it is finished.

We. are. finally. done.

That's pretty much all I can say (except I have to say more because this is supposed to be a reflection). So what I can say is that I learned quite a bit this semester. Really.

I remember when I was younger. My grandma was a second teacher at the same school I went to and everyday I would walk over to her office at three. One year, she and a couple other ladies were in charge of writing a grant. I don't what it was for or who it was through, but I remember they were seriously stressed. + my junior high self was intimidated. Just the word grant seemed terrifying. So much work. So many technical issues. So much stress. So when I waled into Writing for Change and realized we were going to actually be writing a grant, I kind of wanted to cry.

But I made it through. And here I am on the other side.

I think the thing that interested me most was all of the branding that goes into any aspect or planning that takes place. Whether you are planning a fundraiser or writing a grant or seeking out media attention for your efforts, you must think about how you typically brand yourself and how you want to portray your branding in a specific situation. This understanding is something that businesses of all types have to be aware of so I think it's definitely something I can apply.

I love applicable learning. I'm a nerd. Or maybe just really practical.

I am going to start rambling now. So, to all my fellow classmates, congratulations. And have a wonderful summer.

It's almost here, guys. Almost. The end of the year is almost here.

Unfortunately, this almost means deadlines are almost here, too. A lot of them.

Including this grant project. I must say, though, that I am feeling pretty good about it. The 1,500 character limit has definitely proved to be a challenge. But I feel like I've managed to be concise enough to fit the limit while also letting the company know what The Sewing Machine Project is all about. It's definitely been a hard road getting there what with The Project taking a good chunk of the information about this project off of their site and not emailing me back . . . still. But I made it. Almost.

Since I figure we all have at least a little bit of the end-of-semester blues, here's some acts of kindness to cheer you up:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/boston-marathon-tragedy-met-with-amazing-acts-of-kindness

i am so grant-ful

Please excuse the title; it has been one of those weeks + it seemed funny when I typed it. + to tell you the truth, I don't think I have time to back + erase it. That would just cut into some major paper writing time.

But, really, I'm so grateful for the 3,000 character limit on my grant. 1,500 for describing my audience and 1,500 for describing my project. Enactus, I applaud you.

I'm not fooled, though. When I was writing these pieces up (the night before peer review, no less) I found it pretty challenging. I want to start with some emotional hook + give you some background on the amazing things this non-profit has done (contacting me is not one of these) + tell you all about the awesome people like Angeles who sold her cow and horse to get this project started a few years ago. But I can't. Because I'm already at 1,000 characters with that. Ugh.

In other news, it's Friday. + I'm going to see George Strait tonight. + I'm not going to think about this grant proposal a single time.

crunch time

So I have been putting off this blog post all week in the hopes of being able to talk to you guys about my grant source. This post will be about no such thing.

Why? Because I am still having issues with finding the right match. Either my mission statement doesn't line up with a particular grant's. Or they want to do work in a particular country with a company that has experience there already. Or, or, or.

I have even tried reworking the specifics of my project to be funded. (Ok, in all honesty I haven't given this as much time as it deserves, but I'm busy. Cut a girl with 18 hours, a job, and an internship some slack.)

Needless to say, today is another one of those Sundays completely dedicated to figuring this stuff out. Wish me luck!

Square One

All the complaining I did about the fundraising project? Yeah, I take it back. This grant writing stuff is already more complicated.

I am amazed at how detailed some grants are when it comes to requirements. I thought I had found the perfect one the very first day we started researching in class . . . turns out, The Sewing Machine Project isn't quilty enough for quilt club (also known as the National Quilting Association). It's true guys; your mission statement is a huge deal.

So I'm back to square one. Got to get gettin' + find a grant that matches perfectly. Wish me luck!

In the meantime, The Awesome Foundation is, well, awesome. They're just a group of anonymous people who grant $1000 dollar grants to a cool idea of their choosing each month. Check it out!

Fertig.

Guys. All I can say is how happy I am to have that fundraising project behind me. I am officially fertig (which is German for finished). I must admit that I ended up enjoying once it was all said + done. + I learned so much more than I thought I would. But let's just say I won't be diving into any major (real) fundraisers anytime soon.

congrats to the rest of the classmates, as well, on finally turning that thing in.

Images

I must say, this fundraising project has been just as daunting as I expected. It has been just as much work as I assumed. It has definitely taken all the time I had set aside for it . . . and then some. My time management skills have definitely come in handy this past week + my new planner did not let me down.

Even with all my planning and big-picture-looking, I still managed to find a few surprises and stumpages. (No, that isn't a word; it should be.) In particular, I found that figuring out the most beneficial way to advertise to be quite the challenge. I can't really place my finger on one particular reason this has been so complicated for me, but I'm pretty sure my indecisive self plays a pretty big part. 

Advertising is such a crucial part of any event. It's not just for getting the word out there; it can make or break your image in some cases. I guess I just want to do The Project justice. + it doesn't help that I don't have a lot to go off of since there just isn't much existing material.

Guess it's time to start looking at this as a blank slate to spill my creative juices onto. Time to get image creating!

plannin' time, y'all!

