Posts Tagged ‘Volunteers’

NPC: Tell us a little bit about your organization, Children of the Earth. Why was it started?

Nina Meyerhof: I brought young people from around the world together to attend the World Summit for Children that was being held at the United Nations. I’m an educator and something inside of me was touched that the summit wasn’t “of children,” it was “for children.” I wanted to activate young people so they could see that they have a voice in their own future and destiny; they can participate in declarations that pertain to their own life. It was the first time that young people were able to present. They presented to UNICEF, the Dalai Lama, and to the General Assembly.

I’ve always been in education. I use to run a children’s camp called Heart’s Bend, and it was there that I ran leadership programs for 30 something odd years. I was also a Special Ed Director for ten schools. So what emerges is that I finally stepped out into the world and did global education and multi-cultural education. I started peeling the onion looking at what is the inner core that brings us all together as one humanity. Children of the Earth was booked as an understanding that our spiritual nature is universal and all our dreams are the same; we just have different processes that brings us to that goal.

I traveled around the world and started doing programs in different areas. In the last 3 – 4 years, we received a grant and it’s helped build our capacity by allowing us to put the pieces together as an infrastructure and have a way to tally everything we’re doing. Children of the Earth is building the platform for the voices of young people in the consciousness movement.




NPC: Who does it serve?

Nina Meyerhof: Children of the Earth serves young people who feel within themselves a stirring and knowingness that there can be a better world and that there is hope; they want to participate in the process. We formed spiritual hubs and social action chapters around the world so that young people who follow spiritual principles could work towards aiding their country through different projects. Children of the Earth includes approximately 10,000 young people from around the world. Our long-term goal is to build a virtual platform with mentors, books, and blogging–giving voice to young people so they know there is a home for them in the spiritual movement. Our young people range in age from15 – 30.




NPC: How long have you been in operation

Nina Meyerhof: Children of the Earth was formed in 1990.




NPC: How many people did you serve your first year?

Nina Meyerhof: At first young people visiting our website averaged anywhere from 30 – 50. We are now setting up a pyramid of action by training certain young people and in return they train others and it continues. The pyramid creates a ripple effect that helps get more young people involved.






NPC: What is your most difficult challenge as a nonprofit?

Nina Meyerhof: I think everyone would say finances; trying to find means of sustainability. We need to have our hubs and chapters stand on their own. We support them in different manners, and we have a lot of volunteers. However, volunteers come and go. I would love to give stipends to young people so they can see their life work and find means to really focus on it. Our capacity grant has helped us get on our feet and get organized, but it will eventually run out.




NPC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a nonprofit?

Nina Meyerhof: The biggest advice is to have a passion for what you’re doing because it’s a long road ahead. The benefits are much more in terms of you fulfilling your destiny and purpose rather than saying I have an income.

NPC: How can people get involved?

Nina Meyerhof: There are so many ways to get involved. Right now we’re setting up volunteer programs in Nepal to help build a school and an orphanage in Rwanda. We’re in need of administrative help and finding young people who are good with social networking. It’s all about volunteering and finding your niche. You have to be strong in what your offering and be willing to work to make it a collective. I’d love to invite young people from the United States to get more involved. We have people all over the world, but the U.S. they come and go like it’s a diversion rather than a life’s work. I have the wonderful opportunity of always presenting at major conferences, and it is my goal to bring young people with me so that they can one day take on that role. It would be really good to have some U.S. contacts.

NPC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Nina Meyerhof: We’re at the point of how we’re defining ourselves as we go beyond religion into not interfaith but intrafaith. We try to weave the understanding of where is the universal human being and what is the goal of life on planet earth so that there is no division but looking at our sameness’s rather than learning tolerance for differences.

Dr. Nina Meryhof is the President of Children of the Earth. For more information about the organization, please visit the website at www.coeworld.org.

NPC: Tell us a little bit about your organization, the Foundation. Why was it Started?

Patricia Daniels: I founded the Foundation to commemorate my beloved son Ryan’s life and to be of service to those like him.

NPC: Who does it serve?

Patricia Daniels: It serves deserving, talented and qualified high school graduating African American male students.

NPC: How long have you been in operation?

