FOUNDER'S NOTE
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"It’s 5.am. a little more than one year ago. The neighborhood is dead outside but here in my basement, my partner and I are are filled with life as though the clock just struck noon. With a nose that has been numbed through 12 hours of used-shoe-odor exposure, there was nothing to really complain about. Being up at such a late (or early) time did not bother me nor my partner, for we were kept wide awake by the same fervor that initially inspired this movement. The two of us have overcome unfavorable odds: practically no volunteer force, the inability to drive, no funds, age, and doubt were all pressuring us to fail, yet there we were, packing up proof of our incredible achievement. The more than 2,000 pairs of shoes that we personally collected were to be shipped to Tanzania, Africa early the next day in order to provide footwear for the developing community there. Of course I was excited; we put hundreds of hours of work to make this project happen."
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"Imagine my disappointment when I found out that our work was not philanthropically pragmatic. With just a simple realization, more than 500 hours of work disappeared right before my eyes. I was torn apart by such a realization brought about by Mr. William Easterly’s book, The White Man’s Burden. After shipping the shoes, my passion for altruistic acts compelled me to pick up a book. Easterly's book revealed the flaw in our irresponsibility: we donate, but do not collect data on how those donations impacted the communities! While it may have been great in the short run, in the long run we are preventing any shoe-related industries from starting and succeeding. Distraught by the news, my partner and I were greatly perturbed. "
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"However, this is clearly not the end of our story. From the broken pieces of our will, we picked up what was necessary and stitched together two new attributes: determination and intelligence. With these two attributes, we went about establishing our nonprofit in order to right our wrongs, and the wrongs of millions of other economic dumpers out there. Even though the odds are entirely against us now, our failures have inspired us to become zealots of not what may seem right, but what is, in actuality, good. "
- Nolan Felicidario |
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY
Before the organization was formally established, the founding high school students struggled to reach their goals due to the resistance and skepticism of a variety of community leaders. Step on Poverty was created to give future generations the proper support that the community desperately needed. Now, students from all across Troy, MI are stepping up and accomplishing feats leaps and bounds beyond their expectations. Under the guidance of a collegiate and high school executive board, Step on Poverty is creating a positive community of benevolence and change.
MISSION STATEMENT
Give students the opportunity to pursue their ambitions under the guidance of peers, mentors, and the principal of economic pragmatism.
3 Points of Social Impact
Promote Economic PragmatismWhenever dealing with ambition, it is important to thoroughly think through the impacts of your actions.
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Reveal Nonprofit PotentialNonprofits are often overlooked due to the billions of dollars that accompany for profit work. How can nonprofits compete?
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Galvanize the YouthStep on Poverty was founded by students, for students. Why is the student demographic so important?
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Preventing "Generational Decay"
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What is "Generational Decay"? It can be defined as the deterioration of system that occurs as a result of changing leadership. This can be commonly observed in various systems: from school-related organizations, to community nonprofits. As leadership is passed from one "generation" to the next, much of the knowledge accumulated by the incumbent administration will be lost as unaccustomed successors replace these empirically experienced leaders.
Therefore, the question is how does a system prevent this decay from occurring? The answer is intelligence. As long as there is a proper transfer of knowledge, the next "generation" can start off where their predecessor left off without encountering the problems that the last group had to overcome. So now the new question is how does a system ensure that this knowledge is properly transferred? |
Step on Poverty uses 3 strategies to avoid Generational Decay: Agile Methodology, Alumni Networking, and Member Development.
Agile Methodology is commonly used in the development of computer science related projects; however, Step on Poverty has augmented its traditional form resulting in the organization's main strategy against Generational Decay. Step on Poverty's Agile is the use of intensive communication in order to create a more knowledgeable and efficient volunteer force. Without intensive communication, workers are often found to be ill-informed, confused, and unreliable in situations that require great responsibility.
Alumni Networking is the passing of information through social communication. Rather than completely detaching from the organizations, the Alumni of Step on Poverty remain involved with its members in order to help them develop as an organization and as individuals. Members have access to incredibly useful connections and can have their questions answered by the leaders of the past. The Step on Poverty Alumni Network stimulates growth, rather than allowing their predecessors to wallow in historical problems.
Member Development is a crucial component in avoiding Generational Decay. It is expected that most members coming into the organization will not have a proper understanding of the Step on Poverty mindset and will therefore go through intensive training and lessons that will teach the importance of economic pragmatism, nonprofit potential, and uniting the youth. By building a foundation, Step on Poverty is creating a cohort of cerebral and compassionate individuals.
Agile Methodology is commonly used in the development of computer science related projects; however, Step on Poverty has augmented its traditional form resulting in the organization's main strategy against Generational Decay. Step on Poverty's Agile is the use of intensive communication in order to create a more knowledgeable and efficient volunteer force. Without intensive communication, workers are often found to be ill-informed, confused, and unreliable in situations that require great responsibility.
Alumni Networking is the passing of information through social communication. Rather than completely detaching from the organizations, the Alumni of Step on Poverty remain involved with its members in order to help them develop as an organization and as individuals. Members have access to incredibly useful connections and can have their questions answered by the leaders of the past. The Step on Poverty Alumni Network stimulates growth, rather than allowing their predecessors to wallow in historical problems.
Member Development is a crucial component in avoiding Generational Decay. It is expected that most members coming into the organization will not have a proper understanding of the Step on Poverty mindset and will therefore go through intensive training and lessons that will teach the importance of economic pragmatism, nonprofit potential, and uniting the youth. By building a foundation, Step on Poverty is creating a cohort of cerebral and compassionate individuals.