Learning new skills in order to thrive

I’ve taken a consultant job with a local non-profit agency that works with people who are disenfranchised. They asked me to research grants, funding opportunities.

Their mission is fragmented, in my opinion, needing to be melded more together in a more cohesive message. Dang, I thought it would be easier, lol. They help widows, people who have disabilities, parolees, young adults who have aged out of foster care, the homeless, poor … They help with documents, home repairs, social support, clearing warrants, food, medication delivery, job training, tutoring, can there be more? My bet is the answer is yes.

I know I can do anything in the social services arena. Some take extra effort. This is one of those situations. I’ve not written grants. Yet. I’ve researched minimally. So far. Working diligently on learning more about it. I will succeed.

Getting my ducks in a row as a strong foundation will get me to the finish line. Doing it will help me more in the future to help Join Me.

Baby steps. The first step is asking for a more clear organizational chart.

I love working on goals.

Learning, learning, learning

Taking an online course on advertising small businesses by video. Trying to remind myself to run my non-profit like a for-profit while maintaining a conscious and using the funds appropriately. Money is a tool which allows the work to be done. Working with nothing in the bank isn’t all its wrote up to be, lol.

Keeping on

I have been researching how to deal with the problem of the non-profit status that I truly believe is an issue from the IRS. I posted about the misclassification on a non-profit Facebook page and had 7 responses. Five have had the same problem. I have a problem with the fact that it costs three times the initial filing fee to correct the issue and all it takes is myself going online and filing another form. I also think the initial application should have been denied because, they felt I described a foundation, yet in the form I specifically said Join Me would NOT be granting monies to agencies, the definition of a foundation.

I have researched, and have a plan moving forward. Wish me luck. I have compiled 50 grants that fit the mission. I have work which needs to be done. It will take all the positive energy to get it done.

Mad only at myself

A short post today. On the application I submitted for non-profit status I checked the wrong box. It caused Join Me to be a foundation, not a charity. To correct costs $700. Mind you it is no where near that cost to apply. Asked if I can just cancel and reapply. “Well that would raise all kinds of red flags”.

Always have someone check your work. Don’t be as full of yourself as I am.

Join Me is defunct for now.

First community event!

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Kids dreaming about their “piece of the peace”.

Finally occurred. First community event. Join Me had a table at a regional Peace Festival. The project was blank puzzle pieces and attendees were asked to document, by drawing or words, what they are willing to do to create more peace. Oh the experience was phenomenal!

Our youngest was 2. Scribbled saying “heart”. Took it. One young man said peace was “a roof over his head”. He’s been homeless for several months. It was a varied group, Muslim, LGBTQ, military, Black businesses, families, teens… Exciting and the puzzle pieces were as varied.

Lots of people came over after seeing the lines. Success. I learned a long time ago that activities drive your message home. I was asked to participate in two other festivals, will wait for the email information to decide. People who I used to work with in the community came by for hugs and updates. Business cards and Join Me mission paperwork exchanged.

Two volunteers helped make the day workable, an issue I have to maneuver since I’m now dealing with working with a disability. There were more successes than problems. Yay!!!

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Starting to schedule events

October is right around the corner. Amazingly. Time goes so quickly. I’d say it snuck up on me but that would be giving myself an excuse for not just getting the work done in a timely fashion.

Events scheduled, at least.

https://fb.me/e/ESNxpUDv

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Spotlight on Survivors project advertisement

I also have 6 personal stories of help from those who have lived through victimization and community members who have helped spread the word. A little more to get done!

Keeping myself accountable

I have reached the end of the first 100 days of Join Me being an official non-profit. The goals were grand, lol. And missed. Not all, but definitely not completed as I had hoped.

So, a run down. The book didn’t get submitted to Amazon for sake because of the site’s formatting requirements. I have tried over and over, again, to no avail. Major fail because I really wanted it up for sale for October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Dang it, anyway. I did reached out to 116 past contacts, goal was 100, to announce the opening. I had 15 follow-up in-depth conversations, which I am told is very good. I’ll take that. I got 9 puzzle pieces completed, an event I was supposed to be at didn’t happen so it was a missed opportunity. I have 2 more events scheduled within the next 3 weeks (does it count if it was scheduled during the first 100 days?) where the puzzle is the focus. I was on a week long online program on narcissistic behavior and had good responses from it, and am scheduled for another videocast in 2.5 weeks. I held meetings with 6 people. I have interviewed 7 people for the upcoming Spotlight on Survivors project throughout October and had to develop the Microsoft form for distribution. Not as easy as I imagined. I did hold 3 men’s domestic violence intervention groups, attended over 6 hours by 18 men total. I trained 19 hairstylists for their state CEU requirement.

I did partner with a grant researcher for a little while, but it ended up not working out because she didn’t have an operating computer. We will try again soon.

It didn’t work out completely as I planned, but, now after writing it out, I’m not disappointed. Keep on keeping on is what the goal needs to be!

Community event

Scheduled a community event today. Ordered things for the booth. If I’m being truthful, I’ve started thinking maybe I want this more than it’s actually needed. Maybe this will revive my determination. It’s a Peace and Safety Fair hosted by the Center for Racial Harmony. Had a long conversation with the director, someone I know from my past life. That felt good, too.

I know, baby steps. But those little accomplishments feel so insignificant.

Differentiating myself

I am enough. I know it but have to help others see it, too. I just signed up for another series of workshops, some basic, How to start a non-profit, How to manage your startup, but also an advanced initial one identifying oneself as a minority owned business. I have to recognize that I AM a minority as a woman who has a significant disability and am a survivor. So, it’s time to get knowledge from others. It’s time to use my time more constructively.

Out of my reach

When you are where I am: with a new business, with a significant disability, with a monetary crunch, with a few other issues that I haven’t even identified, yet… it feels normal to have a bunch of things right out of my reach. Success, the next project, my old “go to” fun activities, that dang ripe tomato in the garden. It is the new norm.

Adaptation is also the new approach and today that is what I have to work on. I am ready to publish the workbook, but the formatting requirement has overwhelmed my brain. I farmed it out to a friend. Now I have to find some money to compensate her. I found a friend to write some grants. Now I have to find some money to compensate her. I have some designs in my head for handouts. Now I have to get my head to believe I can design them.

Out of my reach.

I came to the garden to relax, alone. Someone just joined me. Time to go home and get these things in my reach.