Patricia Daniels: We started the Foundation in March 2008. However, qualified Laurel High School students began receiving a scholarship in Ryan’s memory several years before the Foundation existed. The first student was awarded a scholarship in Ryan’s memory in 2005.

NPC: How many people did you serve your first year? And, this year?

Patricia Daniels: The Foundation’s first year was our formative year. To date, two students have received a scholarship from the Foundation . . . one in the 2008/2009 school year and one in the 2009/2010 school year; both young men may apply to renew their scholarships.



NPC: What is your most difficult challenge as a nonprofit?

Patricia Daniels: For the Foundation, board member retention is our biggest challenge.

NPC: What was your most difficult challenge starting out?

Patricia Daniels: Starting our, lack of funds was a challenge.

NPC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a nonprofit?

Patricia Daniels: I would advise someone starting a nonprofit in Maryland to take the training entitle How to Start a Nonprofit Organization in Maryland. The training is offered by the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organization, Inc. I believe this training served me well.

NPC: How can people get involved?

Patricia Daniels: People can get involved by volunteering their time, skills and abilities on one or more of our existing committees . . . Fundraising Committee, Marketing Committee, Finance Committee, Scholarship Committee, and Volunteer Committee . . . and by supporting and attending our fundraising events.

NPC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Patricia Daniels: I’d like to share that additional information about the Foundation, including information about our fundraising events, is available on our website at www.ryanomancefoundation.org.

Patricia Daniels is the Founder and Chair for The Foundation. For more information, please visit the website at www.ryanomancefoundation.org.

NPC: Tell us a little bit about your organization, R.Evolución Latina. Why was it started?

R.Evolución Latina: R.Evolución Latina is a collective of artists and activists committed to empowering the artistic community in order to inspire growth within the Latino Community through collaboration, productions, and educational support programs.

Our motto:  DARE TO GO BEYOND

R.Evolución Latina was created out of the need to let our Hispanic community know that Latinos can also be seen on a Broadway stage.  Founders Luis Salgado, Michael Balderrama and Gabriela Garcia are all Broadway dancers that felt the need to share their passion and accomplishments with the Latino community.  Being an example of how art can motivate you on a daily basis and how difficult it is to continue to grow as an artist both emotionally and financially, R.Evolución Latina  was created to help our aspiring Latino artists continue to grow by providing free workshops for them in various disciplines taught by some of the best teachers and performers in NYC.  Our children are our future and due to the lack of art programs in schools, R.Evolución Latina found itself being a vehicle to bring art to under served schools and communities with a high Latino population, to inspire their daily lives through art, daring it’s audience to “Go Beyond”, work hard to achieve their goals, collaborate and give back to their community.

NPC: Who does it serve?

R.Evolución Latina: We serve Latino and under-served communities throughout the 5 boroughs of New York as well as some areas of New Jersey.  Our reach also includes the New York artistic community and has recently expanded to include artists in Peru, Spain, and India. Our mission is carried by activists who reside throughout the United States and Puerto Rico as well as in countries such as Panama, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and Germany.

NPC: How long have you been in operation?

R.Evolución Latina: R.Evolución Latina was founded in 2007.  We are currently entering our 4th year in operation.

NPC: How many people did you serve your first year? And, this year?

R.Evolución Latina: Our founding team consisted of just 10 volunteers and has grown to include over 50 active members and over 100 volunteers today. We impact around 500-750 students per year and have a rotating team of teaching artists made up of 40 performers from the Broadway, Film, and Television industries.

NPC: What is your most difficult challenge as a nonprofit?

R.Evolución Latina: Our current challenge is keeping up with the continued growth and expansion of our organization. We are continually made aware of the growing needs of our community and our goal as an active organization is to keep up with and provide for these needs. We are proud of the reach that we have achieved thus far, but at times find it difficult to fulfill the multitude of requests that we get on a monthly basis from organizations, schools, artists, and communities seeking our guidance, involvement, and service.

NPC: What was your most difficult challenge starting out?

R.Evolución Latina: Our first challenge was getting our community to embrace our mission and our motto of daring to go beyond. R.Evolución Latina is about collaboration and taking action. In our early stages we found that other organizations were reluctant to jump on board with programs and events, but after proving that we are an ACTIVE organization, we now find ourselves fielding multiple requests from organizations throughout New York and and across the country.
NPC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a nonprofit?

