They say, you've got to spend money to make money. But what if you don't have any? What if are a small charity looking at every dollar spent from all sides? Trust me- not only is it hard to make it on your own but there's plenty of people looking to take advantage of you. Watch your step and watch your back. For a number of years I volunteered at the Jordan Klausner Foundation- a small Gainesville non profit that used to run a rehabilitation center for kids with Cerebral Palsy. Despite being a small family nonprofit (it was started in memory of its president's son) it had high hopes to grow. But it depended on an influx of new children into the program in order to survive- it was funded through Florida's educational vouchers and grants- and that was something they were never really able to secure. I was soon hired by them- and the hope was that raising my profile could help generate interest and publicity, more children and more grants. The method that they used- Conductive Education was exactly the same approach to Cerebral Palsy I credit for being mobile, functional and independent. Those who follow my writings know that I've spent a number of years in a specialized facility in Budapest. I've stayed with the nonprofit as long as I could although they were no longer able to pay me. I'm still kicking myself- with their mission and their unique program that is not very visible and much respected in the States, this should have been fixable. With some light, honest marketing, an engaging website, a PR plan- this would have worked. But if you don't have money you won't make money- and the most noble, innovative ideas will die. And instead of helping, people will soon line up to take advantage of you. Soon we got desperate- I remember that we hired a small local public relations firm that was supposed to put together and send out press releases that despite a monthly fee we agreed on we never got to see. I was also getting a variant of the African prince scheme in my mailbox every few months- this time a man wanted to support a disability cause and was ready to cut us a check if only we transferred part of it to an American babysitter. You see so much of that you stop paying attention to it anymore.
But here's the real story: In 2010 we got an an email that we were chosen to be one of 100 nonprofits for a marketing agency's internship program. That's an exciting email to get, right? Obviously you're suspicious. But you're also flattered, someone has recognized the work that you do. The agency was called Wildfire Studio, it had a proper, busy website . They didn't want anything from us, but the idea was to have their interns experiment with Google Adwords campaigns that nonprofits get for free (the invitation coincided with the award of the Google Grant to the JKF, a $10 000 campaign advertising budget). We had to attend an online seminar where Wildfire would explain the Google program to encourage us to apply if we haven't done so already. They presented a non profit called Urban Connection as a success story that they have helped and they started to push a monthly subscription web management plan for all inclusive marketing services. That wasn't mandatory of course, they said- and if we had our own webmaster, which we did- they would work with them for free. We haven't heard much from them since- they stopped answering our emails or calls and at one point we got an email saying that their interns where actually not allowed to pick and contact nonprofits and this is something she has done on her own. I have to say it got our hopes up. And when all you want is to catch a break you don't think too much of the fact that you contact a marketing agency via a virtual Skype number. All that matters is that you were approved through their "rigorous selection process". Neither Wildfire Studio or Urban Connection have updated their websites since 2011 and there seems to be placeholder made up content in its place. Whatever they were doing and whoever they were it seemed to fizzle out pretty quickly. Some nonprofits got so excited about this that they even put out press releases. And all I could think of at that time was wouldn't it be amazing if it actually was real, and who does that? A real platform that allows to work either with professionals or interns, that in exchange polish their skills could do a lot of good. In order to have a proper website we need a web designer or money. To find a fundraising expert or grant writers, we'd have to pay them up front with no guarantees, something we definitely wouldn't be able to afford. And while grant experts do push books and tools and guides on you, apparently it goes against some code that they have to work on commission.
So when I got an email as I was now established in my new non profits some things sounded familiar- go attend a webinar and get top notch talent volunteer for your organization. But this idea was actually backed by a name that I've known and trusted- Linked In. I feel I've been ranting on about their non profit platform, but for a good reason- it gives a fighting chance to charities that have no resources and no other way to dig itself out of a corner. Some have a hard time warming up to it - and I understand that. We've all been taken for a ride at one point. And I do think that Linked In for non profits needs some tweaking- especially on what and when is free- but if something has the potential to benefit me and is not trying to scam me I win. Some skeptics say that if a non profit can't survive, maybe it just wasn't meant to make it, maybe the idea or execution was lacking. I don't believe that. At JKF we could have helped a lot of children with Cerebral Palsy had it arrived one year earlier and I will never forget it. Children that I might add had not found a viable alternative to Conductive Education and JKF's Academy. And that's just sad.
