Blog

Donate Used Cell Phones to HopeLine

An unexpected package arrived at my door last Friday. I ordered new cell phones and switched cell service phone plans although I stayed with the same carrier. I am still waiting for my new phone to arrive but even before I opened it, I knew that this package was too thin and two days too early to be my phone.
Inside was paperwork from my carrier, Verizon Wireless. The receipts for my transaction were already emailed to me, plus I can access them online. The paper copies were redundant but definitely good customer service.

What was so impressive was that the package contained an envelope to use to send back my old cell phones. Apparently, Verizon collects used cell phones from any carrier and donates them to men and women who are survivors of domestic abuse through a program called, HopeLine.

According to their website:

“HopeLine phones are refurbished phones that are equipped with 3,000 anytime minutes of airtime and texting capabilities…HopeLine phones are available to survivors affiliated with participating domestic violence agencies.”

Since 2001, HopeLine has:

Collected 10.8 million+ Phones
Awarded over $21.4 million in grants
Donated 180,000 HopeLine phones

Verizon not only sends envelopes for the phones, they pay for the postage as well. This was so unexpected. Neither my sales agent nor the customer service representative I spoke to mention the program. It made my day, last Friday, to open my mail and find out a corporation running a giving program.

This is not the first effort from Verizon Wireless. Earlier this year Verizon nailed the messaging with their 2014 commercial 2014 called “Inspire Her Mind,” which beautifully embodies the anti-STEM messaging many girls receive as they grow up. This commercial does a fabulous job demonstrating the effects of societies influence on career decisions. Many adults do not realize how their words become embedded in children’s minds.

Dress for Success

by Admin

I have a series of speeches coming up and find that my inner A-type refuses to remain in its hiding place as each event approaches. A competitive nature causes me to obsess over every detail. I have engaged in in-depth discussions on what to wear every day since last week knowing I not only have to be successful, the audience needs to perceive me as successful.

Although I do admire quality clothing, I do not consider myself a fashionista. I am happiest in yoga pants, t-shirt and some fleece jacket. However, I am aware that people are likely perceived based appearances. People can tell at a glance that you are wearing something cheap. This can cause them to perceive you as unsuccessful or your company as low quality. It is not necessarily a conscious decision. A competent person can speak to a packed room yet are bested by someone who was better dressed and practiced more.

Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future. ~ Coco Chanel

It is tough to finance a quality wardrobe when you are just starting out, advancing in your career or in transitioning to something completely new. Consider money spent on a quality wardrobe as in investment in you and your career! If there is little room in your budget for clothing, buy a few high quality foundation pieces that when interchanged, make several outfits. Spend wisely, shop sales and go for standards such as a sport coat and wool pants. Buy a few wool suits in black, navy and grey.

Here are a few wardrobe essentials:

Purchase good quality suits in basic colors
Accessorize: Men still sport watches as a status symbol
Shirts: Crisp, clean and pressed dress shorts look nice! Buy a few and take god care of them. French cuffs are a nice touch!
Shoes: Find quality, comfortable shoes in brown, black and nude for ladies

To be sure they fit well, have them tailored. Don’t pay expensive department store prices. Take clothing to a reputable local dry cleaner who does fast, excellent work at reasonable prices.

Fighting Ebola Through Donations

by Admin

Last week Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, donated $25 million to help stop the spread of the Ebola virus. This is the largest donation given by any individual. Monies donated by Zuckerberg went to the foundation that funnels private donations to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC (CDC). Zuckerberg’s Facebook post stated,

“Grants like this directly help the frontline responders in their heroic work. These people are on the ground setting up care centers, training local staff, identifying Ebola cases and much more.”

Last month the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $50 to fight the deadly virus. This is the largest private foundation donation yet. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is working with pharmaceutical company Amgen Inc. to find and alternative production method for the experimental drug, ZMapp, the only approved treatment for Ebola.

Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, gave $9 million through his Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

Ebola infected communities continue to spread the disease because they cannot even clean up after the sick or deceased. It is common for disasters, healthcare crisis and other high profile outbreaks motivate individuals, corporations and foundations to give goods, time and money. The effects of Hurricane Sandy motivated donors to give over $310 million dollars to the Red Cross alone[1]. From my area in the Philadelphia region, many took giving into their own hands. Neighbors organized food, clothing and essentials drop-off points, rented vans and simply drove them into devastated New Jersey shore neighborhoods, giving whatever they collected to families in need. That’s not an efficient way to fight Ebola.

According to Business Insider, “A significant percentage of this money has been pledged but not yet distributed to the affected region.” The grpah of contributing sources and nations is below[2].

Sources:
[1]Did You Know? (Sandy Response)
The American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/support/donating-fundraising/where-your-money-goes/sandy-response

[2]Here’s Who’s Paying To Fight Ebola – Other Than Mark Zuckerberg (Business Insider)
By: Friedman, Lauren.
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-countries-pledge-to-fight-ebola-2014-10

Help for Homeless Veterans

by Admin

Last Friday, I visited a Philadelphia homeless shelter for veterans. In the back of my car was a sizable donation from a local business; an in-kind donation of cotton towels.

