The Reality of Starting a Nonprofit - a Father's Perspective -3rd Post

My son is 3 months into starting his own Non-profit - Zenith Ministries, to help those 20-40 year olds who suffer from depression, addiction or abuse. In my last posting [Sept. 25th] I marveled at the success of connections, marketing presence (e.g. radio hosting, podcast guest, event speaking) and general activity that my son Thomas had generated in 2 short months. I especially liked his podcast, and this episode - The Pain of Depression is Good for You. https://zenithministries.com/podcast-series/

I looked at how busy Thomas was and I asked him the difficult question. “What are your specific products and services?” See, he had many great ideas. The challenge with most “do-gooders” is that they see all that can be done, and since it is all needed, or good, they respond to everything. He needed to get focused.

We discussed what is his mission and as importantly, what were his core competencies. In other words, what are you good at that would cause someone to come to you? And, if you have competition, what would cause them to choose you versus another provider? 

His mission statement was good. It describes his purpose and helps others visualize how they will accomplish the mission (e.g. “we will do this by…”) see How to Run a Nonprofit. The Mission Statement. P. 43-48.  

Zenith Ministries

We assist Gen Z and Millennial Catholics, unfulfilled by addiction, depression or hedonism, discover the truth and healing of God, and partner with Him in climbing to the heights of humanity. 

Our first order off business was to look at all of these activities and see if they are consistent with the mission. (Sounds weird, I know, but it happens often!)

After eliminating activities that aren’t part of the mission, we have been focusing on core competencies, that is, the skills or resources that we possess that allow us to achieve our mission better than others.

My first reaction when reviewing Thomas’ team core competencies was, “wow, these are impressive.” See for yourself (they are still a work in process):

• We are able to successfully communicate the joy of God and His ability to transform us, thus getting our clients to trust us and commit to a program of life. 
• We equip others with the tools to not only walk away from their afflictions but to embrace the Truth.
• We accompany people in love as they traverse this transformation.

What’s the first problem with someone who has an addiction or desiring a major change? Starting! So, gaining trust and get people to take that first step is a huge achievement. What is the second challenge in a several program? Staying committed! Having the structure and support to coach and accompany clients seems like a great plan for success.

Yes, it is exciting, but not so fast. We have to not only reach the people who need our help but also get them to respond. Therefore, a marketing plan with some success stories is needed to drive growth. Next month, I will tell how well we are doing! In the meantime, feel free to contact Thomas or me, Tom, at [email protected].