Non-profit
organizations help to support and enable people to reach their potential. Non-profits
come in many different shapes and sizes such as foundations for raising
awareness of a need, organizations that reach those needs and various others.
They are important for the community and the world to work together, as Marc
Hensley knows, director of Mountain Outreach, a construction ministry in
Southeastern Kentucky Appalachia area.
“Non-profits are the backbone of a
community,” said Hensley. “They serve a segment of the community that cannot
get served any other way. We have a lot of social programs and a lot of folks
that benefit from those programs. There are folks that will fall through the
cracks no matter how good governmental social programs are and no matter how
good churches are at maintaining a watchful eye on their church field."
Here are some tips about the logistics of starting and maintaining a non-profit organization based on interviews with Hensley who's been coordinating Mountain Outreach's logistics for about ten years; Magan Atwood, Director of Appalachian Ministries for about five years; and Travis Freeman who’s starting a foundation which educates people that disability does not mean inability.
1. Have a unique vision
When a person starts a non-profit, they don’t want to replicate another organization that is already aiming at the same thing. Appalachian Ministries gives students at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. a chance to minister to children and families in the area. The program started in 1975 when students at UC saw the need to help kids living in poverty to have fun and know the love of Jesus. The students started something that was not available in the area before this. They had a clear vision in mind and accomplished it. AM is still running after almost 40 years of service.
2. File papers with the government
With the vision and goal in mind, you must start the process of filing papers with your state in order to be official. The GrantSpace, a service of Foundation Center’s and an informational source about philanthropy, explains that filing for exempt status with the IRS could take up to 3-12 months. As a non-profit, how is the organization supposed to bring in money to support the work? The answer is, through donors. If the non-profit has a clear goal to reach an important need, then other people will want to join in. It’s important to build up a reputation where people are eager to join in the work that the organization is doing. Spread awareness of the situation that you’re helping and people will come along to help.
3. Stay connected with referral sources
A problem that will most likely arise is that people will try to take advantage of the non-profit’s help. Have people in place that can lead you to people who really need the help, then, there will be less chance of people who take advantage of the help. Mountain Outreach does so by having contacts such as social workers, home health nurses, resource center personal from the schools and others that let them know when a family in the area is in need of something.
4.
Encouraging the volunteers
When there’s a job to do, there needs to be people to help accomplish that and because a non-profit organization is being started, they usually aren't paid with money. They can be paid with community service hours and the joy of helping someone get on their feet. The volunteers need to be supported so they don’t get too worn out. Then the work can be done well. It’s also important to delegate work so no one is overwhelmed. A director is needed for the logistics, volunteers are needed for the work, and a board of directors is needed for the decisions.
5. Staying focused
“It’s really hard for a lot of ministries not to bleed over and stretch themselves too thin,” said Hensley. “Once they start into one specific area, they see a greater need than just that specific area. There are two dangers: one is that a ministry could get tunnel vision and pass up opportunities to help folks, or number two, they could be too broad, too expensive, spread too thin and not have enough resources to help anybody.”
The work needs to be done well or else the organization’s not helping the community very much. It’s important that the organization does not get tunnel vision on what they’re doing. Then, they won’t be helping the people they need to help or reaching the community’s needs.
“Non-profits are attempting to advance a message or a cause,” said Travis Freeman, adjunct religion professor at UC who’s starting a foundation which educates people that disability does not mean inability. “They are important to help with public awareness. That’s what I’m trying to do with the Freeman Foundation.”
Instead of focusing on the seemingly impossible task of changing the world, focus on one step at a time. There will be difficult moments, but it can be done and you’re changing the world one social issue at a time.
“This program is not about projects, it’s about people,” said Hensley.
 |
| Photo by Ford Edwards Katie Herrington volunteering at MO Repair Affair fall semester 2014. |
Here are some tips about the logistics of starting and maintaining a non-profit organization based on interviews with Hensley who's been coordinating Mountain Outreach's logistics for about ten years; Magan Atwood, Director of Appalachian Ministries for about five years; and Travis Freeman who’s starting a foundation which educates people that disability does not mean inability.
1. Have a unique vision
When a person starts a non-profit, they don’t want to replicate another organization that is already aiming at the same thing. Appalachian Ministries gives students at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. a chance to minister to children and families in the area. The program started in 1975 when students at UC saw the need to help kids living in poverty to have fun and know the love of Jesus. The students started something that was not available in the area before this. They had a clear vision in mind and accomplished it. AM is still running after almost 40 years of service.
2. File papers with the government
With the vision and goal in mind, you must start the process of filing papers with your state in order to be official. The GrantSpace, a service of Foundation Center’s and an informational source about philanthropy, explains that filing for exempt status with the IRS could take up to 3-12 months. As a non-profit, how is the organization supposed to bring in money to support the work? The answer is, through donors. If the non-profit has a clear goal to reach an important need, then other people will want to join in. It’s important to build up a reputation where people are eager to join in the work that the organization is doing. Spread awareness of the situation that you’re helping and people will come along to help.
3. Stay connected with referral sources
A problem that will most likely arise is that people will try to take advantage of the non-profit’s help. Have people in place that can lead you to people who really need the help, then, there will be less chance of people who take advantage of the help. Mountain Outreach does so by having contacts such as social workers, home health nurses, resource center personal from the schools and others that let them know when a family in the area is in need of something.
 |
| Photo provided by University of the Cumberlands Volunteers working on a porch fall semester 2014. |
When there’s a job to do, there needs to be people to help accomplish that and because a non-profit organization is being started, they usually aren't paid with money. They can be paid with community service hours and the joy of helping someone get on their feet. The volunteers need to be supported so they don’t get too worn out. Then the work can be done well. It’s also important to delegate work so no one is overwhelmed. A director is needed for the logistics, volunteers are needed for the work, and a board of directors is needed for the decisions.
5. Staying focused
“It’s really hard for a lot of ministries not to bleed over and stretch themselves too thin,” said Hensley. “Once they start into one specific area, they see a greater need than just that specific area. There are two dangers: one is that a ministry could get tunnel vision and pass up opportunities to help folks, or number two, they could be too broad, too expensive, spread too thin and not have enough resources to help anybody.”
The work needs to be done well or else the organization’s not helping the community very much. It’s important that the organization does not get tunnel vision on what they’re doing. Then, they won’t be helping the people they need to help or reaching the community’s needs.
“Non-profits are attempting to advance a message or a cause,” said Travis Freeman, adjunct religion professor at UC who’s starting a foundation which educates people that disability does not mean inability. “They are important to help with public awareness. That’s what I’m trying to do with the Freeman Foundation.”
Instead of focusing on the seemingly impossible task of changing the world, focus on one step at a time. There will be difficult moments, but it can be done and you’re changing the world one social issue at a time.
“This program is not about projects, it’s about people,” said Hensley.
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