Economy taking a bite out of non-profits

As I am researching a wide variety of organizations, I typically take a glance at the annual reports. They usually have the same upbeat topics about how they have increased over the years, and how they are looking forward to an increase in the future. 

Although I admire the optimism that these companies have, I can't help but think how the downfall in the economy won't deeply effect how well off non-profit organizations are.

I noticed this first a few months ago. I am lucky enough to be a part of a trip that goes to Mexico to build houses each spring as I have previously blogged about. The trip usually costs around $1000, which gets you from Columbus, Ohio, to San Diego, California by flight, and then a week in Mexico and then back again. The price of the trip went up $300 dollars this year, and I could see a decrease in number of trip participants, partly for this reason. 

I guess what I along with other critics are worried about is that if the economy continues to dwindle that people will be less able to donate their excess money to charities, and the well being of many great non-profit organizations will go down. 

According to an article from the Non-Profit Times, "The declines were evident across almost all industry sectors, according to the study. Only animal welfare and international relief organizations tracked by the study reported revenue and donor growth."

After spending a good amount of time researching the variety of organizations and seeing the good that they've done, I hope that the economy replenishes, so that the organizations can keep their good work up, in hopes to change the world by the small steps that each organization is taking. 

"Service is the rent we pay for being.

It is the very purpose of life,
and not something you do in your spare time.
                        -Marion Wright Edelman"

A travelers movement

A big part of me has been writing this blog entry in my head since I first had to start a blog in January. I cannot express how happy it makes me when part of my homework is talking about something I truly love in life. When I first started thinking about Slice of Life, a book that I read came to mind. This book, Step Back from the Baggage Claim is much more than your average read. I know I have been talking about non-profit organizations, but in my mind this fits in perfectly.

Whenever I hear about a non-profit organization or other charities, there is always a certain feeling I get, and I've talked with others that know exactly what I'm talking about. After hearing about the good people are doing, there is an "Ahh Hah" moment, when everything seems to come to terms, and people start to ask "why didn't I think of that?"

These moments are all about what the movement of Step Back from the Baggage Claim possesses. Earlier this semester around Spring Break, I began writing about the book/movement for my school paper because it deals with life at the airport.

The book talks about the things that happen at the airport and how we can take the actions involved with flying and airports and inspire ourselves and others to exemplify these moments in everyday life.

Jason Barger, author of the book and movement spent 7 days in the airport watching and observing people and how they interact. The majority of travelers are usually moving at a very fast pace. From the time they are dropped off, the hassles begin. Stress getting the correct seat assignment, standing in the plethora of lines, and trying to pass through security. There are so many check points through the airport that cause a sense of panic before passengers even set foot on an actual aircraft.

The book talks about how everyone is always in a hurry. For example, when the "ding" sound goes off to signify that passengers can unbuckle their seat belt, individuals automatically stand up and rush to get their bags out of the overhead bins (that almost always shift during flight). All this rush when in the back of their minds, everyone knows that nobody is going anywhere until the plane has reached the gate. 

Finally, the most impactful part of the airport experience, and where the book gets it's title: the baggage claim. People will rush to get their spot at the baggage claim even when the luggage hasn't even reached the final destination. Passengers "box out" others in order to get their bag first. Barger suggests "stepping back" and when you see your bag, simply going up to get it. 

Sounds pretty simple. But it's not just the airport. The movement encourages readers to think about other areas in their lives where a step back moment is needed. Barger and other followers focus on the fact that change starts with little things in life, and that if we start to change the small interactions, then we can soon change our perspective, and our world. 

"Have faith, end hunger"

"An estimated 963 million people in the world go hungry."

"One in ten households in the U.S. are living with hunger or are at risk of hunger."

These facts could go on for days. The fact of the matter is, that a large chunk of our society and our world are living below the poverty level. These statistics are just mere numbers, what is perhaps more important to focus on, is what efforts are being done to change these statistics.

Bread for the World is one organization who is doing just this. Bread for the World is a Christian affiliated organization who has many volunteers who donate their time to write letters and meet with members of Congress and help educate people and advocate the organization. 

The organization recognizes that above religious affiliations and other needs, that curing hunger is the most important goal. They believe that everyone must do their part to make these changes. They believe that by starting with the government, their voices will be heard louder across communities everywhere. 

They also believe that this goal of ending hunger is feasible. "The United Nations Development Program estimates that the basic health and nutrition needs of the world's poorest people could be met for an additional $13 billion a year. Animal lovers in the United States and Europe spend more than that on pet food each year." 

Although it may be a long shot, Bread for the World believes that by starting with education, that society as a whole can make a difference if we only "have faith, end hunger". 

National Parks Foundation

As I've been reading up on organizations I have heard of, or been a part of, I realized there was a ton of organizations out there that I have not been exposed to. My friend directed towards the National Parks Foundation, which I had never read into, and I found myself pleasantly surprised with the overall organization. 

The organization has been established for 40 years, and works as a private philanthropy whose goals are to improve, preserve, and protect America's National Parks. The goals of this organization are to connect society with the National Parks and increase private funds, making strategic grants, creating innovative partnerships, and increasing public awareness.

