subject matter expertise
Anna Taylor
What's your YES?

Each year, about 64 million Americans - one-fourth of the adult population - are invited to volunteer. For many, volunteerism is a source of great joy and satisfaction. In fact, the National Institutes of Health has found improved mental and physical health in folks who volunteer. April is National Volunteer Month, and nonprofit organizations across the US are celebrating their volunteers and asking more people to get involved with their causes. If you’ve found volunteering less joyful than you’d hoped, or even just an obligation, I’d like to have a word with you this month.

Anna Taylor
The Greater Sum Is Turning Four!

Four years ago, I could never have predicted that we’d have 65 deserving nonprofits growing today in sustainability and innovation through our incubator. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have guessed we’d have awarded $375,000 to deserving nonprofits by mid-2021. Two years ago, I couldn’t have known that our volunteer ranks would continue to swell, helping so many altruistic people contribute to world-changing nonprofit movements. And one year ago, as the pandemic raged, I would never have guessed that the forced migration to virtual competition pitch and incubation would push us to unimaginable tenfold growth in our first four years.

Alumni Spotlight: FreeFrom

The Greater Sum supports innovative nonprofits across our focus areas of community, health, education and environment in hopes that these nonprofits will expand and scale. 2020 Alumni organization FreeFrom is changing the conversation about gender-based violence and financial abuse.

Founder Sonya Passi visited Greater Sum’s January board meeting to give an update on how the organization has grown since receiving Greater Sum funding in 2020.

  • Awarded over $2MM in emergency cash grants to survivors,

  • Social enterprise, Gifted, has generated over $2.5MM in revenue for survivors,

  • Supporting survivors in getting legislation passed in 12 states,

  • Data from their cash grant program has been cited by the White House and used by federal agencies.

It’s noteworthy for a nonprofit to enter this sphere of influence. One of the challenges of working in the field of gender-based violence is the lack of good data. FreeFrom has used data from their cash grant program to publish reports on survivor experience and policy recommendations. As Sonya told our board, “it’s very easy to ignore a nonprofit but its hard to ignore 2500 survivors.”

FreeFrom recently celebrated their 7-year anniversary. Congratulations to Sonya and her team for the dramatic impact you’ve had in such a short time!

Free Non-Profit Incubator Program LIVE in Jacksonville, FL!

Strange things are afoot here at Greater Sum headquarters. After three years and seven virtual cohorts we are doing an in-person version of our non-profit incubator. This pilot program will take place in Greater Sum’s home town, Jacksonville, Florida.

The program consists of:

  • Self-paced curriculum focused on financial sustainability & pitching your nonprofit

  • Weekly peer discussion to reinforce what you’re learning and expand your knowledge of local resources

  • 1-on-1 coaching calls with Greater Sum volunteers

  • Pitch training, coaching, and feedback

The self-paced incubator curriculum will still be offered online, but the weekly peer chat will be in person here in JAX. I couldn’t be more excited to combine two of my favorite activities: talking shop and drinking coffee in my neighborhood.

Here’s the scoop…

Dates: August 8th through September 12th (Tuesday morning meetings)

Audience: founders of start-up non-profits in Jacksonville

Cost: ZERO. NADA. NOT A DIME. (why? Greater Sum helps founders build financially sustainable non-profits, and we know what start-up non-profit budgets look like.)

Application Deadline: July 20th

Graduates of the incubator are eligible to participate in Greater Sum’s pitch competition. You can learn about past winners HERE, and watch last year’s pitch competition on our YouTube channel.

Hosting this series in person is a new adventure for TGS, and I hope you, dear reader, will help this opportunity find its intended audience. If you know a non-profit founder in Jacksonville who would love to connect with fellow founders and subject matter expert volunteers, send them our way!

PS - if you’re thinking to yourself, “I wish this was taking place in MY town,” don’t give up hope! Our goal is for Greater Sum and partners to be able to offer incubator series in a variety of locations.

Founder Story: Art Prevails Project

Darius V. Daughtry is the founder of Art Prevails Project, a nonprofit based in South Florida with a mission to strengthen communities - particularly those that are underserved and historically disadvantaged - by investing in people through literary and performing arts. On May 9th, he joined Greater Sum Advisory Board member Kimberlee Nicole Smith & Executive Director Anna Taylor to present at the PEAK Grantmaking Conference on “Supporting Early Stage & Grassroots Nonprofits.”

EVERYDAY GIVING

Do you consider yourself a philanthropist? The Greater Sum Foundation posed this question to a few of our friends and supporters to find out their views on giving. More than half of those surveyed felt that they were not philanthropists. As one put it, “to me, a philanthropist is someone who is able to make a transformational gift. I consider myself a giver.” The responses were illuminating and shed light on how people view philanthropy.

