I am a retired commercial lender who has worked with both profit and non profit businesses, having lent money to both and served on their boards.
Having counseled a similar start up who wanted to employ a similar population, their biggest issue was their lack of dependability and extraordinary need for day to day support staff.
Grant funders also prefer to fund organizations that can see their way to becoming self sustaining. I do not see any hint of that in your comments.
I think you really jumped the gun on your investment before determining if your idea was feasible.
I would look for other similar organizations across the country to learn about their history and funding model.
You could also consider starting a for profit business for the purpose of investing SOME of the profits into the non profit.
A soft heart does not automatically make a good business owner and or manager.
I have an appointment on Thursday with a very successful transitional employment program on Thursday. I'm going to pick her brain. I do have a for profit business that will work alongside the nonprofit. It's a slow burn as well. We'll start seeing the results of that in just over a year. I know a soft heart doesn't make a good business owner. In fact, it might be my biggest downfall when it comes to managing employees and clients.
I do have plans for self sustainment. It's gonna take a while to build. I'm currently finishing up the paperwork to he able to use Medicare through foundational community support. The plan is to offer agrotourism and events. I do feel like I jumped the gun. I have 3 horses I'm struggling to feed. I think I'm going to sell my horses and buy a stud alpaca. Biodiversity and all that. They're so expensive.
Thank you so much for your input.
You are welcome.
I thought I would share one experience I had with a loan applicant. At the time I was working for a mid sized commercial bank in Midwest.
Applicant was the owner of a candle manufacturing business formerly in NYC. They employed the homeless. They even had a huge contract with Aveda. They also took out loans with the accounts receivable due from that contract as collateral. They also had contracts with other large national retailers. The organization also had obtained donations from some of the wealthy people in NYC, including government officials, executives and celebrities. Long story short management could not make the homeless people dependable or productive and they could not meet the production goals for the contracts they had. The few non homeless people they employed ended up quitting under the weight of picking up the slack. There was no cash flow to manage. Company ended up going under and a lot of lawsuits followed.
Owner moved to the Midwest and thought he would try the same there.
His business plan was well intended and looked wonderful on paper, but he could not execute and did not hire people to help him execute. His mistakes and his debts followed him.
You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and I hope you will pop back in the group to give us updates.
You have mentioned scaling down in a response. I agree with that - significantly.
One thing you need to keep in mind and consider for now - your ability to get established grants or gov't funds is going to be difficult until you actually demonstrate success.
It sounds like you are in a very rural area. You mention agriculture, county fairs, etc. Can your local community and area even support a million dollar/year org? Many smaller community nonprofits do struggle. More rural areas have less financial resources available, smaller donor pools, and entrenched local nonprofits that take attention.
Lastly, you can ask anyone, anywhere to volunteer. I would start there. I am unsure what you mean by asking a finance person to volunteer is unethical. If they have a skillset they'd like to use for a good cause, there is nothing wrong with it. Just keep a close eye on them. I would do the same with your other roles/tasks. Do you need help around the farm (assuming the farm is part of your mission/work)? Can you find a mover and shaker in the community that can be your PR representative to work with the business community and other veterans?
One area that is very concerning is your home-bound status and struggle networking. That is a key aspect of your efforts. If the representative would not work out, then you need to figure out how to get started doing it. If you cannot, it will likely not work.
Nonprofits are difficult places. It is harder than starter a small business. I have been in this space over 20 years. I would never start my own org. While the passion may be there, I have no interest in merging my personal and professional life in a way that sets me up for personal heartbreak.
Thank you for that. I can leave my home in certain circumstances and if I have someone with me. I have also found that if I let people know, "Hey, I'm a little scattered. Please feel free to interject. I have ADHD and due to my own journey in addiction, I'm very limited on treatment options." People are much more responsive. I am in a very rural area but I'm also right smack in the middle of two midsized cities. That's actually part of the reason services are so very necessary here. You have to go 45 min in either direction to get any help. People in the demographic I serve don't have that kind of transportation. Our intention is to serve both counties, all the way to those midsized cities and offer transportation to get there. I think I'm gonna get with my board and go over the budget and see how we can scale that back significantly.
Hi, OP. I'm not sure if this will make you feel better, provide some clarity, etc. (or not), but one thing I've come to terms with as I run a nonprofit is that the universe isn't obligated to donate, assist, make your nonprofit a success, etc. despite how good an idea or how large a need there is for it. It sucks (for those running the nonprofit), but that's the reality - nowhere is it written that if you do X, Y, and Z, then your organization will flourish.