Over lunch two weeks ago, a Navy veteran introduced me to this nonprofit. We were actually meeting to discuss how we could collaborate on our common mission of encouraging women to enter STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) educational and career paths. When I first heard of this homeless vets organization, I was happy to hear about a service nonprofit benefiting veterans. Then the gravity of their mission sunk in, the way it does for everyone I tell this story to. Wow! There are homeless veterans?

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in 2013, there were almost 58,000 veterans without a permanent residence on any given night (1). Homeless vets compose about 12% of the adult homeless population in the United States. Sixty percent of these vets are in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, or safe havens run by various organizations. The other 40% are unsheltered, living on the streets. The statistics have shown a significant improvement. Since 2009, the number of unsheltered vets decreased 30 percent. Overall, veteran homelessness decreased by 24 percent.

On the drive to pick up the donation that morning, I had heard a report on public radio claiming that socks were the number one thing requested by shelters on behalf of their residents. The director came out into the street to meet me as I was leaving, giving me the opportunity to ask him how I could help him more. The thing they needed the most was soap, personal care items and cleaning supplies. I was expecting a hospital or dorm like facility as a homeless shelter, but instead they had a big, antique house. The staff and residents were so grateful to get a donation. Everyone came out to shake my hand and thank me. My curb-side view, left me wondering how they managed to squeeze 43 beds inside.

Homelessness is a new area for me. My charitable work typically involves education, STEM education, critically ill children and sports organizations. Two days later, I found myself sitting at an outdoor sporting event with thousands of participants and spectators. Who do I manage to meet but a woman who works for the very organization that led me to donate I to the homeless shelter. Fate has somehow delivered me to become involved.

I will attend the USO gala in a few weeks. In the meantime, I have some feelers out to those who can help make this soap fundraiser happen.

Citation:
hakrabarti, Amit. The 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. N.p.: n.p., n.d. The 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress: Part 1. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. .

Should Pro Sports Be Striped on their Nonprofit Status?

by Admin

The National Football League (NFL) is a nonprofit entity. Under the Internal Revenue Service tax code, the NFL has a 501(c)(6) status. A 501(c)(6) designation means the NFL has the same status granted to chambers of commerce. The Professional Golfers Association Tour (PGA) and the National Hockey League NHL are also 501c6 organizations.

Charity is what most people think when they hear the word “nonprofit.” Organizations like the Red Cross or Habitat for Humanity come to mind. There are many types of nonprofits. The NFL is not a charitable organization, it is a trade organization. According to the IRS, the organization has tax-exempt status under IRC
501(c)(6):

IRC 501(c)(6) provides for exemption of business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, boards of trade, and professional football leagues (whether or not administering a pension fund for football players), which are not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of which injures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

This tax-exempt status does not apply to the league’s 32 individually owned franchise teams. They are all for-profit businesses.

In 2013, the 990 form filed by the NFL showed the organization had a loss of -$304,462,262. Therefore, even if they had their tax-exempt status revoked, US taxpayers would have collected nothing last year! The Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation estimates state that if the NHL, NFL and PGA all lost their nonprofit status, US taxpayers could recoup over $11 million per year.

Does Your Nonprofit Suffer from Founder’s Syndrome?

by Admin

Founder’s syndrome is when the founding member(s) of a for-profit or nonprofit organization maintain authoritarian power and control within the organization. Also called, founderitis, the controlling member does not feel the need to collaborate on executive decisions or any decision for that matter.

Board members in a founderitis afflicted organization have no real decision-making ability or independence. They often find that if they are consulted on a decision, the founder overrules their choices.

Meetings are held to assign tasks or to get status updates. Board members may also be underqualified because they were chosen for loyalty to the founder and friendship rather than expertise.

Founder’s syndrome leads to issues within a nonprofit. Directors find that they cannot contribute in an effective manner. This may lead to them resigning due to a lack of professional development or dissatisfaction.

Five Signs Your Nonprofit Suffers from Founder’s Syndrome

The Founder does not consult the board members during the decision making process. In fact, there is no process.
If the founder does seek advice, it never changes his decision
Differences in opinion are disregarded, seen as hostile or undermined
The Founder operates outside her area of expertise even when there is an executive team member with relevant skills and experience
There is no succession plan

A board needed to file paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service. Even though there were two directors who were accountants, a director who had previously filed this paperwork for another organization, and a fourth board member who was an actual lawyer, the founder decided they needed to hire a an outside law firm.

After checking costs and presenting the names of familiar, local lawyers, the founder chose someone else. In addition to contracting with a lawyer on his own, he wrote a check to prepay all government and legal fees.

After six months of excuses and unreturned phone call to this lawyer, a director completed the paperwork with one of the accountants, and filed it herself. Turns out the founder had hired a random attorney he found in the phone book!

Founders can turn into the nonprofit’s worst enemy when they refuse to believe the organization needs delegation, diversity or additional skills. They fail to allow the organization to prosper and thrive independently. Without meaningful strategic development the nonprofit stagnates or worse yet, fails.