With an MBA from USC, 15 years with AT&T, and a tech background, Bill Fitzpatrick might not seem like the kind of guy who would dedicate years of his life to the preservation of small-town religious sites in South Carolina…but he is. And thank goodness!
When given the opportunity to take a few years away from the business world, Bill began a journey of exploration and research that quickly ignited a passion for history, travel, photography, and literature that had been growing since his childhood. This wasn’t his first tour – he once rode his bike across the country with a friend “just for the heck of it” and had already published several books and columns on travel and small-town America.
Having lived in Charleston, Columbia, and now Greenville, South Carolina, Bill admits that he “never much thought of the history or people that are in places like Abbeville, Cheraw, or Daufuskie.” But as he traveled, he realized that “too many of these places that were once the center of every community and so much of our history are now at risk,” without any support from the government and very limited economic support from mainstream religious denominations.
What began as a hobby – visiting, photographing, and learning about forgotten historic landmarks – turned into a dozen stories for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a 264-page coffee table book. People were so enamored with his “scrapbook” that he was soon looking for avenues to share his work. That’s when he found Mike Bedenbaugh and Preservation SC. A newly-created Sacred Spaces Fund and 1,000 copies later, Bill’s book South Carolina’s Sacred Spaces is now in its second printing! Proceeds from the book are already helping save these precious sites, like the major steeple renovation happening now at Trinity of Abbeville. The communities and congregations who love these spaces are forever grateful to Bill and his work with Preservation SC. And so are we.
“Bill has given us a sacred book and one for the ages.”
-Tom Poland, Author, recipient of the 2018 “Order of the Palmetto”
“What Bill Fitzpatrick and Mike Bedenbaugh and Preservation South Carolina are trying to do in the 21st century is help to preserve the texture and the spirit of rural South Carolina. Whether it’s the Lower Long Cane Presbyterian Church or Trinity Episcopal Church in Abbeville, these buildings reflect generations of communities; communities which are beginning to disappear…”
-Dr. Walter Edgar, “Walter Edgar’s Journal”
Non-Profits
The Power of Non-Profits
Many people don’t understand the whole concept behind a non-profit or a movement that nowadays are rising and thriving even more than years ago. We have some background and key terms for you take into account, and hopefully you can be one of those who can Change the World!
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead
People like you, like us.. only need a little of motivation, support, innovation and a whole lot of key people to make wise decisions, in order to form and sustain a Non-profit. Non-profits can be sustainable, as long as the Founder and group of Boarding Directors are driven by a common end goal. Not all will be aligned as we wish or within the same personality/opinions, but at the end, is for the common end goal! A Non-Profit flourishes if all the members and consumers re aligned into the same common end cause. That is why is very important for Founders to have a well established common core of Values and Goals for the organization.
Non- Profit Groups
Non-Profit encompasses many areas such as Hospitals, Universities, Medical research groups, faith-based groups such as Hope for Miami; to Homeless shelters, Food banks, and Arts organizations- such as the locals that holds a common goal to provide Arts access to the community.
Then we have the more Global Non-Profits such as World Wildlife fund, CARE , Doctors without borders and much more. National like feeding America, National MS Society or the Girls Scouts as American organizations. We also find the high impact groups like the United Way.
Non-Profit Beginnings
Today, we would like to feature a new emerging Non-profit organization that is flourishing in Miami, Florida: Miami Gifted Children . Their mission is to support the intellectual growth and socioemotional well-being of gifted and twice-exceptional children.
MGC wants these incredibly intelligent, curious, creative, and intense children to have access to all the tools (academic and socioemotional) NOW, so that they may grow up to be well-rounded individuals, successful not only in their academic lives and future careers, but in their personal lives as well. Our goal is to work hand-in-hand with the parents/guardians of gifted/2e children to nurture emotionally healthy individuals.
It all started by a mom who had difficulties with the educational system. The founder found assistance inParent to Parent of Miami (a Miami based parent resource organization for parents with kids with disabilities ). Our ASTA (a Digital Marketing Agency )founder, who was an Advocate and Transitions specialist in the organization and took her family’s case to help her, empower and educate MGC founder to advocate for her children. They met outside of the work partnership, as a well as a group of parents who went through the same problem, they brainstormed the group mission and the rest is history.
The founder of Miami Gifted Children states that by reaching out to fellow parents within a Facebook group she created and meeting with people who was interested in the organization’s mission, MGC was able to be formed by a founding Board. They are now officially a nonprofit corporation in the state of Florida and a 501(c)(3).
