I would suggest that you'll provide a balance sheet of some sort. Maybe seeing how the money is spent will help family begin to trust again.

You could also set up a committee if you have more family in your area. That one everything isn’t be handled by just one person.

In your letters, you can include that projected cost of the reunion and the amounts you have collected so far.

Be prepared for family to pay when they arrive also. They may want to wait til they get there to see what’s going on before they give up money.

Also, if you don't have a large turn out in '09, the next year will surely be different when everyone goes back and spreads the word on how it was NOTHING like the one in 2007.