Episode 116: Let's Create the Community We Want to See: Sharing Resources within the Nonprofit Community
We all have something to offer, because we all have tried and failed, tried and won. With resources so limited in the nonprofit sector, we win by sharing knowledge and resources--not by competing. Let's pool our shared wealth of knowledge and insider secrets with those struggling to make this world a better place and fill the gaps that prevents our sector from accomplishing the mission we are here to accomplish.
----------------------------------------------------
🔦 NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT 🙌🏿
Umpqua Bank Pt. 4
👉🏿https://www.umpquabank.com/
----------------------------------------------------
🚀 RESOURCES TO HELP YOU RUN A SUCCESSFUL NONPROFIT
How to Validate Your Nonprofit Idea https://drive.google.com/file/d/12yQwlLA06icKeeFMWO2q_Pu0MEXlWc/view?usp=drive_link
90 Days to a Profitable Nonprofit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ofgeHJ2CTVS0t8STMiNqfveaVpWfaK7o/view?usp=sharing
----------------------------------------------------
Learn more about my success with helping nonprofits
Visit My Website👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿
http://www.amberwynn.net
CONNECT WITH AMBER:
Follow me on Facebook 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿
https://www.facebook.com/amberwynnphilanthrepreneur
Follow me on Instagram 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿
https://www.instagram.com/amberwynnphilanthrepreneur
Listen to my Podcast! 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4G9QNaVAYz8eXTmz48gagl
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Got Questions? "Ask Amber" on any of my social media platforms or email me at amber@amberwynn.net
Podcast Transcript
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to On Air with Amber Wynn, where nonprofit leaders learn to fuse passion and commitment with proven business strategies to create long-term funding impact and sustainability. And now here's your host and resident, Philanthrepreneur Amber Wynn.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning fam. It's your girl, Amber Wynn. And today I am feeling kind of heavy, so this topic is going to be just slightly different than most topics today. I want to talk about us creating the community. We want to see specifically about us doing a better job of sharing resources within our community. I have been in a whole bunch of these groups and chats and hearing a lot of complaints about how funders aren't doing this and how funders aren't doing that. And having been on the funder side, I will say to you, it's not easy. There are always more applicants than there is money to give away, but I think it's important for us to get grounded in reality. And the reality is if we shared resources, then the brunt of our need would need to come from the funders. What do I mean by that?
(01:29):
And listen to me. I have done it all. I have emptied the trash can. I have developed programs. I've been an executive director, a grant writer, I've been a reviewer, sat on boards, and I've also been a funder. So I'm not talking off the side of my neck when I have this conversation. We have the ability to create the community. We want to be right. If I have information that I can share with nonprofits, that's going to make their lives a whole lot easier. Why don't I? Yes, in some instances we are competitors, but in a bigger, broader sense of the word, we are community. And so this episode, I want to dive deep in how we can do better to support each other when we come back. That's what we're going to take on creating the community we want to be.
(02:24):
Most founders don't realize that there are more applicants than there is money. This fact impacts a nonprofit's fundability. Nonprofit. Founders should administer research on their competitors, determine if their community is oversaturated, and identify their competitive advantage before they start a nonprofit. Check out how to validate your nonprofit idea, a step-by-step guide on how to administer the research. You need to validate your idea before spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars only to struggle to fund it. Get your copy today. Welcome. You're on air with Amber Wynn, and today I am talking about us in the nonprofit sector, creating the community. We want to see there's that saying, I think it's by Gandhi, create the world You want to see, and I am putting out the call today for us in the nonprofit sector to stop this crabs in a barrel, holding on to information and holding on to resources.
(03:27):
I am asking you as nonprofit leaders to do a better job to intentionally and actively do what you can to support other nonprofit leaders. Because funders aren't going to do it. They're going to do what it is that they're required to do. We know that if that were not the case, then these donor-advised funds would give out more than 5%, right? So I am here to say we all can make our community the nonprofit sector a better community just by sharing resources. I have people say to me all the time, Amber, you give away so much information, like you probably could make so much more money if you charge for all of the information that you give out. Listen to me, information is free. What you're paying for is my time. Now, it took me a couple of years to figure that out, but if money was not an issue, I would just give away all the information.
