Non Profit

year end giving guide 2011

by admin on December 18, 2011 · 0 comments

Each year i like to put together a list of orgs that i believe in, trust and respect for your year end giving and tax planning considerations. Additionally, this year i am also making some gift giving recomendations as well. I am connected to them in varying degrees (and I disclose that with each one) but these recommendations are based on my belief that they are an excellent organization worthy of consideration for your charitable donation or a great way to buy a gift in a more meaningful way this season.

511 - 511 is an incubator of good. We value experimentation, innovation, social enterprise and creativity. They work in Santa Ana to unleash potential and equip leaders to impact themselves, their community and the world. They are the parent organization to Laundry Love Santa Ana, SCS and Community Movie Night. All of their initiatives focus on coalition building and cross cultural/cross socioeconomic relationship building.

Your donations to them would be put to good use. Additionally they have a small online store you could look at for Christmas gifts this year as well.

(Disc. I am the *unpaid volunteer* director of this organization)

Hands Together – Hands Together is a provider of early education services and family support services in Santa Ana. Through their 3 early childhood development and educational programs they are able to help improve children’s health, overall development, educational outcomes and ultimately, their success in life. Additionally, through their parent workforce development program, they help parents gain the skills needed to provide a stable income to better provide for the needs of the family.

They are efficiently run and a great place to entrust with your year end donation. Additionally, their parent participants create some amazing handmade gifts and you can also contact them about catering (they make some excellent tamales!).

(disc: they hired my company to develop their website and provide some ongoing strategy and design services for their social enterprise program. My wife volunteers with them once a week. I bought tamales from them for Laundry Love Santa Ana’s Christmas Party this year)

Krochet Kids – Krochet Kids creates sustainable economic development programs that support holistic growth of individuals and communities within developing nations. Also, they make some kick ass hats.

They are a fantastic source for stylish gifts.

(disc: none)

Illumination Foundation- IF combines housing and social services with healthcare and behavioral mental health services to reduce the impacts of homelessness and reduce people’s vulnerability to future homelessness. They offer a low-entry threshold to advance health and housing stability for the most vulnerable members of our community, with a focus on families with children and those with medical or mental health conditions.

They are one of a very few end to end homeless services agencies in the nation and are one of a select few agencies I’ve met that have really collaborated effectively. Its a great organization to consider for your year end donation.

(disc: they have collaborated with one of my initiatives, Laundry Love Santa Ana, and I have a friend on the board)

Ember Arts – Their business exists to renew hope. They partner with women in Uganda, East Africa to create beautiful jewelry using recycled paper and plastic. Through this connection to the American market their Ugandan partners are able to rebuild their lives and families, and rekindle their hopes and dreams, after a devastating civil war.

Another fantastic source of gifts.

(disc: none)

Renewing Hearts – A community based organization providing high quality mental health services on a “pay what you can” basis. This model allows even the poorest members of the community to receive the same level of care that more affluent folks do. They hope to scale their model to other communities as well.

A great place to donate to.

(disc: I am on the board and family members started and handle daily management of the center.)

Mind Research – Their instructional programs and education initiatives are revolutionizing math education in America. They offer a research-proven tool for teaching and learning mathematics through non-language based, visual instructional software. Ask your kids if they know Jiji!

A donation here is an investment in our nations future.

(disc: I am on an advisory council focused on diversification of their support base)

And there you have it. Those are my recommendations for year end giving and shopping this season. Have recommendations of your own? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

by admin on July 7, 2011 · 0 comments

It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. Robert F. Kennedy – 1966

The hidden benefits of early literacy intervention

by admin on March 30, 2011 · 2 comments

For the last month my company, Intersection, has been working with Think Together on a strategy to introduce people to the amazing stories that are coming out of the relationships they have with the clients they serve. Its been really fun to hear how lives have been changed through programs that are often not designed to have the types of impacts they seem to have.

Check out Betty’s story on their blog today. It is really amazing and I am excited that my team got to help share it.

“My husband has noticed a big change in me,” she says with a smile. “I’m not nagging him as much and we don’t fight nearly as much as we did, especially not in front of the kids.”

It’s truly a heart warming story of how early literacy intervention changed an entire family.

Cultivate 2011

by admin on February 1, 2011 · 2 comments

Most of you know that my company helps non profits and social enterprises develop effective communication strategies. We also help with the implementation of those strategies. So I was pretty excited when the organizers of Cultivate 2011 reached out and asked me to be a part of their very unique conference.

Rather than just getting experts to talk up front, they are bringing in a panel after each short talk to discuss implementation and contextualization. This is really a passion of mine and I am excited to help lead those discussions. Many friends and folks I really respect will be either speaking or a part of various panels including Charles Lee and Mark Horvath.

The line up appears to be geared towards the faith based sector but it is being marketed heavily towards the general non profit market as well. Regardless of which camp you fit into, if you are looking to better communicate, market, fund raise, etc I am quite certain that this will be a rewarding experience.

If you will be there, please let me know so we can be sure to grab a cup of coffee or some tequila.