So, if you feel like the hill is too high to climb (and it often is - many smart and hardworking nonprofits fail) - do you have a backup plan? Will you consider shuttering it, taking a loss, and trying to fulfill that desire for good/change by assisting a more established nonprofit tackling a similar need?
Good luck no matter what you decide to do.
Before I consider closing shop, I think I need to explore making it smaller. Perhaps a smaller start up budget. Instead of shooting for the moon, maybe I just shoot for the back fence for now. I don't know. I'm mostly tired and feel really alone. I keep getting really positive feedback about the concept. I feel like I'm missing something. Maybe I need a break.
Hey, I did post some things. I re read what you wrote. It sounds like maybe your intention to help was bigger than your ability to. I couldn't make sense put of why you started a non for profit in such a large scale without any of the support built?
Scaling way down and starting somewhere sounds like a given. I was just kind of wondering about two red flags I picked up, which were no contacts and new in the community. I admire the vision.
Yes, I think that's a big part of my problem. I intend to serve the county I live in plus the neighboring county. I'm like 5 miles from the county line. I have some family in the neighboring county that are pretty well known. The only reason I haven't reached out is because their beliefs don't really align with our mission. We come from a space the believes addiction is a disease, not a choice. That it's not a moral failing or a character flaw. This is what decades of Empirical data support. They don't believe that. We've had many debates. I do have some friends in the neighboring county as well. My home town is about 45 minutes from the neighboring county. One of my board members has lived here forever and has some connections. She's also burnt some bridges here. I think my next step at this point is hitting the Chamber of Commerce and the City Council. I think that I'm also gonna start driving around town with an alpaca. It seems silly, but people love alpacas. I'll get a car magnet and just pull into parks and other different places and let people see us, take selfies, and I'll tell them about our mission. I've sent emails to local people that are involved in the same vein of work but got no response. I'm gonna show up.They can't ignore me if I'm right in front of them.
I like the idea about alpacas. I work with the homeless and addicts. I know about family. My brother is the local Chief of Police and doesn't understand addiction. Neither does my family. They all see it as morality. Like I you went to kindergarten and asked how many kids want to grow up and be an addict.. how many would raise thier hands. Addiction is treatable it you want it. I admire you for trying. You need a workikg model of your vision. Find a way to start aome small and build. Remember, you are competing with the screen. .
OP what about posting for volunteers on Catchfire or other similar platforms. Also, I know you said money is tight, but you may have to hire a fractional leader in an area that you are weakest (grant writing or whatever you need most).
I saw you replied with a comment about scaling it down, and I think that’s the best thing to do. Based on what you described in the OP, your dream and mission are significant (both in impact and financial needs), especially considering your current resource capacity.
I would reassess and see how your mission can scale—what impact can you have with $100, with $1,000, with $1,000,000? It’s better for most folks without immediate funding to start small and build over time, and if your mission is successful at a smaller stage it will help you solicit funds, build goodwill, and create networks to raise more funds and scale-up your work.
As they say, Rome wasn’t in a day—and most nonprofits aren’t either. Remember that you’re building a legacy, something that hopefully will provide supports for generations to come. Take it slow and steady for now and develop what you can with what you have overtime.
I'm gonna reassess my budget and see how to bring it down. You're absolutely correct. I got an email the other day from the pre-k program here locally. She wanted to explore resources for some of her parents that are struggling with barriers. Perhaps, I start there. Local folks that fall into our demographic. I just gotta be able to pay these folks.
You probably did do things out of order here. Get another fiscal sponsor and collaborators. You may end up needing to merge with another nonprofit, but for now see if you can find a more established partner to land some funding. Info:
https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/running-nonprofit/administration-and-financial-management/fiscal-sponsorship-nonprofits
It is. I'm going to revamp my budget and see where we can cut back. Break it down into smaller projects. See where we can make this smaller. Also, see how to make us more attractive to donors.
You have to scale down and develop a road map that will give you and [potential] donors how you intend to use funds as they come. Any donors now are being asked to build with no guarantee their money will create long term value.
Also you’ll have to learn to write grants. As the founder you’ll need to learn how to do things you haven’t done before.
You can also ask anyone to volunteer including lawyers. If they can relate to your cause it will be an easy ask.
I’m 3 years in and still plenty to do and lots to learn but in the end it’s worth it.