(04:27):
But I have a mortgage to pay, and so what you pay for is my time, but it's not the information that you're paying for. And I think if we all came into our community focusing on what we can give versus what we can get, it would all work itself out. I give out quite a bit of information because my focus is on strengthening communities. I can't be at all places at one time. So if I help the most amazing people on the planet, which are you, my executive directors and nonprofit leaders, if I help you strengthen your nonprofit, guess what my contribution is? I am helping to strengthen your community. I want all of us to think like that. If I'm an executive director and I just found out about this resource, I am going to tell as many nonprofit leaders about it as I can.
(05:17):
I'm not going to hoard that information and I'm not going to say, well, if other people get access to the resource, it's going to go away. That's not how we function people. In order for us to do what we're put here to do, and as nonprofits, you're put here to support your community, that means that the people who are at the head of these nonprofits need support as well. So if you are talking to an individual and they're like, oh, I'm looking for a grant writer, and you have a quality grant writer, tell them about that grant writer. First of all, as we already know, there are so many sheisty grant writers out there just taking people for their money. If you know someone who is credible, have integrity, have good outcomes, share that information. Number one, you're helping that grant writer. They got a mortgage to pay, so if you refer them, then you're helping them.
(06:13):
Number two, now you're helping this other nonprofit to get resources. That's what we want to be in community. That's what we want to be. We want to share resources with each other. If you know somebody who is struggling to find quality staff, then you can say to them, listen, you need to go to this community college. Talk to this professor. What they do is they blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. If you know somebody who's struggling to find a board member, let them know you want to go to this place. This is where I got really good board members from. This is how we strengthen our community. This is how we create the community. We want to see. We all work in silos. You don't have enough time. You don't have enough staff, you don't have enough support, but the information that you have, the information that you secured, that's helped you go to the next level, share that with your community.
(07:10):
It is the only way that we are going to elevate. We're going to move from this place of struggle and poverty. When we share resources, we elevate our community, and that's what I am calling on. Every nonprofit leader listening to this episode today to do. If you have resources, share them with your community. Share them on Instagram, share them on Facebook, share them on LinkedIn, and this is how it goes. Hey, fam, or whatever you refer your community, Hey, fam, found this amazing resource thought I would share with the community. I do that on Instagram all the time. Hey, there's this proposal. Boom, right? Hey, if you're looking for a virtual assistant, boom. Hey, there's funding from the government that will cover preparing your nine nineties boom, whatever resource. I don't care if you think it'll help. If you don't know, I don't know. Nine times out of 10 when I'm sharing stuff on social media, I don't know who it's for. Inevitably somebody will be like, Amber, thank you for sharing that resource. Guess what? I think I shared one.
(08:29):
America's got Talent. They needed people to sit in their audience and they paid like $40 a head or something like that. I had three agencies say, we made a thousand dollars for a four hour taping, and then people got to see the show, and it was amazing. I didn't know who that was for. I just know that it was an opportunity and I shared it. So I am going to encourage us nonprofit leaders, funders come across information all the time. Share it with your potential grantees, share it with your community. I'm going to encourage consultants. We come across information all the time. Share it with the community. This is the only way that we are really going to help strengthen each other by making sure that we remove the struggle because the struggle is real. I've been an executive director trying to find resources when you are writing grants and running programs and making sure that the compliance, it is a challenge.
(09:31):
So when people share that information, you're like, yes, that's exactly what I needed. I want you to be a blessing to another one of your colleagues. It may not even be anyone that, the other thing that that does is it shows the outside world that we are not competing. It shows the outside world that we understand each other. We understand that struggle, and that's what we need them to see, right? If a funder happens across your social media and you're sharing resources, they're going to be like, yes, I like this energy. I like this person. They're community oriented. It's not just about the people that you serve. It's about the people in our sector. So I try to practice this whenever I get information, whenever I get resources, I shoot it out. And this is for whoever, and if no one can use it, that's fine.