This is a community effort and we’re reaching out to any individuals and organizations who we can collaborate with to provide the services our community says it needs.- Tatiana Capitan-Founder of Miami Gifted Children Inc.
Theory of Change for Non-Profits
MGC story is one of many! so it’s important as a Non-Profit and as a contributor, to ask and tell the reason as to why the Non Profit began or is about to be formed. For the formation of a new one, or to be a sustainable Non-Profit, keep in mind The Theory of Change Process:
- Craft a Vision
- Explain Intended Impact
- Define Specific Outcomes
Examples of how and what you can do within your organization it’s in the below link for a in-depth explanation and steps for you to use : https://www.theoryofchange.org/library/toc-examples/
Remember to always sharpening your Theory of change as well as mapping out a winning strategy plan. It is important for any business or Non-Profit organization to always look at strategies to perform better as organization as well as a Strategic Planning for your marketing. Remember to always adapt and innovate continuously.
It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself……so says Charles Darwin in his “Origin of Species.”
Adaptive Process in Non-Profits
Adaption is something members in a Non-profit organization should learn and emphasize throughout their work; since it is a non-ending process of adaption in the life of a non-profit, the following are main points behind this theory:
1- Listen to the environment — attuned by changes of economic, financial and country
2- Experiment and Innovate– pilot new products or services
3- Evaluate and Learn what works — many non-profits skip this, since you have to invest time and money, as well as a deep analysis.
4- Modify Programs and Plans– its hard to change something that was unsuccessful for some organizations.
Some ways to find Funding
After the whole structure of the organization is set, then we have to take a look at ways to find Funding. In 2017 more than 300 Billion was donated to nonprofits, the vast majority is given by individuals (80%).The following are some ideas, tips and strategies for Non-Profits to find funds to be sustainable. There are mainly two that describes the most sources used:
Transactional or Quid Pro Quo Sources
- Individual Donations (small or big)
- In-Kind donations — donation of services fee, food
- Fees for goods or services (earned income)
- Program related investments
- Interest from Investments
- Tax Revenue
- Membership dues and Fees
- Business sponsoring or Marketing ads in Newsletters
Relationship-Intensive Sources
- Private or Family foundation grants
- Corporate grants
- Community foundation grants
- Government grants/contracts
- Individual donation
- Major gifts ($10,000 and up) bequests
Some organizations use Marketing strategies and relationships with the community, locally and globally in order get funding. Focus in a Funding Model. Some of the governmental or grants based funding will restrict your activities or asks for a lot of reporting from the members of the organization. Therefore make sure to make a plan, towards the best strategy to get funding, and don’t forget o be flexible, willing to learn and listen as well as to adapt to changes.Do not hesitate to consult with Marketing agencies as well as Individuals who are willing to assist you in this model. For example, ASTAhelps nonprofit organizations to achieve their mission and goals through Digital Marketing strategies.
There are social media strategies that could help you exponentially, in creating awareness towards your mission. This is a way to create “sticky relationships” . Tapping into millennials, philanthropists and entrepreneurs who are looking to help these causes.
Promotional websites, marketing emails, interactive two way dialog that will help contributors feel appreciated by their donations. Read this article about the science behind the Marketing in all your nonprofit approach : The science behind why people give money to charity- Experts from the nudge unit explain how fundraisers can make their messaging more effective.
Researchers have looked into why people donate, why they don’t do it as much as they would hope to and how to bridge this gap. The explanations for charitable giving fall into three broad categories, from the purely altruistic — I donate because I value the social good done by the charity. The “impurely” altruistic — I donate because I extract value from knowing I contribute to the social good for the charity. And the the not-at-all altruistic — I donate because I want to show off to potential mates how rich I am.
The good news is that charitable giving is contagious
Same as it is “Social Media”
Social Entrepreneurs are also helping those Non-Profits, because they are also a group of like-minded people who their common goal is to help those who are wanting to change the World: by changing their community, focusing in educational programs or even taking their goal globally by helping those with higher basic needs. Therefore, a piece of advice find these Social Entrepreneurs! they are here in this world looking for the knock in their door to release their funds to a common cause!
If you would like to get more information about strategies or assistance in your non-profit ASTA team can help you. Contact us in our Social Mediachannels or directly to www.ASTAbusiness.com / Info@astabusiness.com / 407–451–9550
Ref: at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/margaret_mead_100502
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