All posts tagged: non profit

5 things schools don’t (normally) tell you about starting a non-profit

Till the land, plant the seeds and take care of it regualrly.

Till the land, plant the seeds and take care of it regularly.

Starting a new ministry or a charitable non-profit organization is very rewarding and yet very challenging.

You may be one of many people who can relate to this. First, a person or a group of passionate people comes up with an idea to solve a problem or to address an issue or to help those in need. Then, this person or this group of people started talking to others about their passion and start working on it. They are so enthusiastic that they were able to bring a few more people onboard.

Is this sound familiar? Your passion is contagious! You are helping a lot of people and are being recognized by the community.

I was there in the late 2004. I thought why not find a solution to the ever growing division in the churches. I thought I would be a conduit to the unity in the Body of Christ. Although I was not thinking of starting an organization, I found myself starting a non-profit organization through the encouragement of peers and those who benefit from the cause.

So, I was put in a strange place where I have not been before. I have never been a board member in the past and now, I have to put a board together, create By Laws, Statement of Faith and file Articles of Incorporation. However, I was convinced that my idea was exceptional. I continued to plow the ground. Then, reality hit and I found myself driving a vehicle with no instruction or manual how to sustain it and to keep my dream alive.

Things I learned that were not (normally) taught schools and universities:

  1. It is not too hard to do a one time event but extremely hard to sustain it. Many people can do a large event just one time. The challenge is how can you sustain and get it going? For example, many non profits start food pantry but after a few months, it fizzle out.
  2. Having a non-profit requires money (unless you have millionaire parents or have lots of money in the bank); it’s not easy to raise funding. Doing good is commendable but sustaining it is very difficult without funds in the bank. My first big outreach resulted in a deficit of $400 and I have to pay it myself.
  3. Founders of organizations sometime find themselves lonely and alone. After a big outreach and the accolade, then the hard work of clean up, follow and reporting come. At times, the leader is left with tons of work to do all the stuff by himself/herself.
  4. After giving all you got, the founder often gets all the criticism and accused of bad management and leadership. As a leader, you need to have broad shoulders, willing to tolerate small things and brush off the negative comments.
  5. One of the things to tolerate are those people whom you helped and you felt you delivered more than what was promised. However, those whom you helped talk bad about you because they expected a lot more than what they asked for. What do you do with this situation? Don’t get stuck on a pity party, move on.

There many more things that are not talked about in the non-profit world but are very real once you are in the arena of charitable organizations. Once you weather all of these, you may be able to create a legacy that will continue on long after you’re gone. It’s like a garden, you cultivate the soil, plant the seeds and take of the plants on a regular basis. So after all the hard work and endurance, you may find yourself sitting at a beach looking at the horizon asking God what else you can do in the future.

 

Merlin Gonzales is an Author, a Church/Ministry consultant, a teacher, a preacher and conference speaker who developed the concept of “Mission Trip in Your Own Backyard” and “Incubating Self-Sustained Food Pantries.” Contact him at [email protected] for assessment of your ministry.

 

 

Merlin Gonzales5 things schools don’t (normally) tell you about starting a non-profit
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Introducing…(your organization)

Introducing your organization takes planning and follow ups. Many organizations, including ours are challenged to find workable process to expand its reach and its network.

I have taken the privilege to borrow some of the ideas from Raising More Money book by Terry Axelrod. This will be an introduction to a workable plan that’s proven effective by many organizations.

The Entrance door

This is designed to introduce people to your organization. It is a door opener for people who have not heard of your mission or just know a little about it. Your board members, current donors or your advocates are your main players to invite their business partners, families, friends, church members, or neighbors. If your organization does not have an office to bring several people to, you can hold this event at a restaurant or a nice conference room. It is ideal to provide drinks and small meal or snack.

For example, if you have a friend who owns a restaurant or a building, ask him/her to consider sponsoring the informational meeting. It is important to let the guests know that this is an introductory  session about the organization and they will not be asked for donation but they will receive a follow up call to see if they have an interest to find out more.

Conversion Session

After the introductory session, follow ups are very important. This should be done within 5 days of the first session. The board members or the advocates are the best persons to follow up since they already have relationships with their guests.

Two ways to use this session:

  • Ask for financial donations or find out how the guests want to get involved
  • Ask them to be Table Captains for your future fundraiser event.

Table Captains basically those who buy-in to the mission of your organization and are willing to invite people who may be  interested in the organization.

I will be writing more about who is an ideal Table Captain soon.

PS. If you have comment or suggestions, please feel free to post below or email [email protected] Please Share this link on your social media if you think this is helpful. Let me know if you want other topics for my next blog.

Merlin Gonzales

Merlin GonzalesIntroducing…(your organization)
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