2026-04-21 — Meeting with Troia & Susan from Kaneko Foundation

Source: Granola transcript (link) Attendees: 7 total — Eric Downs, Kristin DeKay, Brooke Ratliff, Mike DeKay (G&M) + Troia Schonlau, Susan Schonlau, Sarah Jones (Foundation / @junkaneko.com) Date: 2026-04-21

Transcription artifacts flagged: - "Connecto" in the transcript is almost certainly KANEKO (thekaneko.org) — Otter misheard the name. Confirmed by the "triangular linking between all three sites" line, which maps to our three entities. - "Brown Altar" is almost certainly Brownell Talbot — matches an earlier 2026-04-21 email from Troia titled "Support the Campaign - Brownell Talbot". Their "Building Together" capital campaign is the reference model.

Scope Summary — Two Tracks

Track 1: Foundation Site Updates (quick turnaround)

Donation/support functionality on the existing Foundation site (reeandjunkanekofoundation.org):

• Navigation: Replace "Contact" with "Support" in top nav. Contact info stays in footer.
• Support dropdown: Includes donation options + future campaigns.
• Payment methods:
• Credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Google Pay
• ACH option for larger donations (avoids fees)
• Check option with mailing address for major gifts
• Third-party service considered: Give Butter (discussed as primary option)
• Reference: Brownell Talbot uses Give Campus with extensive payment options
• Other site fixes bundled in:
• Activate News section
• Sarah to learn CMS (with Troia oversight) for news updates
• Update old resume info
• Fix broken newsletter signup (MailChimp connection issue)
• Cross-site linking: add Studio newsletter link to Foundation site; add Foundation link on KANEKO (thekaneko.org) footer; goal is triangular linking between Foundation, KANEKO, and Studio.

Track 2: Capital Campaign Microsite

$35M total goal. Recommendation is a separate microsite — independent URL — not integrated into the Foundation site.

Rationale: - Better tracking and marketing - Prevents brand confusion between Foundation and campaign - Brownell Talbot "Building Together" site is the reference model

Campaign context: - 75% of work completed privately before public launch (personal meetings, architectural plans) - Major donors already lined up for initial phase - Dedicated staff member needed to manage correspondence and updates

Content requirements for microsite: - Project history and timeline - 3D building walkthrough from HDR models - Donor recognition wall - Progress tracking — both financial and construction milestones - Regular email updates to maintain engagement - Naming opportunities for major donors - FAQ section for common donor questions

Content development needs for Track 2: - Mission-driven messaging about where donations go - Brief KANEKO history (20-year anniversary timing — note: founded 1998, so math is off; confirm) - Clear distinction between general support vs. capital campaign - Architectural renderings and fly-through videos (available) - Project timeline and milestones

Technical Implementation Notes

• Design sprint approach for donation page mockup.
• Hidden staging environment for client review before launch.
• Same process planned for capital campaign microsite when it's ready.
• Quick turnaround possible for basic donation functionality (Track 1).

Action Items

Open Questions / To Verify

• Confirm "Connecto" = KANEKO (likely — but worth checking with Eric/Kristin before acting on cross-site linking)
• Confirm Brownell Talbot "Building Together" is the intended reference model
• Verify the "20-year anniversary" framing — KANEKO was founded in 1998, which puts it closer to ~28 years; transcript may have conflated with something else
• Is the capital campaign microsite a G&M scope or just referenced for context in this meeting?