From the desk of R. Strzalkowski, Esq.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Non profits beware!
Sunday, January 25, 2015
What's wrong with being kind?
Have you ever been in a situation where someone you were talking to over lunch had a- say- a bit of broccoli stuck between their teeth as you wondered should you just ignore it or politely point it to them in some discrete manner? A variant of that scenario happened to me last week. Thursday and Tuesday nights is where I go to grab dinner with a friend of mine. Other people join us on occasion. I do enjoy a nice sit down meal at one of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville. From the table we can see the room and the bar and after we're done with the food we occasionally grab a drink, and yes, maybe two. All of then sudden my friend points out a girl sitting at a stool and starts to laugh. She has a piece of paper stuck to her otherwise elegant shoe and is clueless about it. She's having a nice conversation with a gentleman next to her and they're having a few laughs. But the piece of paper is pretty big. You can't miss it, as her legs are not hidden behind any piece of furniture - they're sitting by the bar, leaning to the side. My friend is clearly enjoy the show, so our conversation quickly turns to: should we say something. We don't know her, but this is Gainesville. People here talk to strangers all the time. My friend points out that it would have been embarrassing. And there's some truth to that, especially to hear it from a random person at a bar. But is it more or less embarrassing than having something something actually stuck to your shoe with people pointing you out and making jokes? And how will she feel when she gets home and realizes that she had this there for hours and no one, including her date says anything? This isn't one of those cases where ignoring a problem would make it go away. I tell my friend I want to come up to her. My friend it turn really doesn't want to go there and points out that she's busy talking and probably is on a date. Our checks arrive and we are ready to go. (This was also the night when I felt tingling on my neck only to discover some form of a black beetle that I threw off to the ground, that my friend started to frantically squish with his shoe- Oh Florida) I decide to come up. My friend is so much in a hurry all of the sudden that he's nowhere to be seen. I say "excuse me, you have something stuck to your shoe" as quietly as I can. She looks at it, smiles and thanks me- and that all she wrote. All it took for me was 10 seconds of kindness that didn't cost anything, while for some reason my friend preferred it continued (to his credit, he likes to remove himself from awkward situations). I leave through the front door and he's waiting there. It wasn't a big deal. Definitely not worth debating for twenty minutes and I think I made the right choice. I sometimes think that we let social conventions stand in the way of a basic human reaction and small issues blow up to gigantic proportions. What would you have done?
Friday, January 23, 2015
Red Tape and the waiting game.
As my nonprofit was granted the 501(c)(3) status at the beginning of January I thought we were out of the woods. But the fun times with following up and filing more applications were just about to roll. I've been keeping busy this week dealing with volumes and volumes on paperwork so that our Resource Director could have her pick of any type of campaign she can think of, so that we can finally figure out a strategy, generate some funding and finally do what we originally intended, which is- help people. So here's the problem- you get a letter from the IRS informing you that your organization was tax exempt. It then further tells you that until the charity listings are updated donors can rely on it when they give to your institution. What it doesn't tell you however is that businesses that have wonderful tools and solutions for non profits such as Google Apps and the AdWords grant, Amazon Smile (where buyers can give a small amount to an approved organization), the PayPal Giving fund (similar, but for ebay) or the Paypal rate discount - don't really care to see your paperwork and just verify the information against the IRS electronic listing. It used to refresh once every quarter. Now it's republished every month, just not in January. I got this little bit of information as I was able to get through to their phone agents some time after 8 in the morning. I attempted to call yesterday- forgetting it was the tax season- I spent an hour and a half on the phone waiting for a person and then it was 5 pm so I had to hang up. I felt like Phoebe from an episode of the 90's sitcom friends, where she's waiting day and night on a customer service rep to pick up, hearing only "Your call is important to us", refusing to give up. But I finally got my answer- it's expected to refresh on the second Monday of February. Then I followed up with the Florida Department of Agriculture, about our solicitation application that we filed and learnt that it takes up to 15 days- so we'll get it next month as well. A non profit should register with every State where it plans to raise