Support and Guidance for New Nonprofits

Are you leading a nonprofit startup and juggling demand for your services with fundraising and paperwork? Greater Sum’s free virtual incubator program may be just the help you need, in a format designed to fit into your busy schedule.

The incubator covers nonprofit accounting, funding models, earned revenue, and branding via a self-paced curriculum, and brings together nonprofit leaders and industry mentors for lively group discussions and individual coaching sessions.

Here’s what past participants have to say about the program:

“We can confidently say we are better able to serve our mission because of this experience.”

“It's given me some confidence to know our growing pains are "normal" and manageable.”

“It is encouraging to get to know other young organizations at a similar stage in development.”

“There is so much to do but having your support and network made it easier and helps to keep me encouraged.”

Greater Sum is offering three sessions in 2023: January/February, March/April, and May/June. Graduates of the incubator are eligible to participate in our Fall 2023 pitch competition. Apply HERE!

What's your YES?

Each year, about 64 million Americans - one-fourth of the adult population - are invited to volunteer. For many, volunteerism is a source of great joy and satisfaction. In fact, the National Institutes of Health has found improved mental and physical health in folks who volunteer. April is National Volunteer Month, and nonprofit organizations across the US are celebrating their volunteers and asking more people to get involved with their causes. If you’ve found volunteering less joyful than you’d hoped, or even just an obligation, I’d like to have a word with you this month.

How about New Year's Resources Instead of Resolutions?

Dear Friends of The Greater Sum,

Congrats on everything you accomplished in 2021, be it growth, maintenance, self-care, or self-protection. In 2022, it is my deepest wish that The Greater Sum provides you with a boost of energy, a helping hand, or a lightbulb moment.

We’re doing rolling applications for our 2022 Virtual Nonprofit Incubator sessions this year - the deadline is tomorrow for the February/March session, and you can also apply for April/May or June/July sessions at your leisure. If you’re ready to level up your non-profit, the incubator will help you plan for growth and financial sustainability. Apply HERE, and feel free to reach out with questions.

In the coming months, you’ll see more activity here on the blog, networking and informational webinars, and a steady infusion of good news and opportunities from our non-profit grantees and alumni. We’ll also be launching Greater Together, a new online community and home for the virtual incubator. Volunteers and alumni, this is your chance to “get together” in a variety of productive and engaging ways!

In lieu of New Year’s Resolutions, we are focused on Resources. Find them, create them, share them! What are your favorite non-profit resources lately?

Anna Taylor, Executive Director

The Greater Sum Is Turning Four!

Four years ago, I could never have predicted that we’d have 65 deserving nonprofits growing today in sustainability and innovation through our incubator. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have guessed we’d have awarded $375,000 to deserving nonprofits by mid-2021. Two years ago, I couldn’t have known that our volunteer ranks would continue to swell, helping so many altruistic people contribute to world-changing nonprofit movements. And one year ago, as the pandemic raged, I would never have guessed that the forced migration to virtual competition pitch and incubation would push us to unimaginable tenfold growth in our first four years.

The Art of Online Conversation

More than a year into the pandemic, we’ve learnt to work differently. Many nonprofits have bitten the bullet and pivoted online, successfully holding virtual stakeholder engagements, professional education and even fundraising galas, some even reaching out to more people than they would have otherwise. Yet, even with the most successful virtual events, a common sentiment is that attendees miss the interactions and connections forged in the serendipitous moments of in-person events.

Entrepreneurial? Collaborative? Ready? Join our next Virtual Incubator Class!

If you’re leading an early-stage nonprofit and looking for resources to help you become more strategic and sustainable, check out our free Nonprofit Virtual Incubator. This summer’s session runs June 25th through August 27th. The incubator covers nonprofit accounting, funding models, earned revenue, and branding via a self-paced curriculum, and brings together nonprofit leaders and industry mentors for lively group discussions and individual coaching sessions.

Here’s what recent incubator grads have to say about the program:

“We can confidently say we are better able to serve our mission because of this experience.”

“It's given me some confidence to know our growing pains are "normal" and manageable.”

“It is encouraging to get to know other young organizations at a similar stage in development.”

“There is so much to do but having your support and network made it easier and helps to keep me encouraged.”

“The format… was a great way to learn, clarify, and apply knowledge while keeping each session varied and providing participation options.”

Spend this summer in collaboration with The Greater Sum’s nonprofit network! Graduates of the incubator are eligible to compete in our Fall 2021 Pitch Competition. Learn more and apply HERE.

Is an App in Your Org's Future?

A big part of what we do at The Greater Sum Foundation is provide assistance for nonprofit professionals navigating the world of program management and we want to help you find practical solutions to increase efficiency and impact. Which is why we have asked Morgan Berman, founder and CEO of MilkCrate to share some case studies and industry knowledge with us.

