Fear is a powerful emotion. Sometimes I don't know that I am feeling fearful. I have been moving along with the Education Center for Refugees and Immigrants. In fact, I am now at the point to apply for grants. I didn't think I would be at this point so fast. Until a couple weeks ago, my ideas were a bit abstract. Now, they are on paper. I have created a hand-out for community members and organizations. It explains who we are and what we do. I also created a information sheet that compares the Education Center and other ESL services in the Capital Region. I have my mission statement and objectives. Now it is time to apply for my first grant. Honestly, it is scary. I am scared of not succeeding and I am scared of succeeding. I am putting a lot of work into these ideas and what if I fail? What if I get rejected? Grants are very competitive and I was told to expect a lot of rejection! On the other hand, if I get the grant, I am in business and it is time to start the classes.
I think once I apply for this first grant, I can get over this hump. It's just like doing anything for the first time. It can be scary because of the unknown, but then it becomes easier because you know what to expect. I need to be persistent and keep applying for grants. It is difficult to get the first grant because I don't have a track record. Getting my first grant is an accomplishment. Hopefully, after the first it will get a bit easier. Snowball effect?
So, here I am at Starbucks, starting my first grant. Wish me luck!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
I have a nonprofit status
I am still making progress on my dream. I have found that I am most productive when I give myself an opportunity to just think. Sometimes I don't even think I am actively thinking about my plans. I may not be sitting and thinking about the ECRI, but my brain is still processing the data. I need more time to process all of the ideas that I am working on. It is a lot different than writing research papers or even doing finance. If I don't give myself the time to process then I make less gains. If I give myself a few days, I can start fresh and get a lot of work done.
I heard back from the Albany Social Justice Center that they accepted my application to be a member. This means I will have the benefits of a nonprofit. How exciting! Today, I have a conference call with the director, Victorio Reyes, to talk about the details of the arrangement. I have also sent a few emails to other organizations. I also have been in contact with Albany Public Schools to see how we can best work together. I have a meeting with the ESL coordinator in August. In order for this dream to become a reality, the community needs to work together. This is good progress. I have a positive attitude and realistic expectations for the organization. My next step is to begin to create my curriculum for my first class.
I heard back from the Albany Social Justice Center that they accepted my application to be a member. This means I will have the benefits of a nonprofit. How exciting! Today, I have a conference call with the director, Victorio Reyes, to talk about the details of the arrangement. I have also sent a few emails to other organizations. I also have been in contact with Albany Public Schools to see how we can best work together. I have a meeting with the ESL coordinator in August. In order for this dream to become a reality, the community needs to work together. This is good progress. I have a positive attitude and realistic expectations for the organization. My next step is to begin to create my curriculum for my first class.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Congressman Paul Tonko cares about his community
Yesterday, I went to a free workshop sponsored by Congressman Paul Tonko. The workshop was about grants.gov and how to apply for federal grants. The workshop was at SUNY Albany and it was a pretty big deal. The president of SUNY Albany was there as well as other community members. There were about sixty people there learning about grants.gov. I was impressed that the workshop was so organized. There were signs on the campus directing me where to go and park. It always can be intimidating when I am on a unfamiliar campus. The staff was kind and helpful. Congressman Tonko strikes me as someone that really cares about the community and wants to help the people. It was very refreshing. He offers a lot of constituent services and encouraged us to reach out to him if we need help with grants or communication with government departments.
The grants.gov workshop was a good overview of how to register, navigate and apply. I have never used the website so I did learn about the process and tips to remember. I am happy that I went to the workshop and am very impressed with Congressman Tonko. He is offering more workshops and I plan on attending.
The grants.gov workshop was a good overview of how to register, navigate and apply. I have never used the website so I did learn about the process and tips to remember. I am happy that I went to the workshop and am very impressed with Congressman Tonko. He is offering more workshops and I plan on attending.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Amazing progress!
I have been very busy the past couple of days. Sometimes I feel very happy about the progress I have made then within a few minutes I feel like I haven't made enough progress. I have heard this is common for people starting a new business. It really feels like an emotional roller coaster. I have been emailing with different people in the Albany area and they have been supportive and have given some ideas.
Today, I had a meeting with the Director of The Social Justice Center in Albany, NY. I found out through our discussion that their organization helps grassroots organizations get started in the Albany area. The Social Justice Center offers different benefits to member organizations. For $25 per month, I have access to reserve their space to hold meetings or events, use their telephone, mailbox, fax machine, copier etc. Most importantly, they will fiscally sponsor my organization.
The Social Justice Center is a federally recognized nonprofit (501c3). They are able to receive tax-deductible donations and apply for grants. This means that I will be able to apply for grants and receive TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS through the Social Justice Center. By becoming my fiscal sponsor, they are responsible for the management of my funds and to make sure they are being used properly.
In other posts, I have mentioned that this is my biggest challenge- becoming a nonprofit. It is very costly and I need to have board members and community support in order to succeed. I have found a way to delay paying these heavy expenses and to get donations and funding at the same time. Once I have a consistent group of classes and have a proven track record and community support, I can eventually become a nonprofit. I think this will be a smart move. I will conserve resources, work and network with other organizations and accomplish my mission! There have been a lot of organizations in Albany that started this way and are now on their own. By working this way, I can immediately start applying for grants and begin my classes. I will be able to focus on what's important- the refugees and immigrants education. I won't have to worry about taxes and financial reports...yet. I think I will be able to start in August! This is pretty incredible because I started this project thirty days ago. My dream is indeed becoming a reality.