money. And it becomes a real concern where money cross State lines through online fundraisers and campaigns. Some States but not all have exempted small nonprofits from that obligation, so it is something all of us need to watch for. While in most jurisdictions I reviewed failure to do so result in civil penalties, in some they are criminal. I know not to put as much as a Paypal button until my State approves me and to make sure to list the Stats where I do and do not solicit to avoid any confusion. Then the next step- USPS has interesting, lower rates for non profit entities, and there's a form for that. A form that- what I learned with many others I had to submit, was a non interactive, ready to print PDF. But I'm thinking and dreaming two steps behind- about what it will be like where we get to first strategize and then send out our first batch of postcards or other mailers announcing that we have arrived. I really don't mind, and I found myself re energized when the IRS letter came. I can get DOT if I want to have activities at the public rest stops- there's a form for that. To get there I need to submit an Application for Customer's Certificate of Exemption. I don't mind the work and I don't mind the calls, the emails and the faxes. It's weirdly exciting to be able to get things done. But when there's nothing to do but wait, I feel stuck. Because I can't do anything to help the process, we can't speed it up, we've done all this work and now it's out of our hands.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Looking at Linked In for non profits
About a week ago, we've heard the good news. Something we were planning for and working on for months finally came true. Florida Disability Access and Awareness Foundation is finally a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) charitable organization, with the effective date of its formation. It's a big milestone for us. Up until now we've been fiscally sponsored by the Jordan Klausner Foundation, a similarly focused disability non profit. It's where I first volunteered and then worked on for a few years and I've developed a close relationship with them. I will expand on the non profit formation issues later in the week, but those of my readers who are unfamiliar with American procedures should understand that unlike some European countries, where you simply form a non profit often with one document and then file it in court, here tax exempt recognition has stages. You form an entity at the state level and then ask the IRS for a special designation. It used to be a long process involving projections, mufti- year business plans and a backlog estimated at 270 days. We've finally done it. This great accomplishment, a burden lifted off my shoulder put me in a reflective mood. For about a year we've been part of the Linked In for nonprofits platform. It's a program that allows certain non profits that join to seek out talent and put out free ads for volunteers. It's coordinators have long been asking for our thoughts, success stories and impressions. I thought it was finally a good moment to voice my opinion. I've learnt that the talent is transient - often joining in for a short while something we learnt to adjust to. But it doesn't change what some of our team members did for us in the best. It was their accomplishment as much as ours, so the first thing I did was thank those who left us since, because their work helped the project along. Then I shared the following with the Linked In team. I think it's an amazing resource for nonprofits given ts obvious limitations.
A few weeks ago Meg Garlinghouse encouraged us to share positive experiences with the program. Here's mine: At the time Linked In for nonprofits launched I was ready to give it up. Sure, we had a great mission, that I felt extremely passionate about- but what is it worth if you don't have the resources (and you feel like your stuck and going in circles). We were never going to make it- and then the program came along. We've recruited a lot of people. Most of them didn't stick around, but many gave us that extra inch to push us a little bit more to get to us to that goal. One thing I've learnt about volunteers- they need structure. A lot of new organizations don't really have it and the impulse is to have a new person come in and do it for you. People don't work well that way and I feel we wasted a lot of good talent- because if that makes sense- we were figuring ourselves out and we wanted an external person to come in and figure out some of those things for us.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
"Slaying dragons":charity, The art of giving and civil rights activism
