This month, the BNI Foundation hosted numerous events around the world to help children receive an education. See below for announcements following a busy month.
Video Contest Winners
We recently asked our supporters to submit a short video describing an adult who significantly influenced their lives when they were children. The resulting one-minute videos shared stories about mentors, coaches, teachers and other leaders and highlight the powerful impact that adults can have on children’s lives.
Our first-place winner, Josh Perry of FusionForge Consultants, describes a volunteer named Ray who brought knowledge, passion and excitement to a Junior Achievement economics course he taught at Josh’s high school. Josh’s prize for winning the contest is a day with BNI Foundation co-founders, Ivan and Beth Misner, in Austin, Texas, USA. See his video below.
Click here for the second-place video and here for third place. Congratulations to our winners.
What Non-Profits Need Most is Funding
Too many non-profit organizations fall into a financial trap of their own making. Being mission driven, they find themselves focusing on providing services without a clear picture of where the money will come from. Many non-profits fail to put a solid fundraising system in place. A major study of the challenges facing non-profits conducted in 2013 found that almost a quarter of the organizations surveyed had no fundraising plan whatsoever. Additionally, many non-profit board members lack training on essential fundraising skills like donor identification, prospecting and cultivating. Read more here.
Givers Gain® Grant Funds Equine Therapy
Boys’ Haven has been in operation in Beaumont, Texas for more than 70 years. Their primary mission is to provide a residence to boys ages 5 to 17 who need a stable and structured home. The program is based on the principles of discipline and hard work. Consequences occur naturally and privileges are earned.
Boy’s Haven was one of this year’s recipients of a $1,000 Givers Gain® Grant, and will use the grant to enroll its residents in the Equine Therapy Summer Program provided by Stable Spirit. Boys who have suffered neglect or abuse learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses. In the video below, Executive Director George Hartsfield talks about the organization and the Equine Therapy Program.
Yard Sale Benefits Crocker Elementary in Massachusetts
Members of BNI Professional Networking Associates in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, have been working to raise $3,100 for Crocker Elementary School. Their June yard sale brought them much closer to that goal. They raised $1,063 in a single day. Their total for the year so far is $2,500. See the yard sale photos here.