For the past two years, my planner has been a life line. A necessity. An absolute must. So when my cutesy little yellow and white number's spiral binding warped to the point of no return this week, I was a little upset. Maybe even a little bit panicked. Luckily, I was able to find a super cute beige and gold glitter one from Target. + it was on sale for only $3.48. I can handle that.

Today's first priority, written in RED CAPS? Fundraiser Planning.

I have been a little overwhelmed about getting this thing started. But it's amazing what 8 minutes with a helpful professor will do for your state of mind. In my individual conference on Tuesday, I went in with a skeleton of an idea - bare bones only . . . if even that - + came out with a pretty solid start of an idea.

So I decided that my free Saturday (who knew those still existed?!) would be dedicated to figuring this thing out. I "slept in" to a wonderful 8:30am, put on some laundry, made some glorious sweet tea, plugged in all the twinkling lights strung in the apartment, proceeded to flip on the rest of the lights because, let's face it, you need serious light to start making a full-fledged fundraising plan, grabbed a blanket, + got started.

I think my never-reveal-it-until-it's-finished mindset is kicking in here. Or maybe it's my make-sure-it's-perfect-before-letting-anyone-in-on-it mentality. Either way, I'm a little apprehensive about giving my less than thorough plans away.

On the other hand, + I have to be honest, in the grand scheme of everything planning a fundraiser requires, I'm not even half way there. I have a working draft of both the fundraising goal + objective + the plan for the day's activities . . . but that's about it.

The Basics:

• Folks will come for a spectacular sew-in.
• Folks will have sponsors, whom they are in charge of finding, who will pledge a certain amount of money for every hour their participant sews.
• Folks will have the opportunity to win awesome sewing supplies/gadgets.
• Folks' raised money will go toward buying sewing machines for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

I've RED CAPSed the planning process in for tomorrow, too. So we will see how that goes. 

Suggestions. They are welcome. Bring them on.

Fundraising Time!

Deciding on a fundraiser to work on for my nonprofit has been challenging for me. For real. I guess it's that unable-to-ever-make-a-decision thing coming back out. And it doesn't help that I still have not been able to establish any contact with the nonprofit. Ugh.

I am, however, playing with a few ideas. Well, at least for what my fundraiser would work toward.
What the fundraiser would actually be . . .  well, let's not talk about that right now.

There are, of course, the always needed sewing machines for The Project. As far as I am aware they currently do not utilize fundraisers as a resource for sewing machines. I'm feeling like this might be a good way to get some advertising for the company while bringing in some needed resources. With the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy still being dealt with, I'm thinking this might be a good place for the proceeds to go - especially considering the Project's history with Hurricane Katrina victims.

Another option comes from the organization's wish to expand on their Sewing Shares program. In Madison, WI, where the organization is centered, this program offers locals the opportunity to use machines on loan. This aspect of The Project works with Bhutanese refugees in the area, as well, helping them learn skills and gain income. The Project asks its participants in this program to "Pay it Forward" by helping to teach and translate. The Project hopes to use the Sewing Shares program as a model in similar projects.  A fundraiser focused on raising funds and other forms of resources to get such a project started would be in keeping with the nonprofit's mission, past endeavors, and future plans.

I'm playing with a few other ideas, but currently those are the two that I can make the most sense of. We will see where I stand after conferences on Tuesday. Things somehow gain so much clarity after talking to a professor. For real.

Bethlehem House

Jill Imboden of the Bethlehem House impressed me to no end. She was humbly passionate about the nonprofit for which she works. It was refreshing to see someone so impacted by what they work toward everyday. The knowledge, professionalism, and strategic conveyance of her nonprofit, were perfectly paired with her passion.  By the end of our time with her, I was ready to give her all of my money.

I loved the stress she put on The House's goal to give a "hand up," not a "hand out." I think this is one of the main I have enjoyed learning about my own nonprofit of choice.  They don't offer a hand out.  They give you some training to go with it. They teach you how to set up your business.  They give you an opportunity to successfully provide for yourself.  Just as the Bethlehem House does for those they help.

I was especially excited to hear her talk about their plans to open a cafe downtown. It's such a great opportunity to supply really great life lessons and skills to those in need.

Bethlehem House, kudos to you.

This past week I have done a lot of research on the Sewing Machine Project.  At times I have felt as though I was in complete information overload.  Needing to go past a required page limit seems to happen quite often in my life.  Sigh.

Other times, however, I felt as though I couldn't find a single thing I wanted to know. Like . . . how does the financial stuff work? What about the structure of the company?  This stuff is important! Unfortunately, my nonprofit of choice is not mentioned much in secondary sources. 

I have emailed.  I have contacted. But nothing . . . yet.  But I'm still hopeful.

Until then, here are some pretty neat pictures inspired by my research overload.

http://photos.msn.com/slideshow/autos/overloaded/23ozc12z

traditions

My trip home this weekend landed me at Great Grandma Frances'. She will be 90 this year + is still spunky + stubborn as ever.  She called me earlier yesterday to let me know I needed to come pick up the cradle she had bought me years ago; I had grown up rocking my dolls in it + she wanted me to have it.