A lot of my friends are passionate about many causes as they should. Some of them don't eat meat. Most adopt abandoned animals from the pound. They get involved in runs, walks and fundraisers. And they give plenty. Did I ever say I know some of the most amazing, caring people? And there's plenty of injustice in the world - and a lot of ways you can join and stand what you believe. It's hard not to be moved when you see informercials for St Jude's hospital, the pet rescue campaign for tortured animals or pictures of starving kids in Africa in the middle of the night. I think that people who get involved in something should always be applauded. I have a friend who only gives to Cat Society. Would probably give them an arm and a leg if they asked and that's his prerogative. I was contemplating this whole concept of the "Art of Giving" as my new creative Director asked me why I started a non profit. Why don't I just get a corporate job and then write a check to something like a lot of honest working, good people do. And I tried to tell her, I wasn't looking for a cause to align myself with, it's the cause that found me. And then it followed me every minute, every day of my life, so I decided to do something about. With some of the campaigns people see on TV- they are moved by them, it inspires them to act, but then they are able to separate themselves from it. It's not always on your mind, it doesn't define everything you do, there's a life that you have that may have nothing to do with it. It's not that you forget- because you do get invested- and then you move on. From the moment I wake up in the morning I think about what kind of experience I will have as I board the wheelchair bus. What type of a boarding mechanism will it have. Who will be the driver, will he be nice or rude, will he know how to get the bus aligned and how to work the mechanism. If I go somewhere I worry about the ramps, the doors, the steps and the accessible bathrooms. The cause I started is about all the things I worry about having a disability and being in a wheelchair, so I can't turn it off, I can't move on from it and focus on other things. Because until the world is fixed it's something that will always affect me and even when it doesn't, it's something that I will always see. As I was discussing the issue of ADA enforcement in one of the Linked In groups aI was pointing out that being in a small city like Gainesville I often feel like I'm "the only wheelchair user in the village" so to speak. If I get businesses in trouble for not being compliant - the focus will be on me. I will be the one who is not welcome, who gets a reputation for stirring trouble and with a town of this size there's not many places for me to go. I said- I wish it wasn't so personal, that it wouldn't be always about me. Part of the reason I chose to build a non profit was to soften the blow. If I educate people rather than scare them, the more likely they are to come around on their own. But even if you say, hey you shouldn't really be doing X and you should get Y in the nicest way possible people still get upset. I was reminded that ADA flows directly from the civil rights movement and the 1964 Act, although it arrived decades later. And that in terms of personal sacrifice, the risks, the urgency, the resentment it's not that different. Some people said their friends received death threats trying to to promote the cause. It comes at a cost and with the territory, they said, the tears and the blood. Some of the provisions of disability legislation are almost identical to those of the Civil Rights act. At some point, something I'd never imagine, from a person who wants to do something and had a skill that admittedly can move a cause forward I became an activist when I wasn't looking. That's what makes this a bit different from just running a non profit. Some of the things we'll do would always be an eyesore to some who don't want to see it or hear it. There are times I could just turn it off and walk streets anonymously for a day. But there's a line that somebody wrote in response to mine that I like as it it hits the spot: "I imagine Thurgood Marshall may have felt similarly when he was in the field slaying dragons".
Monday, January 12, 2015
Stay in touch.
Here's a confession. I haven't really been keeping in touch with all the people who have helped me along at the lawschool. Who advocated for me when I fought with the LSAT administration for disability accommodations. Who then supported and encouraged me to get the word out about how it turn taints the whole admission process. Who then pointed me in the right direction and showed me where to start. And often just cheered me on when I was running out of steam. Years later, these were the same people that were there for me when my immigration status for a hot minute there got pretty messy. For someone with virtually no relatives in this country save some extended family, having someone who'd listen, send good vibes, pray for me and then actually be happy when it all worked meant the world. I live in the same city, yet I rarely go back. There's never a good time or good enough of the reason, so since I graduated, got my green card and passed the bar, I haven't really visited my law school a lot. And it's the secretaries- those quiet, kind ladies who knew everybody and everything there, though rarely spoke out loud- that helped to navigate the maze that can be an academic institution. I guess they liked me. I was always polite, greeted everyone with genuine interest, I cared about people and what they had to say and at the same time I was determined, ambitious and strong. I was on a mission, I was driven and I had conviction that everything will work out in the end. But- as it is