to thank you personally.
Scroll down, watch their videos, and enjoy the kind words of gratitude to all of you.
NOCF could not be prouder. You, the worldwide tabletop wargamers and hobbyists, are positively affecting the people and the world around us through your love of tabletop games, miniature painting, and fundraising for charity.
Thank You!
|
|
THANK YOU: NOCF BENEFICIARIES (Watch Videos Live) |
|
Each of our main charities recorded personal video messages for the NOCF live event on DEC 4th. If you’d like to see and hear what they had to say, click on the charity logos or names linked below.
|
|
Thank you to all those who made direct donations to NOCF this year.
Donors provided $4,000 in 2020. It is the ability to operate using these funds which allows 90% of every dollar raised in the raffles to support the designated charities. NOCF and its beneficiaries are grateful for the amazing altruism of those in this community who recognize this mission by making cash donations.
www.novaopenfoundation.org
|
|
Scroll to the Footer
Enter your Email Address
Welcome to the Party! Check out the Music Videos, created and posted for all 54 raffles. News delivered straight to your inbox. The feedback we've received on every one has been fun and positive.
Want to catch up on all the news surrounding these raffles? Scroll through the NEWS SECTION and enjoy.
|
|
NOVA Open Charitable Foundation was formed as a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2013 to organize the tabletop wargaming community in demonstrating the generosity of this compassionate force. In particular, the NOCF mission is focused on supporting charities dedicated to service and relief for veterans and their families, victims of war and disaster at home and abroad, patients of disease and medical research, as well as other non-profit organizations which fit the mission as determined by the Board of Directors. The NOCF is obligated to ensure, through tools like Charity Navigator, that charitable giving focuses on organizations which spend the vast majority of funds raised on direct support of their programs.
NOCF’s “Primary” Charities are outlined below. They have received focused and significant contributions from the wargamers and hobbyists since 2013:
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
*Donated 2013-2020: $181,875
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (DWB/MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, protect life and health, and to restore respect for human beings and their fundamental human rights. They provide medical care in emergencies, assisting the most vulnerable people in crisis due to conflict.
You can read more about DWB accomplishments, financials, and scores here:
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
*Donated 2013-2020: $124,584
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, works to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health. Since its inception, the Foundation has raised over $700 million to support research at medical institutions across the globe conducting the most advanced and promising breast cancer research that will help lead to prevention and a cure.
BCRF seeks to make breast cancer no longer life-threatening and to eventually eradicate breast cancer altogether through funding innovative clinical and translational research. BCRF supports the broadest portfolio of cancer research possible, supporting the entire spectrum from every angle, from prevention through treatments to survivorship.
You can read more about BCRF accomplishments, financials, and scores here:
FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION
*Donated 2013-2020: $121,226
Fisher House Foundation is best known for its network of 87 comfort homes where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital it serves. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans' families an estimated $500 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation. Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near hospitals.
You can read more about FHF accomplishments, financials, and scores here:
|
|
SHOPPING IN 2021 AT AMAZON?
Why Not Support NOCF While You're At It?!
|
|
SMILE.AMAZON.COM
Do All Your 2021 Shopping Here!
If you have NOT signed on to support NOCF when you shop Amazon.com, consider doing it today. The holidays are upon us, with more and more shopping online, Amazon makes it easy to give back! Click on the image and become a regular contributor to the Gamer's Charity!
|
|
|
VENDOR & SPONSOR LOGOS/LINKS
SCROLL DOWN - VISIT OUR PARTNERS TODAY
|
|
|
|
Atlantis Games and Comics |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
