Confessions of a Non Profit Director
Confessions of a Non Profit Director
Looking at a new year brings the same sensations that riding at the top of a roller coaster brings. Is the ride into 2020 going to be terrifying or exhilarating? I am sure that there will be many twists and turns as well as hills and valleys. So...I throw my hands up high and scream at the top of my lungs ready for the new adventure.
Hello, my name is Meg Vanderbilt and I am the founder of Bit of Hope Ranch and have served 14 years as the Ranch's non profit Director, I feel that it is time to reveal what really goes on behind the barn at Bit of Hope Ranch. It is way more than fur and flies and it is time that I share with you some of these mythbusters.
#1 Mythbuster: I get to pet and brush horses all day long. I wish this were true, but leading this ever growing business demands that most of my time is spent on solving problems. I have surrounded myself with great volunteers whose job is to look after the horses on a daily basis and keep me updated on their health, condition, etc. Most of my day is spent buried in office work, fundraising, writing grants, meeting with staff, training new volunteers and handling the management of a 50 acre farm. "Get it down with a little fun" is one of our core values and I model that by carving out some time to do something that I enjoy every day. Even if it is just getting to brush a horse!
#2 Mythbuster: The horses and kids that you help must be so grateful and consistently express their gratitude. Wrong. All of our herd eats 2x/day rain or shine so they are not concerned if I have to slosh out in the pouring rain to feed them...they just expect to be taken care of. Hurt people, hurt people. We are a place where kids and adults bring their wounds to us and sometimes the healing process is not pleasant. I have learned to look beyond their words to try to see the person underneath the mess. I ask God to show me the person that they will become and not the person they are now. We see the transformation in the animals that are rescued and I eagerly use that as a reminder for our clients.
#3 Mythbuster: You must have so many people that want to give you money because everyone loves kids and animals. Managing any nonprofit takes its toll on the leader. It can be very overwhelming some days because we rely on the kindness and generosity of people. They must hear our story and feel compelled to get involved. It can be frustrating and disappointing when fundraisers don't bring in the money that you'd hoped, or the mailer that was sent out did not bring any new donors. We may spend dozens of hours on a grant only to get denied. Why is it that bills always seem to come in a steady flow while donations are sporadic and unpredictable. Learning how to trust in God's provision is the only way that I have learned to ride out the ups and downs of fundraising. God has been faithful to supply us with the funds to operate this organization and we have faithfully managed those resources. Last year, we were even able to give some money away to other similar minded organizations in our "Seeds of Hope" campaign so that we could be a blessing to others. We look forward to what this year will also allow us to do outside of our gates.
#4 Mythbuster: You must have so many volunteers that love to help out. We do have some amazing volunteers that help us weekly or seasonally. The tough part is that they are "volunteers" and other priorities can override their commitment to the Ranch. Since we rely on people to carry out our programs it can be scary to look out at the day and wonder if anyone will show up to help that day. Each therapeutic riding client can need up to 3 volunteers for each hour. Sometimes, we have 125 kids that arrive on school buses for field trips. I know that the needs and clients are coming....but will the help be there too?
#5 Mythbuster: You must be living the dream. Sometimes its hard to know if its a dream or nightmare. It is a challenge to stay positive and fix that gate for the 4th time--or to pause from working and listen to a volunteer share how their day fell apart. The dream turns hazy when my to do list never seems to get done at the end of the day. The dream dims even more when it's time to make a life ending decision about an animal that has been entrusted to my care. When I feel that that the roller coaster ride has been too hard and too long, I hear of a story of how an abused child is now finding hope and healing with one of our horses and therapy teams. I see the mom's eyes tear up when she is grateful because her daughter that has despised herself so much that she has starved and cut herself is now learning to love herself by loving an animal. I see a grown woman weeping and hugging a horse's neck as she learns how to move past trauma and anxiety to step into freedom.
Embrace your local missions this year. Not everyone is called to lead a nonprofit There are many other ways to get involved. If you have something to give...then give it. If you have time, then volunteer. If you have words to share, then encourage someone today. One day we may not have the opportunity so enjoy the ride today!