My group decided on our organization by figuring out which one would make the most out of the money. We decided that our local food pantry could use the money the most because we are a small town and we may know the people who need the help the food pantry provides. Working in a group is very easy for me when all the members help and try. Having helpful group mates who are willing to throw out ideas and get the creativity flowing. Most of my group agreed and shared the same thoughts except for maybe one member. How we decided to handle the disagreement was to explain ourselves and why we felt what we did and the take a vote on the best decision for the group.

I thought that the woman from Open Sky was really good. She was very passionate about her cause and had a lot to say. Also, the man from the American Legion was good. He himself was a veteran, and he was super into the fundraising ideas and I liked what he had to say. One woman mentioned that what you do in school or go to college for may not be what your future job may be. I found that interesting because when we go into college, we expect to have a job in that same field, which does not always happen. She said to just follow what you are passionate about and  see where it take you. I think that that is very good advice. What I am learning from the fundraiser is that you must be prepared in case things do not go as planned. Also, you should plan ahead and start fundraising wayyyyyy before the deadline so you can make as much money as possible.

I found that the organization that we brought in wasn’t as large as we thought. Something that surprised me is that they have to pick and choose where the send food to make sure it isn’t lost or stolen. I am learning that fundraising is a lot of planning. We have to plan the dates and times of everything and we have to make sure everyone makes something different. Also, we have to get a lot of things approved by the people higher up.

I found that looking at their tax form was very helpful to see where their money is going. Also, I find it sort of easy to evaluated because if the money is going to actually benefit those in need, you don’t donate to those places.  I find it much harder to choose when you are looking at two great organizations that help a lot of people when they are really helping the cause.

I learned that our organization has many members that our within our community and in our school. A few teachers are members as well. I found it important to look at the numbers because they could be doing really well when dealing with the money and it could be going to that very good cause. Some organizations spend more money of the workers rather than the actual cause. The organization my group does very well with that management because they got a 14 out of 15.

Creating missions statements proved to be much harder than I had thought.I found it difficult to put everything a person or group stands for and compact it into two to three sentences. These are important in a non-profit group because they allow people to clearly understand what you stand for. I think most of the organizations that we reach out we be very accepting and willing to work with us.  

From the brown paper bag activity, I found that many of my classmates really enjoy sports and find them a very important part of their lives. Also, many of my classmates value their families and spoke about their love for them. The activity was a cool way to learn fun facts about each other too; like what kind of music they listen to, their hobbies, etc.. We are not sure as to what our fundraiser will yet but we are thinking of doing a bake sale and accepting donations. We are also unsure of the date, but it is going to happen.

In my experience using the MAD cards, I found that there is a lot in this world that could use donations for bettering other people’s lives. I found it difficult to narrow down 6 cards to 3. Culture preservation was then my “top card.” I learned that the cards other people choose had root in their beliefs or how they were raised. For example, someone who has been around animals all their life may choose an organization to help and rescue animals. Through Main Street Philanthropy, I hope to gain knowledge on donation funded organizations, the opportunities it gives others, and the issues the charities choose to eliminate. I would like to see how the donation funded organizations world and how the stay afloat just by the money they receive. Also, I’d like to learn about the opportunities it provides people who would like to help a cause or others in need. Finally, I’d like to learn about why a specific charity choose that issue to eliminate. For example, why did that specific group of people choose to for a charity for HIV instead or cancer? I’d like to learn the “why.”