I was enthralled reading about all of the great acts that a private philanthropy has accomplished for our environment. Some of the best include securing tens of thousands of acres of parklands for new parks and also existing parks, restoring the Washington Monument, and preserving African American History throughout the National Parks.

When I was first directed towards this organization, I imagined that it would be focused only on park operations and improvements. To my surprise (along with the surprise of many other people that research the organization), the National Parks Foundation protects the National Parks of the world while also helping many other aspects of the world. 

The National Parks Foundation had a successful year in 2008 with their net assets being at $9 million, and this can be seen across many attributes they have made to the environment and other walks of life. They hope to gain more support from donors and volunteers in the future. 

Jump Rope for Heart!

Recently, as i've been thinking about the different organizations over the years that i've been involved in, I could think back to elementary school and think about the first charitable organization that I was a part of-Jump Rope for Heart.

Jump Rope for Heart is part of the American Heart Association, and is a national education program which encourages elementary students world-wide to jump rope  in to help funding for research for heart and stroke related diseases. 

Students that participate in the program receive pledges from friends and family based on how long they can jump rope, these proceeds then go to the National Heart Association. 

This organization has been proven affected for multiple reasons. It obviously helps raise awareness and donations for a great cause, but at the same time promotes the well-being and healthy lifestyles for elementary students to live by. 

Jump Rope for Heart is currently celebrating it's 30th Anniversary, and has raised over $702 million since it started in 1978. Jump Rope for Heart is looking forward to another successful 30 years, and even more money, and is always looking for new volunteers and donors to promote their cause. 

" Millions of students have jumped rope and learned about heart health and how nutrition and physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke."

Reduse, Reuse & Recycle!

It's become almost trendy, the new cool hip thing to do.

Besides the newest fashions, or the hot new apple product being a hot topic of discussion, more and more people are becoming concerned about the environment-and I like it!  Come to think of it, conserving our resources and recycling materials have not only become a part of daily life, but have become more and more advertised through our culture.

Just yesterday I was shopping at Old Navy with a good friend of mine, and saw a very funny shirt to promote recycling, and to be honest with you, I contemplated purchasing it. Recycling and conserving the use of materials has become more popular, partly attributed to the National Recycling Coalition (NRC's).

The NRC has a strategic plan  the contains five goals to promote their organization, and recycling in general. It consists of the the following goals: the be recognized as the leading national voice on recycling, to serve as a catalyst for constructive dialogue on sustainable raw material management, to advance member's understanding of current and emerging recycling issues, to foster new and innovative recycling solutions through strategic partnerships. and to ensure the NRC's organizational health and viability. 

So although recycling may sporadically appear through clothing stores and pop culture, there are organizational like the NCR that focus their whole business practice to helping the environment. 

the NRC is a great resource for those looking to get more involved, or for more information on efforts to increase recycling and improve the environment already established in communities world wide. 

PETA

It was no surprise for me to find out that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was the largest animal rights group in the world. PETA has over 2 million members world-wide, and are well known by their slogan, "animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment".

Unlike most other non-profit organizations, PETA is very well-known for their variety of protests they partake in.  PETA also tries to spread their message through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, special events, and celebrity involvements. 

PETA began in 1981 and began with discovering a case trying to protect monkey's in hopes to stop or decrease animal testing in laboratories. 

PETA has expanded it's ways of advertising and spreading the word about their cause and now advertise through many media forms such as billboards, print ads, radio/TV advertising, and web banners. 

This company appeals to viewers sense of altruism, and concern for others. PETA has conducted more than 300 investigations based on exposing and stopping animal abuse and cruelty. 

Although PETA has many supporters, and then also haters, they are keeping their heads held high for the future: "But no matter what, we simply don’t give up—a compassionate world for animals is worth fighting for."

Make a Wish

In 1983 Nigel Brown and Robb Lucy created the well known organization, the "Make-A-Wish Foundation". Their goals and visions can be seen in their mission statement:" We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy." 

Make-A-Wish changes lives of children with serious medical problems, mostly cancer or other terminal disease, by granting them wishes. This happens in a four step process.

The first step is referral, this is when a patient is recommended by a doctor or family member that to ensure that their need is legitimate. The second step is medical eligibility.  "To receive a wish, the child must be diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition – i.e., a progressive, degenerative or malignant condition that has placed the child’s life in jeopardy." 

The third step is finding the true wish, this is where the volunteers and donors of the Make a Wish foundation connect with the children to explore what will delight and inspire them the most.

The fourth step is simple- creating joy. This is where the actual wish comes true and a children's live is transformed. The wishes come in a wide variety, but have the same theme. All wishes show the children that their lives are important, and that anything is possible. 

Over the years, the foundation has grown and has granted many wishes for patients of all ages and conditions. The company hopes to expand and grow over the years and change the lives of more children to come. 