Putting the Puzzle Together: Nonprofit Virtual Incubator

Figuring out a financial strategy is one of the toughest parts of starting and sustaining a nonprofit. During our first three years of operation, Greater Sum worked with nonprofit founders and SME volunteers to identify what type of help and advice founders most need, and we built our Financial Strategy Incubator curriculum to meet that need.

Here’s what incubator grad Barakat Bundle had to say about the experience: “We’ve participated in many incubators in the past but The Greater Sum’s Virtual Incubator was one of the best curated programs to support our growth as a non-profit. We are so grateful for the support of the Incubator and of our peer cohort - we can confidently say we are better able to serve our mission because of this experience.”

We’re recruiting for our Winter Incubator session (2/15-3/8) now. The program is FREE but space is limited. As an added benefit, graduates of Greater Sum’s incubator program are eligible to participate in our annual pitch competition! Visit our website to learn more and apply. Sharing this content is part of Greater Sum’s mission to support innovative nonprofits. If you’re leading a nonprofit and struggling with how to ensure your organization succeeds and thrives, check it out!

The Greater Summit Grand Finale... The Greater Match

Today’s a big day for the Greater Sum Foundation. From the time we launched our first grant application in 2017, we’ve been on a mission to provide the best possible support services to early-stage nonprofits. Listening, reflecting, appreciative inquiry, and reiterating led us to today, the launch of our Nonprofit Accelerator and The Greater Match.

At the end of last year, the Greater Sum board focused on twin goals for increasing impact. Our capacity for awarding grants limited the number of organizations we served, leaving our volunteers hungry for more opportunities to help. The nonprofits we served identified one key support they’d like to see as they transitioned out of their grant year: introductions to more funders and supporters of their missions. Our revamped program model achieves both of this goals, and today we see it come to fruition.

Greater Sum - Three Stage Model EAF v1.png

In 2020, the Greater Sum quadrupled the number of nonprofits we connected with volunteers for short and long term coaching and consulting projects. We used a curriculum created by volunteer subject matter experts to help 20 nonprofits strengthen their financial strategy and become more sustainable. We converted our grant application to a pitch competition and this morning we welcomed nine nonprofits from the competition to our Nonprofit Accelerator, a six month all-access pass to the Greater Sum volunteer network plus a fundraising and network building experience we call The Greater Match.

The nonprofits in the accelerator are doing the kind of work Greater Sum was created to nurture. They’re innovating in their field, and they’re doing so with a strategy that will scale to serve more communities at a reasonable cost. Whether they’re connecting veterans with nature, increasing civic awareness, or improving maternal health outcomes, we think these organizations are a smart investment of your philanthropic dollars.

That’s why we are double matching online donations made through our Nonprofit Accelerator this month, up to $12,500. Visit the accelerator, shop around. On each organization’s page you’ll find a short video explanation of their work, their mission statement, and a deeper dive into their strategy in the form of their pitch deck. Each organization has a designated online giving form, where you can make an individual donation to the Greater Sum which we’ll double match, tripling the impact of your investment in the nonprofits you’re excited about.

If you missed the Pitch Competition Winner announcement on Facebook Live this morning, here’s a replay. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Come celebrate and fuel nonprofit innovation with us!

Vote for Audience Favorite in Greater Sum's Virtual Pitch Competition!

Wow, Greater Sum’s first virtual Annual Meeting was fun! I’ve been sad about not gathering in person for Greater Summit, but last night I found the sparkling silver lining to the virtual format. I was right alongside our TGS volunteers and nonprofit partners, watching in my PJs with a bowl of popcorn and my family.

Together we looked back at bright spots of 2020 and explained Greater Sum’s new Incubator - Pitch Competition - Accelerator program model. We debuted the nonprofits competing for funding prizes in the Pitch Competition, and made the exciting announcement that an anonymous donor will double-match your December donations in the Accelerator up to $12,500. (That means we’ll be distributing up to $37,500 in grants in January 2021!)

The audience favorite prize in the pitch competition is still up for grabs. Watch the pitch video, then vote for your favorite organization by November 25th. You can see the live announcement of pitch competition winners December 1st at 10am Eastern on Greater Sum’s Facebook page.

Thanks for your support and enthusiasm for this new model! We’ve got even more nonprofit support and network expansion planned for 2021.

Anna Taylor, Executive Director

The Greater Sum Foundation

Reflections on Greater Summit 2020: Resilience and Innovation in Uncertain Times

It was WONDERFUL to see so many nonprofit partners at Greater Summit last week! If you registered but weren’t able to join us, or if you are just learning about it now, you can watch Greater Summit On Demand.

From now until 11/30/2020, click the Greater Summit registration page to watch the recording at your convenience. Our keynote speakers, panelists, and wellness practitioners had so much practical wisdom to share - be sure to take advantage before the video is archived on 11/30!

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