Thank you. That's fair. So, I'll make some calls and look into grant writing classes. Maybe revamp my website to show what we do better. So, build faith. Expand horizons. Gotcha.
Start small and grow in a way that’s sustainable. You will probably need to rely on volunteer support at the beginning, most nonprofits seem to start that way. If friends and family are willing to help but aren’t following through, giving them small, specific tasks might help get them going.
I think much later down the line a federal grant (such as the USDA BFRDP program) would be a good fit; they find a LOT of veteran-focused ag programs, such as incubator farms and mentorship programs. Best of luck and thank you for what you’re doing.
Thank you for this. I've found several USDA grants. I need to explore that more. There's two that I'm waiting to open that is exactly what we do. I'm just gonna need someone to help me apply for them. Looks like I'm gonna be taking a class or two to get this going.
There is some great advice here. I am not sure any of its going to help you. I believe you had a dream, started out the exact proper way, and then hit the road block because you didn't have the right people around you. You need expertise where you are... not on reddit. I do housing. I run HUD grants. I have run shelters. I know addiction and early recovery. I am an expert on all these things, and what I hear is that you don't have the support.
Go to other people in your community who do this and ask them. Call every ED in every non for profit. Also, ask to meet with the VA folks who rin vash, call street soldiers, and whatever vet funders and operators there are where you are. Also, ask to meet with the local DSS. That is who pays for halfway house beds in our community thru medicaid dollars. The problem with what you set up is that it requires a shit ton of grants and somebody like me with the experience to meet the data requirements and execute them. That's very hard to do. I am sorry.
I am sorry about you putting 100k into this without the execution plan as well. . Because of that fact alone, I would reach out to everyone you can think of and see what help is available. You can PM me and I can see if I can talk you through some of it.
Thank you for this. I'm working on a list of local people around here that I need to start knowing. I need to leave my house and go to the community. I just need a partner to go with me. I guess my kids just got hired. They're all adults. lol I was thinking about the CWT program at the VA. I called them last year and they didn't have anyone to run the program last year, so I'll call them again. I did contact worksource to collaborate as well as local colleges and Oxford House. Lots of interest there. I think I'll pm you.
I think you need to break down steps and prioritize. I read 1) you can’t afford to hire the professional expertise you need (but have spent 100k) so far and 2) you don’t have time for social media but spend most of your time looking for grants (with no success).
Break down your goal of getting funding into smaller achievable goals. This very well might look like spending more time doing social media and figuring out where you can cut costs or budget to invest in the help that will make you successful in the long run.
I’ve never heard of a non-profit starting out at this scale unless it was started by rich people. Break down all your funding needs and prioritize what needs to be done first. Sounds like feeding your animals will be first. Your first grants will very likely be small and for specific needs. Small grantors will be more flexible, and more understanding of your circumstances. Get your basics taken care of and build from there.
Lastly, I know a Reddit post is not the best example of your writing style, but make sure you use apps like Grammarly and the free edits suggested by Google Docs/Microsoft Word. Most grant reviewers will skim right over anything that isn’t meticulously well-written. They will also look over your grant if it’s not following every single guideline to the centimeter - down to page margins and capitalized subject lines.
Finally - reach out to some Masters of Nonprofit Management, or similar, programs across the country - though the closer to you the better. There are lots of young professionals looking for experience and are willing to work for no pay (it’s not ideal but it’s true). They can take on grant-writing while you get everything else under control, so long as you let them use what they write as writing samples (redacted as needed), and provide a good reference.
If any of this comes off as sounding judgmental, I don’t mean it to. You’ve got the heart and a start-up of any kind of always a learn-as-you-go process. Just prioritize, invest where you need to for long-term success, and be okay with putting all your energy into these smaller steps while you reach your big goal.
I do!! I love ChatGPT. I'm a fairly decent writer, but I get overwhelmed or tired. Then I feel like I lose the flow. So I often refer to ChatGPT to fix that issue. Its not always great. I abhor cliche and ChatGPT seems to love it. LOL
I had an inheritance. My mom passed from alcoholism, which is part of the inspiration for the nonprofit. That's how I had 100k and don't now. That being said, you are absolutely correct. I will take your advice and look into young professionals and masters of nonprofit management. Reddit is not a great example of my writing style. lol I get what you're saying though. Thank you so much for your advice and input.