Today, I had a meeting with the Director of The Social Justice Center in Albany, NY. I found out through our discussion that their organization helps grassroots organizations get started in the Albany area. The Social Justice Center offers different benefits to member organizations. For $25 per month, I have access to reserve their space to hold meetings or events, use their telephone, mailbox, fax machine, copier etc. Most importantly, they will fiscally sponsor my organization.
The Social Justice Center is a federally recognized nonprofit (501c3). They are able to receive tax-deductible donations and apply for grants. This means that I will be able to apply for grants and receive TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS through the Social Justice Center. By becoming my fiscal sponsor, they are responsible for the management of my funds and to make sure they are being used properly.
In other posts, I have mentioned that this is my biggest challenge- becoming a nonprofit. It is very costly and I need to have board members and community support in order to succeed. I have found a way to delay paying these heavy expenses and to get donations and funding at the same time. Once I have a consistent group of classes and have a proven track record and community support, I can eventually become a nonprofit. I think this will be a smart move. I will conserve resources, work and network with other organizations and accomplish my mission! There have been a lot of organizations in Albany that started this way and are now on their own. By working this way, I can immediately start applying for grants and begin my classes. I will be able to focus on what's important- the refugees and immigrants education. I won't have to worry about taxes and financial reports...yet. I think I will be able to start in August! This is pretty incredible because I started this project thirty days ago. My dream is indeed becoming a reality.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
We have a tax id!
This morning I went and registered my nonprofit in Renselaer County. I decided to register in Renselaer because I live in Renselaer and I am not sure where my exact location will be when I am starting out. If I need to, I can register the business in Albany. It was very easy and quick to register as a DBA. I am officially known as the Education Center for Refugees and Immigrants. I arrived at the County Clerks Office early and there wasn't a line. It took about five minutes! I paid $39 to register and get a certified copy so I can open a bank account. After, I stopped at a few banks to find out what kind of accounts they offer for businesses. I got home and applied for a tax id through the IRS. I did it online and it was super easy- they give me my tax id within seconds. Things are moving along. Donations are already being put to use. Thank you for your support! You can directly help me start the Education Center by donating at http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=4219&url=educationforrefugeesandimmigrants
Monday, July 9, 2012
A little bit of this
Happy Monday! This week is a new week and it has started off nicely. Today wasn't a very interesting day, but it was productive. I mainly e-mailed different people about the Education Center. I set a meeting with another director of a nonprofit in Albany. I also got paperwork to file at the Albany County Clerks office. Over the weekend, I received a cash donation for our nonprofit and I need to make sure I keep all of the business funds separate from my personal bank accounts. Luckily, I am familiar with the paperwork and know what I need to file to open a business bank account because I used to work in finance in the banking industry. It is funny that I am on the other side now. I need to pay $30 to file with Albany county and register as a DBA. Every step towards my goal makes me very excited and confident that I will be successful.
I am still looking for board members and I have gotten some good leads. Later on this month I will be going to a networking breakfast and I will meet some more people. Being new to the Albany area is challenging at times, but people are friendly for the most part. Generally, when people hear what I am working towards they are supportive and willing to help in different ways. I am happy that this week is a full week without any holidays. I am ready to work and make some more progress! To directly help me with this venture, you can donate at http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=4219&url=educationforrefugeesandimmigrants
I am still looking for board members and I have gotten some good leads. Later on this month I will be going to a networking breakfast and I will meet some more people. Being new to the Albany area is challenging at times, but people are friendly for the most part. Generally, when people hear what I am working towards they are supportive and willing to help in different ways. I am happy that this week is a full week without any holidays. I am ready to work and make some more progress! To directly help me with this venture, you can donate at http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=4219&url=educationforrefugeesandimmigrants
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Recruiting confidence
Starting a nonprofit is complicated. There are so many different pieces I need to coordinate in order to do this. One piece is hiring the tax attorney. Well, I can't hire a tax attorney without the funds to pay him. In order to get the funds to pay an attorney, I am working on getting donations from friends, family and community members through Facebook and my fundraising website at: http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?url=educationforrefugeesandimmigrants&fundraiser_id=4219. I need to apply for grants to get resources to start my English language programs. Well, in order to apply for grants, I need to get register my nonprofit... So, that brings me back to raising money to pay for an attorney!
One of the first things I need to create for The Education Center for Refugees and Immigrants is my board of directors. According to NYS, the minimum number of board numbers that I need are 3. I have one person that is interested in being on my board. This leaves two more people to serve on my board. I am not sure about who to ask. Books that I have read about starting a nonprofit say that I should select people with different strengths in order to grow and succeed. There are a few different nonprofit/business networking meetings I am going to this month, but I need to make progress on this before these meetings. Once again, I tell myself, "slow and steady wins the race." There is no rush and it is important to have good board members in order to help my organization be successful.
I need to be able to show potential board members that I have what it takes to make the The Education Center succeed. I need to show that I have thought about what I am doing and that I have a good idea and plan. I have my business plan written out and feel confident about it. I just need to show people who I am.
One of the first things I need to create for The Education Center for Refugees and Immigrants is my board of directors. According to NYS, the minimum number of board numbers that I need are 3. I have one person that is interested in being on my board. This leaves two more people to serve on my board. I am not sure about who to ask. Books that I have read about starting a nonprofit say that I should select people with different strengths in order to grow and succeed. There are a few different nonprofit/business networking meetings I am going to this month, but I need to make progress on this before these meetings. Once again, I tell myself, "slow and steady wins the race." There is no rush and it is important to have good board members in order to help my organization be successful.
I need to be able to show potential board members that I have what it takes to make the The Education Center succeed. I need to show that I have thought about what I am doing and that I have a good idea and plan. I have my business plan written out and feel confident about it. I just need to show people who I am.
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