The need for bold, innovative solutions has never been greater. We’re constantly inspired by the nonprofit leaders we support—big thinkers tackling big challenges in education, healthcare, social justice, and more.
Our programs give early-stage nonprofits the funding, mentorship, and expert connections they need to grow. While pitch competitions and matching gifts make a splash, alumni gain significant strategic support from the incubator and alumni programs.
Heroic Gardens is a nonprofit that provides free gardening services to U.S. veterans in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs of Pennsylvania, Northern Delaware and South Jersey. It also operates a virtual program in 24 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Founder Collie Turner shares her story behind its creation and the lessons learned along the way.
The seeds for Heroic Gardens were planted many years ago, somewhat unexpectedly. While caring for her grandmother, Collie discovered that her grandfather’s military death benefits had never been claimed. After a frustrating three-year journey of navigating the VA system, she met a local veteran who took time out of her regular role helping veterans secure housing, to help get her grandmother’s application reviewed and approved. This woman’s kindness sparked a question in Collie’s mind: How can I give back?
In her role as the Director of Social Impact & Sustainability at UF’s Warrington College of Business, Dr. Kristin Joys has connected us with MANY of Greater Sum’s most cherished interns. When we gathered to discuss internships earlier this summer, she shared some tips for successful, meaningful experiences with interns. Dr. Joys has given permission for us to share them more broadly here.
Grants can be transformational for nonprofits, but only if they're the right fit. With so many options out there, it’s easy to fall into the trap of chasing every opportunity you hear about. The truth is: not every grant is a good use of your limited time.
At The Greater Sum, we help early-stage nonprofits sort through the noise. Here’s a practical framework for deciding which grants are worth pursuing and which ones you can safely set aside.
If you’re new to grant writing, the language can feel like learning a whole new dialect. Acronyms show up everywhere. Terms get tossed around like everyone already knows what they mean. And honestly? Sometimes even people who've been at this a while still have to double-check.
At The Greater Sum, we believe language shouldn’t be a barrier to funding. So here’s a simple, grant-seeker-friendly guide to the most common terms you’ll run into, roughly in the order you’ll likely meet them.
The need for bold, innovative solutions has never been greater. We’re constantly inspired by the nonprofit leaders we support—big thinkers tackling big challenges in education, healthcare, social justice, and more.
Our programs give early-stage nonprofits the funding, mentorship, and expert connections they need to grow. While pitch competitions and matching gifts make a splash, alumni gain significant strategic support from the incubator and alumni programs.
Heroic Gardens is a nonprofit that provides free gardening services to U.S. veterans in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs of Pennsylvania, Northern Delaware and South Jersey. It also operates a virtual program in 24 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Founder Collie Turner shares her story behind its creation and the lessons learned along the way.
The seeds for Heroic Gardens were planted many years ago, somewhat unexpectedly. While caring for her grandmother, Collie discovered that her grandfather’s military death benefits had never been claimed. After a frustrating three-year journey of navigating the VA system, she met a local veteran who took time out of her regular role helping veterans secure housing, to help get her grandmother’s application reviewed and approved. This woman’s kindness sparked a question in Collie’s mind: How can I give back?
In her role as the Director of Social Impact & Sustainability at UF’s Warrington College of Business, Dr. Kristin Joys has connected us with MANY of Greater Sum’s most cherished interns. When we gathered to discuss internships earlier this summer, she shared some tips for successful, meaningful experiences with interns. Dr. Joys has given permission for us to share them more broadly here.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