always the case- we all move on and focus on other things. I fight new battles, often for other people and I stress over a new set of things, such as relaunching my nonprofit and making it successful so it can do what we envisioned it doing. This Sunday I saw one of the ladies I used to speak with a lot (did I mention I love to talk and I love people?) as we got in the checkout line. She was surprised I was still in town. For some reason she had assumed I moved back to Poland- I guess she hasn't seen me in a long while. She told me that she just retired last year but she still keeps busy and most of the other staff was gone too. The law school is now searching for a new dean. I joked that if they needed me they knew where to find me. . As I told her that I now practice law, that it's been nearly five years already since I got my green card and I run the non profit, she said: "God is good". "It has been trying"- I replied. "I remember"- she answered- "God tries people". And it made me think about how much too often when looking at what I've been through trying to get my point across, fighting for what I thought I deserved I focus on what the road here was like. How I felt exhausted and powerless and lost at times. How on occasion it seemed like I was going to scream with frustration. I remember those emotions well. But I rarely think of how I was able to overcome it. How it took a while, but I emerged victorious and I came out on top. I'd say that stands for something and it shows character. One thing I'll say for me- I dealt with it with humility. I told her that had anyone told me ten years ago that I'd be running a nonprofit I would have not believed them to which she said, "God found you a new path". I was out of my business cards so I couldn't give her one, but I wrote my number in her notebook. We promised to stay in touch and we went about our own ways.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Kindness of Others
It happened as I was shopping last Sunday (I just realized that most of my recent posts start in the setting). I boarded the bus with a bag full of groceries handing from the back of my wheelchair and the driver secured me in. "You're leaking somewhere"- a guy behind me got my attention. As I noticed a tiny stream making its way towards the front of a bus I knew it had to be the big, gallon jug of milk. I thought, "Wow, it's going to be a great day". It was the last run of the route, so at the next stop the driver went back, to look through my bag and assess the damage. He moved the groceries a bit and turned a milk a bit because it was on the side. He couldn't really see, because it was wrapped in the plastic bag, but if it was leaking from the cap it would have help by getting it upright. For the duration of the ride it seemed OK. And then- it started to rain. I didn't have a rain coat or an umbrella because the weather app on my phone told me with great certainty that it was not going to rain for hours. Luckily for me, it's a 20 minute ride home, so by the time we got to my area it pretty much slowed down. Still I asked the driver to drop me off one stop earlier- just in case the rain picked up again, I could seek cover by the Starbucks building. From that point on it's pretty much open space with nowhere to hide. Then a couple with an umbrella caught up with me. "I'm just gonna walk with you for a little bit and put this above you, if that's OK"- the woman said- "Where do you live" and I pointed to my building. With rolls of toilet paper on my lap and having to balance them so I wouldn't drop them, I couldn't roll very fast, excuse the pun. I asked them to see how bad the leak was. The man just grabbed my groceries and took out the milk and walked a long with us. As it turns out, the kid who was bagging my groceries at Publix didn't do a very good job putting it back on my chair and he hung it to low. The bag was dragging all this time and it now had a big hole. As did the milk jug that was right on the bottom and dragged rubbing against the sidewalk, and it caused a tear on the bottom side corner. I picked up the paste a bit as I wondered if I should just toss it. They suggested I find a container I pour it over to. Such nice people, going out of their way to help me. It was interesting watching them as she seemed to be the leader of this operation, bossing him around a bit. I do love my milk. I got a gallon, thinking it'd save me time and effort having to do this again soon. I picked up this very British habit of drinking it in my Earl Grey (Something my mother didn't understand as I visited home last year and wouldn't do for me as she made tea) As we approached the apartment they suggested they go in and set the milk in my refrigerator. I wasn't too keen on having strangers over, so I asked them to set it on my lap. I needed to know if I can set it safely anyway, so I'd get a sense of how to handle it and needed be- toss it. I found a plate to secure it in my fridge with and then an almost empty jug of apple cider. And that's how I got home- almost dry, with an an almost full, (well 3/4) gallon of milk. All thanks to the kindness of others.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
"Can I pray for you?"