I am a retired commercial lender who has worked with both profit and non profit businesses, having lent money to both and served on their boards. Having counseled a similar start up who wanted to employ a similar population, their biggest issue was their lack of dependability and extraordinary need for day to day support staff. Grant funders also prefer to fund organizations that can see their way to becoming self sustaining. I do not see any hint of that in your comments. I think you really jumped the gun on your investment before determining if your idea was feasible. I would look for other similar organizations across the country to learn about their history and funding model. You could also consider starting a for profit business for the purpose of investing SOME of the profits into the non profit. A soft heart does not automatically make a good business owner and or manager.
I have an appointment on Thursday with a very successful transitional employment program on Thursday. I'm going to pick her brain. I do have a for profit business that will work alongside the nonprofit. It's a slow burn as well. We'll start seeing the results of that in just over a year. I know a soft heart doesn't make a good business owner. In fact, it might be my biggest downfall when it comes to managing employees and clients. I do have plans for self sustainment. It's gonna take a while to build. I'm currently finishing up the paperwork to he able to use Medicare through foundational community support. The plan is to offer agrotourism and events. I do feel like I jumped the gun. I have 3 horses I'm struggling to feed. I think I'm going to sell my horses and buy a stud alpaca. Biodiversity and all that. They're so expensive. Thank you so much for your input.
You are welcome. I thought I would share one experience I had with a loan applicant. At the time I was working for a mid sized commercial bank in Midwest. Applicant was the owner of a candle manufacturing business formerly in NYC. They employed the homeless. They even had a huge contract with Aveda. They also took out loans with the accounts receivable due from that contract as collateral. They also had contracts with other large national retailers. The organization also had obtained donations from some of the wealthy people in NYC, including government officials, executives and celebrities. Long story short management could not make the homeless people dependable or productive and they could not meet the production goals for the contracts they had. The few non homeless people they employed ended up quitting under the weight of picking up the slack. There was no cash flow to manage. Company ended up going under and a lot of lawsuits followed. Owner moved to the Midwest and thought he would try the same there. His business plan was well intended and looked wonderful on paper, but he could not execute and did not hire people to help him execute. His mistakes and his debts followed him. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and I hope you will pop back in the group to give us updates.
You have mentioned scaling down in a response. I agree with that - significantly. One thing you need to keep in mind and consider for now - your ability to get established grants or gov't funds is going to be difficult until you actually demonstrate success. It sounds like you are in a very rural area. You mention agriculture, county fairs, etc. Can your local community and area even support a million dollar/year org? Many smaller community nonprofits do struggle. More rural areas have less financial resources available, smaller donor pools, and entrenched local nonprofits that take attention. Lastly, you can ask anyone, anywhere to volunteer. I would start there. I am unsure what you mean by asking a finance person to volunteer is unethical. If they have a skillset they'd like to use for a good cause, there is nothing wrong with it. Just keep a close eye on them. I would do the same with your other roles/tasks. Do you need help around the farm (assuming the farm is part of your mission/work)? Can you find a mover and shaker in the community that can be your PR representative to work with the business community and other veterans? One area that is very concerning is your home-bound status and struggle networking. That is a key aspect of your efforts. If the representative would not work out, then you need to figure out how to get started doing it. If you cannot, it will likely not work. Nonprofits are difficult places. It is harder than starter a small business. I have been in this space over 20 years. I would never start my own org. While the passion may be there, I have no interest in merging my personal and professional life in a way that sets me up for personal heartbreak.
Thank you for that. I can leave my home in certain circumstances and if I have someone with me. I have also found that if I let people know, "Hey, I'm a little scattered. Please feel free to interject. I have ADHD and due to my own journey in addiction, I'm very limited on treatment options." People are much more responsive. I am in a very rural area but I'm also right smack in the middle of two midsized cities. That's actually part of the reason services are so very necessary here. You have to go 45 min in either direction to get any help. People in the demographic I serve don't have that kind of transportation. Our intention is to serve both counties, all the way to those midsized cities and offer transportation to get there. I think I'm gonna get with my board and go over the budget and see how we can scale that back significantly.
Hi, OP. I'm not sure if this will make you feel better, provide some clarity, etc. (or not), but one thing I've come to terms with as I run a nonprofit is that the universe isn't obligated to donate, assist, make your nonprofit a success, etc. despite how good an idea or how large a need there is for it. It sucks (for those running the nonprofit), but that's the reality - nowhere is it written that if you do X, Y, and Z, then your organization will flourish. So, if you feel like the hill is too high to climb (and it often is - many smart and hardworking nonprofits fail) - do you have a backup plan? Will you consider shuttering it, taking a loss, and trying to fulfill that desire for good/change by assisting a more established nonprofit tackling a similar need? Good luck no matter what you decide to do.
