Starting a New Chapter: Channeling My Passion

2/22/2013

So, it appears that my therapist's advice really sank in. I woke up yesterday with a clear sense of purpose and a vision of where I wanted my life to go. I decided to conserve my energy at work (yeah, still a work in progress) and devote that conserved energy to my advocacy and my family. I started moving things forward and saw results. Here's what's happening right now:

I'm Forming a 501(c)3 Non-Profit: I did my research and made some calls and am on the road to making my dream of advocating for veterans a distinct reality. I know how much it's going to cost me and I know how I'm going to try to raise the funds. I am going to use a crowdfunding site for social entrepreneurship to start a fundraising campaign. I am also going to update my website to allow people to donate directly to the endeavor. I have put together all of the costs for incorporation, web-hosting, logo designing, etc. I am going to do some number crunching and set forth a funding proposal for the non-profit. So, that being said, be on the lookout for future updates on this subject!
I'm Writing My First Book Review: I was asked by a fellow advocate to review her book. I said I would and she mailed me a copy. I am currently in the process of writing the first draft of the review and should have all of the editing done by some time this coming week. I will be posting the review to this blog.
Advocacy Energizes Me; My Family Benefits: I am amazed how true that statement is. By taking care of my need to find fulfillment, I am energized by my efforts. I also recognized that I will meet amazing people in the process of realizing my dreams that will become fast friends. As a result, many of the major stressors I was feeling have been removed from the equation. I am not saying I am 'better'. It is still a struggle. I have a lot to learn about choosing where and how to devote my time and energy, but I at least feel like the wheels of my life have traction again.

As I said yesterday, it was an eventful day. I look forward to sharing all of this journey with you! Let's make a difference for each other and for the vets we still n

K. Dault link

2/23/2013 02:31:29 am

Good for you! Now that you've got a plan, may I add one small piece of advice? If not, stop reading now. :)

You should know in advance that you need a mountain of Patience for the 501(c)3 part. I don't want to add to your stress, merely help temper it. It's not You or Me...it's the IRS. They are extremely behind in doing paperwork: we applied in May 2012 and they're only up to looking at March 2012 applications as of today. I kid you not. While not having the 501 may slow you down when it comes to grants, you can still work as a non-profit. And since you're in the planning stages, you can also try and find a charity which is doing something similar to what you're planning (not exact, just in the same area) who already has their 501 and talk to them about a "Fiscal Sponsorship". This allows them to be an "umbrella" for your charity, where funding can be sent to them and THEY write you a check for that amount until you can get your own 501 if that's what you choose.

Sorry, will stop taking up so much space. :) Good luck!

Max Harris link

2/24/2013 06:45:07 am

Thanks for the advice! I know that I can start seriously soliciting for funding as soon as the application is in process, but I didn't know about fiscal sponsorship. Now that I know about it, I will definitely explore that option. Thanks for the heads-up!

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