The Arizona Republic

Creating non-profit a harder job than it may seem

Susie Steckner
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 22, 2006 12:00 AM

Fresh out of college and full of optimism, Kristen Bradfield found herself teaching special education to teen girls at a behavioral-health center and quickly getting an education herself.

"I just could not believe that a lot of the girls didn't believe in themselves," Bradfield said. "They didn't have access to a lot of positive role models or information about things like going to college."

Determined to help girls like these, Bradfield decided to start a non-profit organization called GIFT, or Growth Improvement for Female Teens, which focuses on support groups and developing leadership skills.

In the past six years, Bradford has faced the struggles of many non-profit entrepreneurs, from working out of her home to working for free. But that hasn't dimmed her passion.

"People think that's crazy, but when you have a vision and something that's truly a need in the community, you really just have to go for it," Bradfield said.

The state is home to as many as 19,000 registered non-profit organizations like Bradfield's, with more than half of them located in Maricopa County, according to Arizona's Nonprofit Sector: The Spirit of Arizona , published in 2003 by the Center for Leadership, Ethics & Public Service and the Arizona Community Foundation.

Arizonans create an estimated 1,500 non-profits each year, the report said.

Non-profits have interests that run the gamut from saving animals and the environment to boosting arts and education to providing basic needs such as food and shelter. Their reach extends to countless Arizonans.

"We would not have the quality of life we do in our community if it were not for those efforts," said Pat Lewis, senior professional-in-residence at Arizona State University 's Center for Nonprofit Leadership & Management.

Lewis fields questions from all over the country about non-profits, and the most frequently asked is how to start such an organization.

"You have to look at the market. What's out there already? What's the competition? And there is competition in the non-profit sector," Lewis said.

Next, she said, people have to determine how they will fund the organization.

Foundations and other funders often want to support organizations with a track record, and proof that programs are bringing results.

The funding challenge

That was eye-opening for Bradfield after conceiving the idea for GIFT.

"I really decided to start it without having any idea about what was involved," she said. "I really and truly thought that you filled out a couple of forms and you started a non-profit."

But Bradfield was soon immersed in the business of establishing a non-profit.

She enrolled in an ASU course on starting a non-profit and later lucked into finding a mentor at a Phoenix non-profit agency, a relationship that she said was invaluable.

To recruit board members, Bradfield made presentations to various groups but often left empty-handed. She finally signed up five who were young, passionate and willing. She later added board members strategically based on certain skills and talents.

Perhaps the most difficult part of starting a non-profit was finding funds, she said.

Bradfield was repeatedly rejected for grants but finally landed a $10,000 grant when she teamed up with another, established non-profit group. That gave her a track record.

People who know Bradfield have nicknamed her the "non-profit pack rat" because she's always researching the sector and seeking advice from others. In one case, she e-mailed a business leader for guidance after reading about the woman in a local newspaper.

"The thing I've learned the most is not to be timid about asking for what you need," Bradfield said.

An independent board

Colette Eckard has a similar survival story. About eight years ago, she conceived the idea for Breaking Up Walls, a non-profit organization that brings together diverse groups to paint murals.

Eckard spent years doing her non-profit homework, learning about everything from public relations to building a Web site to recruiting volunteers. She also tapped other non-profits for advice. And before she took on her first project, she researched graffiti and studied murals and artists.

"You cannot research non-profit organizations enough," Eckard said.

Eckard bounced ideas off friends for years. But when it came time to recruit board members, she looked outside her circle, reasoning that they could more easily be honest and question her plans when needed.

So far, Eckard has been financially supporting the organization. She said she was too naïve about getting funding, believing that people would naturally want to support her cause. She found that non-profits had a bad reputation among some potential donors and that people who initially agreed to give their time or other resources didn't always come through.

But two murals later, Eckard is realizing her dream of using art for reconciliation.

Business principles

Janice Parker, founding executive director of Save the Family in Mesa , has seen her organization grow over nearly two decades from a grass-roots effort to help homeless families into a $5.3 million operation. Save the Family provides transitional housing and support services, while a second non-profit Parker founded, ARM of Save the Family, provides affordable rental housing.

Like other veterans in the sector, Parker said it's critical for people just starting out to understand the business side of non-profit organizations.

She said they should size up the competition, use an attorney and a financial adviser to set up the organization, select board members who can help the organization grow, and diversify funding. The organization should also resist the urge to grow too fast, she said.

A helping hand

Alison Rapping, chief executive officer of the newly formed Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, echoed much of this advice. She encouraged people to tap resources such as the ASU non-profit center for help.

"A non-profit leader in a small non-profit is asked to wear many hats, including visionary, strategic planner, advocate, fund-raiser, financial manager, and risk-management expert."

Success comes easier, she said, if leaders don't go it alone.

A version of the story originally appeared in Arizona Woman magazine.