I am hoping someone can help me out.

[pennyjah]

I am not sure exactly if this is the right place for this, (if not please move to the proper category) but here goes:

 

I am a graduate student working toward a Masters of Public Administration-Non-Profit. I am hoping to start my own non-profit charitable organization soon. I am writing my papers, a grant proposal and a strategic plan, based on an organization the provides handmade hats, mitts, booties, and blankets to hospitals to give to newborns.

 

I know there are organizations that do this, but not in my area. I am trying to contact someone who works for, or runs an organization similar to this that could assist me in some information. I am winging it right now, because I am not getting any response from any organizations I have contacted. I did get one response and was told that they were too busy to help a student. I am willing to share any information I gather with anyone who is willing to assist me.

 

So, if there is anyone who works for an organization similar to this or knows someone who does I would appreciate any information that I could use for my studies, and all information would be confidential.

 

I know that this is not exactly "crochet" related, but most of the hats and other items will be crocheted.

 

**Please do not take this as solicitation. I am not requesting anything but information from anyone who might be able to help me.

[sandra2469]

Each state should have an organization similiar to a non-profit resource center. These agencies can direct you to resources like how to form a board, writing grants, becoming a 501©3 organization (standard non-profit designation), and others. You can also contact your local United Way to point you in this general direction if you can't find anything else. I've worked in the nonprofit field for a long time and both of these resources are great starting points.

 

Good luck!

[pennyjah]

Thank you for that information sandra2469. I have all the basic information on how to start a non-profit, including books and applications for 501©3 and I am taking courses at the University for the rest. I have already written a grant, last semester and the class I have now is Strategic Planning for public and non-profit organizations, I have also taken intro to public administration, employment law, staffing for non-profit and public sector and Accounting for non-profit and public sector organizations. I have the basics down, or will have by the time I am done getting my degree.

 

I guess I need to be a little more specific.

 

I have several parts to write for this assignment (Organization Strategic Plan) there are some sections I am having more trouble with than others. I have to write sections that require me to compare organizations that provide the same product or service and how the organizations are similar and how they are different.

 

I find that many people are not willing to share too much information for fear of competition, at least a lot of my classmates are running into this. I was hoping since I am working more in the realm of crafts and artistic people, that someone can help, if they have information related to my project type.

[Miss Crochet]

Perhaps check the Crochet for Charity thread and PM anyone who seems to have a connection or link to a similar charity?

[Amy]

There are very many crochet-related charities out there. There are a number of ways to turn them. For example, a simple google search on the term "crochet charity" turns up a number of results. Some of them will be to official 501©3 charities, some just to small charitable projects people are running as individuals, and some will be links to directories of crochet charities.

 

You can also visit the Charity Connection at the Lion Brand website to find a list of crochet charities. This list is not comprehensive, as people have to submit their information in order to be listed.

 

However, as you said, I'm not surprised that some of these charities do not have the time to spend giving you the information you need. Most are run by very few people, on shoe-string budgets, out of sheer love for the project. Most people running them are also dealing with working a full or part time job and managing a family, in addition to everything they do for the charity. They just don't have enough time in their day to spend helping someone on a class project, no matter how much they might want to help another charity come to life.

 

You may be able to find much of the information you need without talking to some of the charities personally, just by viewing the information on their websites.

[pennyjah]

Thanks, Amy, but I have been there done that. The information on the websites are just very general, for the most part. I have been searching the web and the charities online for several months now, this is by no means a new venture. A lot of the links are dead links. I do understand that people have limited time, I was just hoping to find someone willing to help me out here, because I know so many people here are involved in some way with charity. I can write my papers without assistance, I was just hoping that someone would be generous enough to share some information and maybe be available a few minutes a week to answer a few questions.

 

Thanks for everyone's input. I will just look elsewhere and hope to find someone willing to help out. If anyone else maybe has any info, or knows someone how might be willing to help out a student, please pm me.

[Amy]

I think most of our members aren't actually involved with running any of the crochet charities, but either just donate as individuals or coordinator a group effort for items here. So there are probably aren't very many people here who are part of the inner workings of these organizations to answer your questions. They probably only know the people who run local chapters of the organization, and those people may not be qualified or authorized to provide answers to the type of questions you may have.

 

I'm surprised that you've run into so many dead links. The last I knew, there were quite a lot of the larger charities with 501©3 status with active websites. It would be very sad if a lot of those charities are now closed.

[boksie]

Couldn't you find someone to talk to another charitable organization such as Toys for Tots, a food bank or perhaps the Salvation Army? I realize they aren't the same but they are charities and they do give items that others have contributed to more needy individuals. Do you actually need to talk to them or would looking at their mission statement and standard operating procedures/manual be just as beneficial?

[sandra2469]

Competition in non-profits is not as easy to discern as it is for for-profit organizations. I'm also a freelance writer & if I want to do a book proposal on competition, I can spend a few hours on Amazon or B&N to decide what books would compete with me.

 

In the non-profit community, you really have a lot of "nuances" that you don't see from the surface. For example, you may find that a senior center is your competition. Why? Well, senior centers are designed to keep seniors active - many of them offer sewing, knitting/crochet classes to not only keep seniors active, but to make projects to either sell or give away. This gives the seniors a source of income & self-pride in a project that they do. You'll find the same type of thing in services for persons with developmental disabilities, MR, and even for counseling and therapeutic organizations. They may not have crochet or donations as their primary purpose, but it is in there.

 

Also, grant writers & people who do organizational reviews for non-profits will tell you that competition is a very bad thing...they want organizations who collaborate & fill in the gaps that others can't afford to do with their funding. If you can offer crocheted items or other hand-made items, then partner with a senior center or children's therapy program that needs that type of activity for their recipients. Many of them will gladly accept your help & donations because it helps make their overall mission/purpose stronger.

 

I think this is more of what I was thinking of when I suggested that you talk to someone in a nonprofit resource center. They are accustomed to doing this type of brainstorming & they may already know of programs that are out there. Visit a Ronald McDonald House, a children's hospital, a therapy program, homeless shelter, senior center, nursing home...anything that you think may have a use for the type of items that you are planning in your proposal. This will give you insight into the nonprofit community where you are at & how you might customize your proposal to fit a specific niche.

 

PM me if you need more ideas. I've done this type of collaboration for many years in the nonprofit community & I'm not afraid to share - I'm just hard to catch sometimes because we're so busy!

[texasredhead]

Have you contacted Project Linus? http://www.projectlinus.org/

 

They are a national charity that donates blankets to hospitals.

[pennyjah]

Texasredhead, project linus is one of the organizations I have contacted and have not heard back from. I understand that they are a large organization, so maybe that is why.

 

Sandra2469, I do know that many organizations can be considered competition in the area of non-profit, but the professor specifically specified "another organization that provides the same types of product or service or as closely related as possible." So that is why I looked here.

 

Amy, I do understand that most people here may just donate individually, but you never know who people know until you ask. I was just hoping to find some info here.

 

I am fine though this is a simulation project and I was just trying to get enough "real" information and not have to use "simulated" information, but that is what I will do. I can find some information online and "make up" the rest since it is just being used for a class.

 

Thank you all for your input