Year end giving

by admin on December 24, 2010 · 2 comments

During the holiday season and going into the New Year, many of you will be considering where to make your year end gifts. Inspired by my friend Dan (who I often think is inside my brain), I thought I would share with you a few organizations I have worked with in one capacity or another, either through my consulting work, or as a volunteer. I have seen that these organizations have a commitment to excellence, to being good stewards of the resources so generously invested in them and truly make an impact in the lives of those they serve. In the interest of full disclosure, some of the organizations have paid me at one time or another, but I am not currently under contract with them and all thoughts here come from my observations of them first hand.

Project Hope School Foundation

The foundation supports the school (go figure). They have a different model than many programs but having had the chance to spend time with the kids, heard from graduates and hang out with the staff, I can say, the model is strong. Homeless and at risk kids get an education from people who understand the unique struggles that they go through. Families get support and advice. They were recently featured in a documentary on kids living in motels that was aired all summer on HBO that I would strongly suggest you take a look at.

Renewing Hearts

With focus on the hurting, abandoned, broken, addicted and an innovative model, this small local (in Orlando, Florida) to rally therapists and other mental health professionals around the country to help just one pro bono or reduced fee client. They hope to serve as a clearing house to make sure that clients receive top notch care and service providers don’t have to take non stop calls from people looking for free services. They are in the early planning stages of how this system will be implemented but continue to provide reduced fee and free services at their center in Orlando as well as through a network of other non profits and churches in the region.

Laundry Love Santa Ana

They work with the homeless and at risk community throughout Santa Ana. They provide laundry services, but more importantly, they provide an fun and friendly environment where those dealing with the crushing emotional toll of poverty can enjoy themselves for a little while and can connect with people from various Orange County businesses, non profits and the faith community. In doing so they provide many opportunities that arise organically from job offerings to service connections to new found friendships.

Salem Christian Homes

They provide residential care facilities to those with disabilities. While this is cause generally only supported by families of those affected and government agencies, this organization really impressed me. The focus on empowering an often written off and forgotten community. The idea that no matter ones background they should be pushed to reach their full potential. The level of passion viewed as I worked with the staff. I was floored by this organization in a way I really was not expecting. I think that with the right budget invested in the advocacy and awareness side of their organization they can dramatically impact how the world views people who have disabilities.

Give well. Give often.

Giving is good for the soul. It is good for society. The organizations here are a great start. I believe they have a ton of potential and that they operate at a high standard of integrity. Who are your favorite organizations? Anyone we should have on radar?

Freedom and Fashion show

by admin on November 7, 2010 · 1 comment

Here is a slide show of pics taken at the Freedom and Fashion show. Working on a full write up for Intersection (one of the partners for the event is a client) but in the meantime I wanted to get these pics up…

Message received

by admin on October 22, 2010 · 4 comments

At Laundry Love Santa Ana on Thursday, there was a woman who said some disparaging things about “the people who started this thing.” Being one of “those people” I took this a bit personal. I was a little angry and a little hurt that someone would question my motives or accuse me of being unfair. Intellectually, I understand that she was not entirely well and that she has a reputation for starting fights for fun, but I still could hear what she was saying (;

Five things happened within 24 hours that made me realize I should not let that situation impact me the way it did…

One guy from Civic Center told me a bit of his story, especially as it relates to violence directed towards those experiencing homelessness. He is a veteran and just got approved for his pension after over a year living on the streets. He smiled from ear to ear as he described the tiny studio apartment he was moving into the first of the month. He also told me that it was things like Laundry Love Santa Ana, that made the awful things bearable.
Another friend who is homeless shared (to nearly everyone multiple times, he was so excited) that he was into his third month of being clean. Such a huge accomplishment and such an amazing opportunity to walk with him through this difficult time.
A brand new volunteer told me that anytime there is something good happening, there will be opposition to it. So I guess that means we are on the right track!
A volunteer asked me for relationship advice. This may seem out of place here, but from early on, the thing that I have been most excited about Laundry Love Santa Ana is the intersection point it has become. A community of so many different people from so many different backgrounds. And as communities grow, people start reaching out to each other. The fact that this guy felt he could talk to me about his relationship, when we met through Laundry Love, means that something real is happening at the laundromat.
I went for a late night diaper run to CVS by my house about two miles from the laundromat. There was a guy out front asking for money. I didn’t have any cash on me, but asked if he minded change. Had some coins in my car. After giving him like 40 cents in pennies I told him about Laundry Love Santa Ana. His face lit up. He and his wife appeared to live in their car. He showed me his trunk with was VERY full of dirty clothes. He gave me a firm handshake and thanked me. Not sure he even remembered the change at that point, the thought of someone helping him with laundry was just overwhelming.

I am a slow learner, I am stubborn and I have a short attention span, so learning a lesson takes some clear butt whooping, which evidently I got. Ever have something slammed in your face so blatantly?

Volunteers from last night.

by admin on October 22, 2010 · 0 comments

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from scottoverpeck’s posterous

Machine for internet at Laundry Love Santa Ana.

by admin on October 21, 2010 · 3 comments

Posted via email from scottoverpeck’s posterous

Checking out Desert View Community House.

by admin on October 2, 2010 · 0 comments

Cool partnership between city and church to turn blighted house into community center with tutoring, games and caring people be there for the kids after school.

Lots of fun.