R.Evolución Latina: Know your mission and make sure this is the forefront for everything you do. The mission informs every decision, program, collaboration, event, and step that the organization takes.

It is a commitment no matter how small your nonprofit may be. It takes a lot of hard work but the reward is wonderful. Make sure you have a good support group to help you out, as well as advisers and people who can see you through the process.
NPC: How can people get involved?

R.Evolución Latina: First they can take a look at our website, www.revolucionlatina.org and familiarize themselves with who we are and what we do.  Those interested in getting involved can contact us at: info@revolucionlatina.org.

NPC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

R.Evolución Latina: Dare to Go Beyond! Atrevéte a Más!

Collaborative interview with Gabriela Garcia, Co director; Alison Solomon and Denisse Ambert, Executive Management Team of R.Evolución Latina. For more information, please visit the website at www.revolucionlatina.org.

199 Fun and Effective Fundraising Events for Nonprofit Organizations by Anita Biase

Are you tired of searching everywhere to find fresh and exciting ideas for your nonprofit organization? Finally there is a new resource for nonprofit organizations and friends of nonprofits to get your events turbocharged with new ideas for your next fundraiser. Aside from raising a lot of money and being fun to work on, fundraising special events can build relationships with potential donors, sponsors, volunteers, and can generate a lot of free publicity. Building visibility in the community is critical to any nonprofit s success. It is difficult to come up with new ideas each and every year; now this new book makes it easy. Inside this brand new, groundbreaking book you will find over two hundred fundraising events that have worked for other organizations.

The Idealist.org Handbook to Building a Better World: How to Turn Your Good Intentions into Actions that Make a Difference by Idealist.org and Stephanie Land

Part career guide, part activist’s handbook, The Idealist.org Handbook to Building a Better World provides tools and inspiration for anyone who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start. Inspired by Idealist.org’s 600,000-member online community and their ongoing search for work that gives back to the world, this practical reference walks readers through the different ways they can get involved and the range of possibilities for applying one’s interests and skills to meet their community’s needs.

Idealist.org’s staff gives a comprehensive understanding of the issues, options, organizations, and resources so readers can be proactive, whether it’s through one’s current job, volunteering, donating, personal spending, board service, starting an organization, or changing careers.

Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant

An innovative guide to how great nonprofits achieve extraordinary social impact. What makes great nonprofits great? Authors Crutchfield and McLeod Grant searched for the answer over several years, employing a rigorous research methodology which derived from books on for-profits like Built to Last. They studied 12 nonprofits that have achieved extraordinary levels of impact—from Habitat for Humanity to the Heritage Foundation—and distilled six counterintuitive practices that these organizations use to change the world. This book has lessons for all readers interested in creating significant social change, including nonprofit managers, donors and volunteers.

The One Page Business Plan for Non-Profit Organizations by James T. Horan Jr.

If you are responsible for founding or managing a non-profit
organization… this book was written just for you! Now you can easily
write a draft plan on a single page in less than two hours. Thousands
of non-profits have already successfully written and implemented One
Page Plans with this simple and effective planning methodology. This
special version of The One Page Business Plan has been called "The One
Page Promise" because it helps directors, boards, management and
volunteers clearly define and live up to their promises at
organizational, departmental, project and program levels… all in
fast, easy to communicate and actionable terms!

How to Manage an Effective Nonprofit Organization: From Writing and Managing Grants to Fundraising, Board Development, and Strategic Planning by Michael A. Sand

Agency professionals at every level will find themselves referring to
How to Manage an Effective Nonprofit Organization anytime they have a
problem and need helpful, practical and to-the-point advice from an
acknowledged leader in the field. Each of the nine chapters includes
numerous practical recommendations: * Board members will learn how to
run effective meetings and get and keep the best people on their team.
* Busy staff members will learn how to maximize opportunities to obtain
grant funds while minimizing the time spent. * Grant writers will learn
how to prepare better proposals and how to manage the funds once they
get them. * Agencies will learn how to establish an outstanding
volunteer program and how to form community coalitions that work. * And
everyone will learn effective strategies to help improve supervisory,
personnel, and general management skills.