Nearly three hours in, I had looked through nearly every room in her house with her. At dresses from events past, jewelry my cousin + I had played in as little girls, + dishes I have filled with beans cornbread numerous times.  Delicate nostalgia was abundant.  Everywhere we looked, my mum + I found more stories. I am no photographer, but these are some of our favorite pieces:

This doll is at least 80 years old! Mama Frances was a little girl when her daddy bought it for her while living in Mississippi.  It's definitely seen better days.

While going through a trunk a former neighbor had given her years ago, my grandma found some schoolwork from my Papa Bobby, her oldest son.  (Just look at those diagrammed sentences!) Mum + I were so excited to see these.  I am amazed they are still intact.  Most of them are dated 1953! I didn't know until tonight that they had lived in St. Louis then.  Mama said she worked on Broadway + my grandpa would walk their after school everyday. Wow, have times changed or what?

She also gave us several of her old dresses + dust coats.  She wore that gorgeous knife-pleated number to my mum's wedding (second in the lineup).

Of course, to others most of these items hold no value at all.  But to our family, they bring memories + smiles + even a few tears. That's why The Sewing Machine Project is a nonproft I can get behind. Not only are they delivering lifelines, they are also gifting memories and potential heirlooms to families.  Someday, some 48 year-old granddaughter will be able to tell her own 21 year-old daughter about the day her grandma received the sewing machine that helped her through some hard times.  Maybe someday a quilt or a dress or a doll will be passed down to a loved one. Or even better, perhaps the lifeline itself will be passed down; a hobby rooted in tradition will be taught; a bond will be made. 

+ it all starts with a donated sewing machine

giving + mending: from the heart + for the heart

I have always enjoyed gift giving.  Always.  When I think I have a winner, it nearly kills me to have to wait until the designated holiday.  I want to give it right then.  Though it can be one of the most daunting tasks if you don't know what to buy, I adore embracing the challenge + scouring shops + sites of all sorts until I reach that beautiful moment of finding the perfect gift.  

Then I can't wait to wrap it.  Though my talents will never quite match my mum's, I love to make the outside just as pretty +/or exciting as the inside.  As someone who enjoys tearing into wrapping paper almost as much as she enjoys the actual gift, I want the outer wrappings to reflect the inner wonder.

My love for giving is not just materialistic, however; I know that some of the most appreciated + heartfelt gifts can't be wrapped at all. 

Enter: Christmas 2012.

Mum's boss, an unbelievably inspirational + classy woman, gifted a few of the most respectable + treasured gifts I have ever known.  Rather than spending money on things (because when it comes down to it, that's all they really are), she opted to spend money to help others . . . and didn't even take the credit for it.  Taking a cue from what her colleagues enjoy (from chickens to simply being outside), she provided those in need with vital resources.

Talk about a person who knows what giving is all about . . . Thanks to her donations, families in Thailand (where she will be celebrating her coming birthday) received roosters + chickens, Bibles, + mosquito netting.  

And, in my mum's name, one surely appreciative woman received a sewing machine.  A life line, really.  Not only has her village gained an important resource, but this lady now has a way to provide for her family for years to come.  She now has a trade.  Anyone who knows my mum, another inspirational woman I have been blessed with, knows this was one of the best gifts she could have received.  

By the time she finished filling me in, we were both glassy-eyed.

From such comes the inspiration for my charitable non-profit of focus this semester.  The Sewing Machine Project brings hope and life lines to those stricken by poverty or natural disaster.  Along with these gifts comes education of how to operate the machines and how to run a small business, both crucial elements.  This brings about more independent families and communities, starting with the empowerment of individuals.

I am so excited to learn more about the amazing efforts of this organization! I love seeing the glowing smiles + lasting effects which are evident in the faces of these women from Sri Lanka (above) + Mexico (to the right).

(Images)

and so it begins

I'm never in much of a hurry to do anything when it comes to my creative side.  I blame this mainly on the perfectionist streak my mother so generously handed down.  Don't get me wrong; I have the ideas and the desires to do these things but I want them to be perfect.  The first time around.  So I end up thinking too long and putting them off - and, more often than not, never actually doing them.  Even naming this blog was a challenge.  I stared at a blank screen for several minutes while everyone around me typed furiously.  Thanks goes to Meleah for getting my tail moving by just taking over.

Blogging is just one of the areas that I've been slow to approach.  I have often thought of getting started but I never took the plunge.  But I guess I can thank my Writing for Change class for yet another push into the unknown.

While the focus of this blog, the subject matter of said class and how it will relate to a chosen nonprofit organization of my choice (can't wait to see how long it takes me to decide on one of those), isn't really what I had in mind for my first blog, I have to admit that I am looking forward to the challenge.  Even if it is an apprehensive excitement.  The inner workings of nonprofits, charitable nonprofits (which are not the same things, as I recently learned), grants, and all that other slightly scary sounding stuff, has never really been anything that I considered delving into.  But here I am.  At yet another new learning experience that I didn't ask for (if you don't count the fact that I signed up and paid for the class, of course).