The Overlooked Side of Charitable Giving
By Laura Vandiver, TVG VP of Research & Strategic Insight
Having worked with nonprofit organizations for a large portion of my career—both inside and as a board member—I know that it takes a wide variety of resources to keep programs and services going. And in most cases, there is never enough funding to get everything done. That’s why here at The Vandiver Group, it was so important for us to give back to our community through a day of service. We each chose an organization to donate time to on Martin Luther King Day this year. Sometimes, organizations require physical help—rehabbing buildings, sorting through donation items, preparing and delivering meals, etc. But an often overlooked way to help an organization is by donating your best thinking—things like strategy, grant writing or crisis planning. These kinds of activities tend to take a backseat to the everyday mission of helping people or animals, but are an integral part of making sure the organization stays successful and relevant in the future.
One such organization, Powered By Hope, is a St. Louis-based charity set up to provide “hope, strength, peace and education to cancer patients.” Volunteers from Powered By Hope visit hospitals and outpatient centers to meet with cancer patients, and present them with “Medals of Hope” and “Coins of Courage.” HOPE actually stands for “How Ordinary People Endure.”
Powered By Hope was started by Teri Griege, a competitive triathlete, marathoner, Ironman, inspirational speaker, author, wife, mom, sister and CEO. She also happens to be a Stage IV colon cancer fighter who was given a 6% chance of survival in 2009. But, through this devastating diagnosis she has managed to start her foundation, run all six World Marathon Majors, compete in multiple triathlons and Ironmans around the world, and competed in the 2011 Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI—while undergoing chemotherapy. Teri has become a local celebrity. She has appeared on the Today Show, the Ellen DeGeneres Show, ESPN and NBC. She writes that “Everyone has a cancer. Everyone has a dream.” Her message of hope in the face of adversity has resonated with thousands.
Because of the inspirational message and the personal outreach to cancer patients, Powered By Hope has grown quickly. Most nonprofit organizations are started to fulfill a passion and a mission, and their focus is to accomplish their mission. How will programs work? How can we help the community? It’s only later that the reality of the need for a strategic plan sets in. The question then becomes, “How can we sustain this and continue to grow?”
So my mission was to give back to Powered By Hope by assisting them with their strategic plan in order to solidify the foundation’s place as an innovative and unique leader in the cancer charity space, both in the St. Louis region and across the country. My hope is that, with a little bit of planning and support, Powered By Hope will be able to take their foundation to the next level.