MADD

We've heard the slogans since elementary school, we see the signs, we know it's dangers, we are constantly reminded of the horrors associated with drunk driving through various media day in and day out. One organization that has exemplified this and taken it to the next level is "Mothers Against Drunk Driving" (MADD).

MADD was created in September of 1980 in order to aid the victims of crimes of driving under the influence, and support families that have been struck with such tragedies. 

"The mission of MADD is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking."

When the organization was founded, it started as just a grieving mother who was determined to inspire volunteers to also fight against drunk driving, but it has evolved into an effective organization that has helped to save the lives on many.  MADD focuses on educating and advocating the effects of drunk driving in hopes to save more lives in the years to come.  

To Write Love on Her Arms

Along with non-profit organizations, there are also many non-profit movements. One that I have found extremely interesting is the movement, To Write Love on Her Arms. 

"To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery."

The movement started in 2006 as simply a way for people to tell their stories, and for stories to be heard. "The story and the life it represented were both things of contrast – pain and hope, addiction and sobriety, regret and the possibility of freedom. "

The movement is simply about loving one another, and learning to love yourself. People involved in the movement are those who need help, have received help, and those who help. The vision focuses on the fact that we live in a broken and difficult world, and that people need to form communities with each other. 

"The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead. The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know. The vision is hope, and hope is real. 

You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story."

Love Without Borders

Not to provide excuses for myself, but part of the reason for my long delay in entries lies in a mission trip that I was just extremely lucky to be a part of. Which leads me to my first organization which I love very much-Amor Ministries.

Amor Ministries was founded over 30 years ago by only two people. Gayla Cooper and Scott Congdon who were merely strangers who traveled to the same orphanage in Tecate, Mexico and fell in  love with helping the children, the environment at the orphanage, and each other. They were soon married and founded Amor Ministries. 

If you have any recollection of the Spanish language you will know that the name of their company is directly related to their mission and foundation: Love. This is what their organization provides day in and day out-unconditional love for one another, and the strangers that the employees and volunteers meet. Amor gathers and supports groups of volunteers from all over the United States, and leads them into Tecate and Tijuana, Mexico to build houses for families whose living conditions are less than adequate.

During this week in Mexico, trip participants are pushed to their limits and surpass their personal boundaries as they live simply in tents, without their luxuries they experience at home. They sleep on the cold ground, they mix concrete, they saw wood, they use bathrooms they never thought even existed and learn about their friends, their faith, and themselves. 

The house may be simple, and might hold some imperfections, but what happens through Amor Ministries in the span of 5 days is incredible. Going into the week participants know that by putting all of their hard work and their whole hearts into this house that they are changing the lives of the deserving families. After a concrete slab, simple walls, a sturdy roof, and two

 windows are built the tables seem to turn. At the end of the week, the door is installed, and as keys are handed over and tears roll down faces, most trip takers will agree that their lives have been changed forever. 

A new perspective is put into place when individuals learn that their hard work and faith has just saved someones live, and the magic of love is something that is not something the Mexican families needed, but everyone on the trip has received. At the end of the week, a house has become a home, a door of opportunity to a loving family has been opened. 

Amor Ministries has changed the lives of many, and has hope for the future of more volunteers who want to implement the same feelings of love and hope to families forever.

For more information please visit Amor Ministries for testimonies, photographs, and more history. 

   

Delayed.

I am seriously horrible at updating this blog. I think every time I have the urge to write it has nothing to do with blog related entries and I end up writing them elsewhere. Also, this is the problem with not having and dead set interests to focus my blog around. I've been cultivating ideas in my head about what I want to write about that happen to relate with what my original intentions of this blog were.

A Slice of Life is literally defined as "an episode of actual experience represented realistically and with little alteration in a dramatic, fictional, or journalistic work."  To be honest, I've always used the saying in other ways. I see slices of life as events in my life that I happen in short instances that I can't get out of my mind and that I root down and find some sort of deeper meaning. 

My so called splices of life where what as a young child made me want to think I wanted to be a writer, things happening and I over analyzing them and finding a true meaning. I guess when I was told I needed to pick a topic I thought this would be good for me, things that happen, like random acts of kindness that I see happening and acts that people contribute to that can change a persons entire perspective on a day. 

I am realizing that these things only make sense to me, and that the problem with my writing is that I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing. I am critiqued for writing too diary like which I understand. Which also reminds me how much I hate the word diary. I just want to say that I find it hard to truly write from my heart (which is why I love writing in the first place) when I try not to relate to my own life or put my spin on it. Which will also explain how this semester I have realized that journalism is not for me. If I still love writing after this semester and after my journalism minors are officially dropped, I will still write on my own terms.

I know that this won't even count as a required entry, but what I really wanted to get across with this is my idea for the remainder of the blog-which come to think of it should have been my focus from the beginning. I want to talk about non-profit organizations and other organizations and charities that focus on helping others. A slice of life that not only spins the perspective on a persons day, but changes their entire world. 

I plan on finding some organizations (some that I know, some that are new to me) and talking about them, so if anyone out there (my 2 readers minus my professor who has to read this) have an suggestions, please let me know!