(10:24):
But nine times out of 10, there's always somebody out there who could use the resource. So I just had to get that off my chest today. Thank you for listening to me. And if this resonates with you, if you are a person who hoards information, I just want you to shift. I want you to think, what would I like For me, I would like for somebody to give me information, and I have people say to me all the time, I asked this person, and they're like, oh, well, I don't know. That's on that person. We're not going to create that type of community. We are going to continue to share our resources and we're going to continue to give, right? If you go to my website, I have tons of free resources for you. I've got Amber's 10 must have resources. Those are some amazing free resources.
(11:13):
I've got a 90 day calendar. If you are not sure about how to create a nonprofit, let's just say you're thinking about it and you're like, oh my gosh, there's so much information out there. Yes, I have my 90 day course, but if you don't have the financial means to purchase the course on my website, I have a 90 day calendar in week by week. It shows you what you need to do to build out a successful nonprofit. If you have the wherewithal to do it, you can build out your nonprofit all on your own. I also have a free dashboard. The dashboard is like a 30,000 foot view of what you should have to be a viable nonprofit. It talks about organizational development, it talks about staff development infrastructure. It talks about funding so that you at least know what you're supposed to be doing.
(12:03):
You're not making it up as you go along. So I have tons of free resources on my website, but for the rest of you, you can have a section on your website where you just put out free resources together. We can create the community we want to see. So that is my charge for today. Please think about where you are, think about where you want to be, and then know that there are other nonprofits in the same spot that you're in. If you've struggled and you found some resources, just share them. It's going to make the load a whole lot lighter for your colleagues out there. And if you do have the finances to invest in taking your organization to the next level, I got you. 90 days to a profitable nonprofit is the roadmap for building out a successful nonprofit. Let's take a look.
(12:55):
Are you struggling to fund your programs? Can't get a grant to save your life. Most consultants will share the what of how to start a nonprofit or how to fundraise. They may even share the why, but they don't share the how because that's where they make their money. Now, I'm not hating. I'm a businesswoman too, but I've been where you are trying to make the world a better place, struggling to keep the doors open up to the wee hours of the night writing grants and doing whatever needed to be done. And because I've walked in your shoes, I'm not here to make you spin. Your will waste your time or your hard earned money. We ain't got time for that. The world needs you. I'm here to show you how to transform that pit. You keep dumping your hard earned money into a profitable nonprofit.
(13:44):
I take my 30 years of nonprofit experience as a founder, executive director, program developer, grant writer in funder, giving out over $7 million annually in grants, and I save you literally thousands of dollars in hundreds of hours. I walk you through setting up your nonprofit organization so that you can be generating enough revenue to cover your monthly expenses in just 90 days. How would that feel? Not paying bills from your personal bank account. I share my insider secret tips, tricks of the trade and provide you with a step-by-step roadmap on how to turn your bootstrap organization into a profitable nonprofit. Within six months, you could be generating enough revenue to pay your salary or fully fund your programs. The choice is yours, but you have to get the blueprint, and it took me three years to develop it, but it's here and it's going to change your life.
(14:42):
Join my other successful clients who are just like you, full of passion and determination, but they had no idea all that it takes to run. And a successful nonprofit. Now they're winning grants and drawing a salary, and they know what it is that they're supposed to be doing to run a successful nonprofit. They're no longer making it up as they go. They have the roadmap and they're clear about next steps, and I want that for you too. So what do you get in this course? You'll walk away with knowledge, products, processes, and systems, not just a bunch of promises, but exactly what you need to turn your organization into a profitable nonprofit. I promise you don't need grants. What you need is a solid infrastructure, and this course is going to give you all of that and more. And what's more, it comes with the money back guarantee.
(15:35):
So go ahead, click the link below to register for this course. Welcome back to On Air with Amber Wynn. Today we are talking about creating the community we want to see, and now it's time in the episode where you get to ask me your pressing questions. It's called Ask Amber. Today's question comes from Martin. Martin is from San Pedro. I was recently asked to post a campaign poster for a candidate in my window. I believe in this candidate and what they stand for. I also plan on hosting a fundraising event for them. But a board member said they didn't think I could do this. Is this true? So public charities are not allowed to campaign for a candidates or participate in bipartisan politics. As a public charity, you are there to serve the public good, and there are very few rules that the IRS says a public charity can and cannot do.