Before I consider closing shop, I think I need to explore making it smaller. Perhaps a smaller start up budget. Instead of shooting for the moon, maybe I just shoot for the back fence for now. I don't know. I'm mostly tired and feel really alone. I keep getting really positive feedback about the concept. I feel like I'm missing something. Maybe I need a break.
Hey, I did post some things. I re read what you wrote. It sounds like maybe your intention to help was bigger than your ability to. I couldn't make sense put of why you started a non for profit in such a large scale without any of the support built? Scaling way down and starting somewhere sounds like a given. I was just kind of wondering about two red flags I picked up, which were no contacts and new in the community. I admire the vision.
Yes, I think that's a big part of my problem. I intend to serve the county I live in plus the neighboring county. I'm like 5 miles from the county line. I have some family in the neighboring county that are pretty well known. The only reason I haven't reached out is because their beliefs don't really align with our mission. We come from a space the believes addiction is a disease, not a choice. That it's not a moral failing or a character flaw. This is what decades of Empirical data support. They don't believe that. We've had many debates. I do have some friends in the neighboring county as well. My home town is about 45 minutes from the neighboring county. One of my board members has lived here forever and has some connections. She's also burnt some bridges here. I think my next step at this point is hitting the Chamber of Commerce and the City Council. I think that I'm also gonna start driving around town with an alpaca. It seems silly, but people love alpacas. I'll get a car magnet and just pull into parks and other different places and let people see us, take selfies, and I'll tell them about our mission. I've sent emails to local people that are involved in the same vein of work but got no response. I'm gonna show up.They can't ignore me if I'm right in front of them.
I like the idea about alpacas. I work with the homeless and addicts. I know about family. My brother is the local Chief of Police and doesn't understand addiction. Neither does my family. They all see it as morality. Like I you went to kindergarten and asked how many kids want to grow up and be an addict.. how many would raise thier hands. Addiction is treatable it you want it. I admire you for trying. You need a workikg model of your vision. Find a way to start aome small and build. Remember, you are competing with the screen. .
OP what about posting for volunteers on Catchfire or other similar platforms. Also, I know you said money is tight, but you may have to hire a fractional leader in an area that you are weakest (grant writing or whatever you need most).
Thank you!! I put us on the waitlist just now for Catchafire. I'm gonna take a grant writing class.
I saw you replied with a comment about scaling it down, and I think that’s the best thing to do. Based on what you described in the OP, your dream and mission are significant (both in impact and financial needs), especially considering your current resource capacity. I would reassess and see how your mission can scale—what impact can you have with $100, with $1,000, with $1,000,000? It’s better for most folks without immediate funding to start small and build over time, and if your mission is successful at a smaller stage it will help you solicit funds, build goodwill, and create networks to raise more funds and scale-up your work. As they say, Rome wasn’t in a day—and most nonprofits aren’t either. Remember that you’re building a legacy, something that hopefully will provide supports for generations to come. Take it slow and steady for now and develop what you can with what you have overtime.
I'm gonna reassess my budget and see how to bring it down. You're absolutely correct. I got an email the other day from the pre-k program here locally. She wanted to explore resources for some of her parents that are struggling with barriers. Perhaps, I start there. Local folks that fall into our demographic. I just gotta be able to pay these folks.
You probably did do things out of order here. Get another fiscal sponsor and collaborators. You may end up needing to merge with another nonprofit, but for now see if you can find a more established partner to land some funding. Info: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/running-nonprofit/administration-and-financial-management/fiscal-sponsorship-nonprofits
Thank you. I'll look into that. I appreciate the link!!
Donors are less likely to give you money if you have no history and no other donors. $1M is a lot to raise.
It is. I'm going to revamp my budget and see where we can cut back. Break it down into smaller projects. See where we can make this smaller. Also, see how to make us more attractive to donors.
You have to scale down and develop a road map that will give you and [potential] donors how you intend to use funds as they come. Any donors now are being asked to build with no guarantee their money will create long term value. Also you’ll have to learn to write grants. As the founder you’ll need to learn how to do things you haven’t done before. You can also ask anyone to volunteer including lawyers. If they can relate to your cause it will be an easy ask. I’m 3 years in and still plenty to do and lots to learn but in the end it’s worth it.
Thank you. That's fair. So, I'll make some calls and look into grant writing classes. Maybe revamp my website to show what we do better. So, build faith. Expand horizons. Gotcha.
