Root Division
I founded Root Division in 2002 along with two other classmates from the San Francisco Art Institute, Nathan Suter and Dennis McNulty. Root Division's mission is to improve appreciation and access to the
visual arts by connecting personal inspiration and community
participation. We provide subsidized studio space to working artists in
exchange for their service in creating shared learning opportunities
for the community. Artists develop creatively and professionally by
teaching art to underserved youth, leading adult education classes, and
producing exhibitions that showcase local emerging artwork. By
combining multiple opportunities for creative exchange, Root Division
cultivates an artistic ecosystem that enriches life throughout the Bay
Area.
To find out more and to get involved go to www.rootdivision.org
To find out more and to get involved go to www.rootdivision.org
Mitch Temple's
Five Personal Tips To Start A Non-Profit
1. Surround Yourself With Good People: I mean this both ways. Surround yourself with a lot of people; the more the merrier. The range of skills you need to put together a non-profit is vast. It will give you a great opportunity to appreciate the talents of others. And make sure they are good people--strong character and interesting. You'll be spending more time with them than you can imagine and if they are boring you're screwed. Also, the challenges of a non-profit and the fatigue involved will expose character flaws--yours included--so if you aren't surrounded by folks with similar ideals you'll fall apart.
2. Always Have A Quaker: Our Quaker was Nathan Suter. He's the only Quaker I know so I just assume that all of them are extremely intelligent and morally unflappable. If you don't have somebody like this drafting your by-laws, looking over your books, and developing a culture of professionalism then you risk leaving all your great ideas vulnerable to practical realities.
3. Get Lucky: At a few different points in our organizational history we either didn't have the answers to the challenges facing us, or we didn't have the resources necessary. In those times you need to get lucky.
4. Don't Listen To Anybody Who's Not Working With You: Opinions are cheap and naysayers even more plentiful. If somebody is giving you a lot of good advice then it's your job to get them on board in some capacity. Otherwise value the opinions of the people who are working with you. Most likely their opinions are an outgrowth of their belief in the organization, and those convictions are the lifeblood of a young non-profit. Unfortunately, that means you should probably not listen to any advice I give either.
5. Have Fun: Lots of it. Every chance you get. Compensation in the non-profit world is typically unfair, and if you're trudging on because you think what you're doing is the 'right' thing to do, better just leave it be. You'll be gone from this planet in the blink of an eye and by all credible accounts the thrills of this particular world will no longer be made available to you.
Five Personal Tips To Start A Non-Profit
1. Surround Yourself With Good People: I mean this both ways. Surround yourself with a lot of people; the more the merrier. The range of skills you need to put together a non-profit is vast. It will give you a great opportunity to appreciate the talents of others. And make sure they are good people--strong character and interesting. You'll be spending more time with them than you can imagine and if they are boring you're screwed. Also, the challenges of a non-profit and the fatigue involved will expose character flaws--yours included--so if you aren't surrounded by folks with similar ideals you'll fall apart.
2. Always Have A Quaker: Our Quaker was Nathan Suter. He's the only Quaker I know so I just assume that all of them are extremely intelligent and morally unflappable. If you don't have somebody like this drafting your by-laws, looking over your books, and developing a culture of professionalism then you risk leaving all your great ideas vulnerable to practical realities.
3. Get Lucky: At a few different points in our organizational history we either didn't have the answers to the challenges facing us, or we didn't have the resources necessary. In those times you need to get lucky.
4. Don't Listen To Anybody Who's Not Working With You: Opinions are cheap and naysayers even more plentiful. If somebody is giving you a lot of good advice then it's your job to get them on board in some capacity. Otherwise value the opinions of the people who are working with you. Most likely their opinions are an outgrowth of their belief in the organization, and those convictions are the lifeblood of a young non-profit. Unfortunately, that means you should probably not listen to any advice I give either.
5. Have Fun: Lots of it. Every chance you get. Compensation in the non-profit world is typically unfair, and if you're trudging on because you think what you're doing is the 'right' thing to do, better just leave it be. You'll be gone from this planet in the blink of an eye and by all credible accounts the thrills of this particular world will no longer be made available to you.