By: Grace Berry, BBA 2016
Towards the beginning of the semester, our board brainstormed ideas to come up with our foundation’s mission & guiding principles. We chose traits such collaboration and humility. We all also agreed that passion was essential. People are passionate about many things. I have seen passion for the mission field, passion for music, passion for business, passion for children, and passion for life. It is passion that drives people to do things. In the philanthropic world, passion is what fosters new, innovative ideas that have the potential to make a difference in the community.
Our class is currently in phase two: site visits. In our last board meeting we narrowed down our organizations from 70 to 24. We are now are visiting each of these, seeing firsthand who runs them, and what they do for the Waco community. This past week, my group (Health & Wellness) visited three of our organizations. I did not realize how much these visits would impact the way we view these places and what they do. A little over a month ago we were scouring the internet for any relevant information (by looking at their websites, news articles, and any other sources). Not too far after the initial research, we were conducting conference calls, which allowed us to gather even more information.
Coming into the site visits, we felt like we had a good idea what the organizations did for the Waco community. Stepping foot on the grounds and walking through the building, we were surprised. It was shaking hands with the workers and seeing their faces that has given us more information than all of the other resources put together. Watching their faces light up with excitement while telling us about how they came to the organization, what they do, the people they serve and have relationships with, and the impact they have on the community shed light on the programs at an entirely different angle. The directors’ enthusiasm and drive is astounding. Many of them gave up successful careers in other fields to pursue their nonprofit work. They are determined, not letting small roadblocks keep them from reaching their goals. They are visionaries, ideas constantly flowing that will impact the community in new ways. After leaving one of our site visits, I, along with the students in my group, walked to our car in silence. We were honestly amazed and speechless at the passion these people have for what they do. Most people will tell you they enjoy what they do, and that interest is what led them to their careers. But the directors, CEOs, and founders of these non-profits have genuine gratification. They truly love making a difference in their community, and willingly do this, often times their own expense.
As we move toward our second board meeting, the decisions will only become harder as we continue to narrow down our organizations and grant ideas. So many of our non-profits have directors and leaders who are passionate about their work. If our decisions merely came down to passion, it would be nearly impossible to choose.
Grace is a senior pre-med Business Fellow, with minors in German and Biochemistry. She grew up in San Antonio, but calls Vail, CO her second home, where her family loves biking, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. In her free time she enjoys playing piano, hitting tennis balls, and meeting friends for coffee.