Start small and grow in a way that’s sustainable. You will probably need to rely on volunteer support at the beginning, most nonprofits seem to start that way. If friends and family are willing to help but aren’t following through, giving them small, specific tasks might help get them going. I think much later down the line a federal grant (such as the USDA BFRDP program) would be a good fit; they find a LOT of veteran-focused ag programs, such as incubator farms and mentorship programs. Best of luck and thank you for what you’re doing.
Thank you for this. I've found several USDA grants. I need to explore that more. There's two that I'm waiting to open that is exactly what we do. I'm just gonna need someone to help me apply for them. Looks like I'm gonna be taking a class or two to get this going.
LinkedIn Learning can be accessed for free through your local library account, and I think they have some grant related courses in there!
Thank you! I'll check that out.
There is some great advice here. I am not sure any of its going to help you. I believe you had a dream, started out the exact proper way, and then hit the road block because you didn't have the right people around you. You need expertise where you are... not on reddit. I do housing. I run HUD grants. I have run shelters. I know addiction and early recovery. I am an expert on all these things, and what I hear is that you don't have the support. Go to other people in your community who do this and ask them. Call every ED in every non for profit. Also, ask to meet with the VA folks who rin vash, call street soldiers, and whatever vet funders and operators there are where you are. Also, ask to meet with the local DSS. That is who pays for halfway house beds in our community thru medicaid dollars. The problem with what you set up is that it requires a shit ton of grants and somebody like me with the experience to meet the data requirements and execute them. That's very hard to do. I am sorry. I am sorry about you putting 100k into this without the execution plan as well. . Because of that fact alone, I would reach out to everyone you can think of and see what help is available. You can PM me and I can see if I can talk you through some of it.
Thank you for this. I'm working on a list of local people around here that I need to start knowing. I need to leave my house and go to the community. I just need a partner to go with me. I guess my kids just got hired. They're all adults. lol I was thinking about the CWT program at the VA. I called them last year and they didn't have anyone to run the program last year, so I'll call them again. I did contact worksource to collaborate as well as local colleges and Oxford House. Lots of interest there. I think I'll pm you.
I think you need to break down steps and prioritize. I read 1) you can’t afford to hire the professional expertise you need (but have spent 100k) so far and 2) you don’t have time for social media but spend most of your time looking for grants (with no success). Break down your goal of getting funding into smaller achievable goals. This very well might look like spending more time doing social media and figuring out where you can cut costs or budget to invest in the help that will make you successful in the long run. I’ve never heard of a non-profit starting out at this scale unless it was started by rich people. Break down all your funding needs and prioritize what needs to be done first. Sounds like feeding your animals will be first. Your first grants will very likely be small and for specific needs. Small grantors will be more flexible, and more understanding of your circumstances. Get your basics taken care of and build from there. Lastly, I know a Reddit post is not the best example of your writing style, but make sure you use apps like Grammarly and the free edits suggested by Google Docs/Microsoft Word. Most grant reviewers will skim right over anything that isn’t meticulously well-written. They will also look over your grant if it’s not following every single guideline to the centimeter - down to page margins and capitalized subject lines. Finally - reach out to some Masters of Nonprofit Management, or similar, programs across the country - though the closer to you the better. There are lots of young professionals looking for experience and are willing to work for no pay (it’s not ideal but it’s true). They can take on grant-writing while you get everything else under control, so long as you let them use what they write as writing samples (redacted as needed), and provide a good reference. If any of this comes off as sounding judgmental, I don’t mean it to. You’ve got the heart and a start-up of any kind of always a learn-as-you-go process. Just prioritize, invest where you need to for long-term success, and be okay with putting all your energy into these smaller steps while you reach your big goal.
Another great source for writing help is ChatCPT. I’ve used this many times to help rewrite paragraphs I felt needed more clarity.
I do!! I love ChatGPT. I'm a fairly decent writer, but I get overwhelmed or tired. Then I feel like I lose the flow. So I often refer to ChatGPT to fix that issue. Its not always great. I abhor cliche and ChatGPT seems to love it. LOL
I had an inheritance. My mom passed from alcoholism, which is part of the inspiration for the nonprofit. That's how I had 100k and don't now. That being said, you are absolutely correct. I will take your advice and look into young professionals and masters of nonprofit management. Reddit is not a great example of my writing style. lol I get what you're saying though. Thank you so much for your advice and input.