(16:40):
This is one of them. They are specific about public charities not campaigning for candidates. You are able to administer advocacy and provide nonpartisan information on a topic. So let's just say you are hosting a Get Out the Vote campaign. What you're doing is you're encouraging everybody to vote. The difference in bipartisan and nonpartisan is you don't get to tell them who to vote for. So if you put this person's paraphernalia in your window, basically you're saying, I'm supporting this candidate. You can't do that. People say, well, what if we put two or three candidates? What I would recommend is that you talk about voting and not specifically about a specific candidate. Now what you can do is you can host an event where you invite the candidates to come and speak about how they're going to impact the community. So if you like this particular candidate, Martin, invite him and the people who are also running for the position.
(17:57):
So everybody gets to hear what each one of the candidates have to say about specific topics. But know do not just have that one person, that one candidate because it could put your tax exempt status in jeopardy because it then means that you are participating in politics and campaigning. I think a better job would be to encourage individuals to vote. Just be very, very specific that you're not promoting a candidate or a topic. Give both sides. That's how you can ensure that you're not violating your role as a public charity. Just make sure that you're providing both sides. Thank you for the question. If any of you have questions, you can find me on my social media. I'm on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter. You can reach me at amber@amberwynn.net. Visit my website. I'm here for you. Now it's time for us to wrap up our last episode. We are speaking with Umpqua Bank. It is a bank that is deepening its roots in the community. I had a really good time asking questions that I wanted to get answered specifically about that CRA money. It's been a nut that I've been trying to crack for quite some time. So having a better understanding of how the government doles that money out was very helpful for me. I hope that it was helpful for you. So let's wrap up our conversation with Umpqua Bank.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Some of the things that kind of bubbles at the top would be things that are in that financial literacy space. So if you're a Chamber of commerce, for instance, who's trying to help your small business folks own homes, you can have a financial literacy workshop and you can kind of cover two issues. One is maybe capital building for the small business, or how can I purchase a home? How can I leverage my business? Or vice versa, how can I leverage my house to help fund my loan because maybe I'm not loanable yet and I might have to go to an alternative resource. Maybe that alternative resource is the equity in your home via a line of credit or some other vehicle that makes most sense. And I know that mental health actually is now on the list. It wasn't before, but now it is. Yep. Give that some snaps and
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Are hard right now. They just are right.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
You're right. True that. Yeah. So financial literacy, financial education, mental health, economic development, workforce development, certainly affordable housing is way up there. I'm actually just thinking about some of the events that I've requested, sponsorship from the Queen so that we can go and sometimes I have to come to the call and then other times I go to our social impact to see if they can kind of help us out because sometimes it certainly takes a joint effort to support some of the activities and community engagement opportunities that we'd like to support in various markets.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Welcome back. You're on air with Amber Wynn, and that was the last conversation that we had with Umpqua Bank. If you want to hear the full interview, you can check it out. It's on my YouTube channel. If you're interested in some of the resources that they have, be sure to reach out. I'm trying to provide you with things that is going to help to take you to the next level. So that's what they're there for. Ladies and gentlemen, go get your resources. So as we wrap up, the topic was let's create the community. We want to see. I'm specifically encouraging every nonprofit leader to be generous with their knowledge, to be generous with sharing the resources that help them to thrive. None of us deserves to struggle. None of us deserves to spin in this wheel of poverty and the way that we prevent that. The way that we change that, the way that we strengthen our nonprofit community is by being of service to other people who've either gone through what we've gone through or just people who just don't know.
(23:11):
So I stand in the space of giving as much information accurate. Lemme qualify that accurate information as possible. When you figure something out and you figured out how to do it without struggle, how to get from point A to point B using a straight line, then you can be of service to your community by sharing that information. So if you liked what you heard in this episode, be sure to subscribe, be sure to like and share this episode with anybody that you think it could benefit for. Thank you so much spending your time with me, and we'll see you next week. And you know how I close out. Make sure you take care of yourself like you do your community. See you next time.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. Head over to www.amberwynn.net/podcast for the links and resources mentioned in today's podcast. See you next time.