As I left the grocery store today, a woman stopped me. "I wanted to ask you how do you feel about your disability"- she said- "I noticed that some people don't like to talk about it all and are offended if you bring it up. If you ask if they need help, they get offended again. They say they can do everything on their own and the idea that someone might see them as not capable is hurtful. I just wanted to ask if I can pray with you". "I'd love to have have time to discuss it"- I replied politely - "But I'm in a rush to get to the bus". It was the last run home and at that point of my day I usually have 15 minutes to cross the street and roll up to the stop. I was also eager to get out of this weather because the wind was picking up again and having trusted the forecast on my phone I didn't bring a rain coat. The lady then walks along with me - and it was clear it wasn't her originally intended direction - and we're having a conversation. I told her I was all over the spectrum when it comes to how I feel about my disability. I used to mind when people kept asking. Now I don't as much as they used to. It's obviously something that some have interest in. For the most part now I politely explain. You can say it's all I know. But- Just because I was born with it, doesn't mean I never saw how people looked at me or knew there were things I'd never get to do. And at a very young age too. It's of course different from what people who make running and walking a vital part of their lives, but it doesn't mean I don't feel it or have an opinion about it. I told her I've been frustrated, and a peace with it, I've been all over the spectrum, and how and what I think changes over time as I grow and change. I liked that unlike many people who start off by saying "Can I pray with you", she didn't insist on teaching me about the Bible or followed up with "Have you heard about Jesus". And that happens a lot. She wanted to know about me instead. How I react to things, how I see them and how I feel. And she didn't presume to know a single thing about me. I don't mind when people approach to me to pray, although yes, the underlying reason is they saw me, in their mind I needed fixing and in their mind they came to fix me. But then I see it mostly as something that helps them rather than me and also their way to send positivity and kindness, hopefully with no judgment implied. I told her about that one incident when a group of energetic well meaning college girls saw me on the street, got me in the circle and prayed for me. They were determined to get me to walk right there and then and instead of something nice they were doing for someone else it quickly became intense and all about them. One girl was so disappointed that God didn't raise me out of my chair despite her repeated pleas that she almost started to cry. And- as I explained to the woman- the point of it was that I was fine. I'm fine the way I am, and be it in a wheelchair and without I will always be fine. I may not always like it, but I'll be fine with it. She asked - so I told her about the non profit that I run. She said that when she was in school for physical therapy they made her take classes on the ADA. I replied- that one of the hardest things coming from the law background is that people don't understand that disability legislation is not just some formality that they should get around if they can if they do. That there needs to be more education about how it promotes inclusion, how it affects entire groups of people and their lives. I told her, that the law is the law, but so are traffic violations and anti-loitering regulations people don't identify with and support. I said I need to preach the ADA as a relatable human experience, not from the point of law, but from the point of understanding, otherwise there always will be those who try to hide their noncompliance or get around the regulations. The basic premise is that it's not there to make you miserable, it's there because it helps people. I told her that I started the Foundation to get through with the notion that people with disabilities are just like you. We all have dreams and goals and aspirations and we are part of your communities. Help us excel. Out of that frustration a non profit was born. She then asked me if she could pray for me tonight because she'd like to do it anyway. I said it's a busy a challenging time for us, trying to get this bigger than life concept off the ground - so I'd appreciate any positive influence and energy. As the bus came we said goodbye and she walked in the other direction.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
"The best day of my life"
Those who know me know about my little Sunday routine. I take the bus to the shopping plaza on the other side of town, have lunch at Firehouse Subs where I don't usually eat and then cross the street to do my groceries at Publix. On some concussions I get there earlier than on others, but whenever that is, between then and 5 pm which is when the last bus runs, it's "me time". For a few hours I leave the world behind. All my stress, all the things I need to get to. There's no foundation I need to strategize about, no clients, no filings, not until the bus comes back around. Nowhere to rush to. I can just walk around, talk to people, look, admire and browse. Grocery shopping can be really exciting if you just let it go. This is where I get inspired, this is when I recharge my batteries About two weeks ago I was pouring myself a drink when a lady at a table with a bunch of kids decided to say hi to me. So, as you do I asked her how her day was. I thought she looked familiar, but I didn't recognize her. Perhaps we have the same routine. Really happy people say "Wonderful", "Great" or "Blessed", but she said: "I'm having the best day of my life". Not something you hear every day, so I decided to inquire a bit about it. Was there something that made this day so special? A unique event? Great news? Something life changing that by a crazy twist of fate I got to be a part of? "Every day is the best day of my life"-she replied and smiled. And it really made me think. Perhaps having a good day is us simply deciding that it is. Maybe the positive attitude, getting up in the morning with a simple resolution that today's going to be great can change our outlook and make things happen for us. Perhaps we control more than we realize, maybe the key to our happiness is how we approach things. You can have a good day just as easily as you can make it a bad one and then they do say that life is what you make it. I wanted to share this short story with everyone and to wish them a Happy New Year. As naive as that may be I know I'm energized. I have great plans and I feel that great things are coming my way. And maybe that's all we need. I hope you're having the best day of your life and this Year turns out to be the best one ever. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. And if you see me eating a sandwich, don't be affraid to say hi.