Unreasonable

I just finished writing our first big grant and got asked by the grantor to define what makes us unreasonable at #OneSharedRoot based on the quote below:

"The reasonable person adapts themselves to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to themselves. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable person." -George Bernard Shaw

Here was my answer:

One Shared Root is unreasonable because we look past what others consider reality and design our world with unlimited potential. This community venture began with our son, who in spite of a life limiting disorder, approaches each day as if his spirit will live forever. He continues to inspire us all to challenge limitations and bravely pursue liberation.

We also just got our logo choices presented by our dear talented friends at Velocity. They are all amazing!!! Go to this link if you want to vote on them. We are interested in your opinion.

https://pollev.com/multiple_choice_polls/G5UDN7YjqD1LaMc/web

Lastly, our dear friend Melissa Pullon introduced us to this amazing gal who works with another Non Profit named FT4C, Fruit Trees for Community. It’s a program to strengthen the local community with the benefits of a bulk-order wholesale discount on a great assortment of berry, grape, and fruit trees that were hand-picked to do well in our climate. With every order over 3 trees, they will donate 1 fruit tree and every order over 12, they will donate 5 fruit trees in your name to any of the local participating organization you choose (#OneSharedRoot)! Check out their website: https://ft4c.org

The root just keeps growing….

Up Next.....

Lots going on…

·         Currently writing two grants to the tune of $100K

o   Perhaps a long shot but doing it for the practice as well as the miracle

·         Meeting with SUSD on the location

·         Researching smaller project based grants to pursue

·         Creating a video for our crowdfunding campaign kick off

o   Thanks to our huge hearted friends at WIREBUZZ

·         Planning a small fundraiser/ board recruitment dinner (NOV)

o   Introducing the idea to our closet members of our community who are interested enough to help support the start up  

o   Need Volunteers and donations for the dinner

·         Reserving space for our summer camps

·         Organizing resources

·         Taking the DDD class to become a provider

·         Creating our branding and marketing pieces

o   Thanks to our creatively gifted friends at VILOCITY INTERACTIVE

·         Gathering lists of potential candidates

·         Creating the program curriculum

Anyone who wants to help with the fundraising dinner, please let me know!

We have over 2,500 hits on this blog and so many people who have expressed a need to be involved. That's how we know we have to keep on keeping on, one day at a time. 

Unexpected Catalyst!

When we decided to go for it, we reached out to our dear friend Alisa Chatinsky from NPO Success. She is an amazing woman who helped get Daring Adventures to a new level. I knew from all our work with Anthony’s Adventure and her personal love for our family’s story she would really appreciate what we were trying to do.

Alisa in turn introduced us to some folks over at Vitalyst health Foundation (formerly St. Luke’s Health initiative). Upon her direction, we went to them and told our story and shared our vision.

Those of you who know the process, starting a non-profit can be very time consuming. You have to file your incorporation papers, file for tax exempt status, draw up your articles and bylaws, and organize a board of directors. This process can take 8 months to a year and then two years or more before you are eligible to apply for any grants. One solution to expedite things is to find a fiscal sponsorship.

Fiscal Sponsorships are 501© (3) charitable corporations who give unincorporated organizations starting out (who have similar missions), a place to park while they are building capacity. The sponsor provides accounting, human resources, grant reviews, and other very important services behind the scenes. They give a new organization some credibility and fulfill requirements certain grants demand.

TAP/AZ (Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona), an affiliate of Vitalyst, offered applications for a fiscal sponsorship and we decided to apply. This would allow us to get started now with some significant backing. Not just fiduciary oversight, but also a large prestigious organization saying our idea had merit.

Filling out the application was a little daunting and took days. Alisa reviewed it for us and helped us fine tune our mission, plan and budget. We were introduced to a very kind man named George from TAP/AZ   who guided us and helped clarify what the organization was looking for in its candidates.  We submitted the application and waited with our fingers crossed.

We are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude as we tell you, today we have signed the legal agreement with TAP/AZ as our official fiscal sponsor!!! We can now accept donations, apply for grants, and have the leadership, experience and support we need to do this NOW!

DeeDee and I went to lunch and sat and stared at each other with tears in our eyes. This is happening. It feels so divinely inspired. All my early years of the journey with AC felt like I was paddling up Niagara Falls. Everything was so hard. Getting him services, getting him healthcare, delivering interventions, getting friends, keeping friends, working, relationships, discipline, perseverance.…. But over the last couple years, I’ve started to slow down. Some of it I’m certain is simply sheer exhaustion but much of it feels more like a “letting go” of some sorts. At first it felt awkward and uncomfortable. I wondered if I was giving up the fight.

Over time, I slowly shifted my philosophy from “making it” happen, to “allowing it” to happen.  Instead of fighting for what we needed all the time it became more about collaboration, support and asking for help. I can’t help but feel everything is unfolding, opening up and standing to reason. When I look at all the dots effortlessly being connected with #OneSharedRoot, I can’t help but wonder how amazing and limitless the potential seems….. Now that something so much bigger (and wiser) seems to be running the show.

I can’t wait to see what happens.

Location, Location, Location

This will be key to the success.

We will need: space to farm in the ground, raised beds for people in wheelchairs, space for green houses or sea containers of Aquaponics, office/classroom space, Farmer’s Market and Juice bar area for the public and parking. We will need to be somewhere we can connect to other programs we want to partner with including the school district, community traffic for branding and awareness and accessibility for the marketplace. A place that has space for opportunity and growth.

Having started a business, I know first-hand, this vital decision can make or break it. And based on past mistakes, we want to go into this with the least amount of fiscal responsibility possible.

Today, DeeDee and I found a place with all of the above criteria.

Yes, we found a home for #OneSharedRoot.

It’s perfect but will require some politicking. I’ll share more details soon. The decision makers will be the governing board of Scottsdale Unified School District.

Our next step is to start drawing up the plans to present to the board as to how we will utilize the space we are requesting. We are reaching out to an engineering program at ASU and a master gardening program at U of A for help and we will soon reach out to all of you for community support and recommendation.

Stay Tuned…..it just got real.