We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melinda Longtin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melinda below.
Hi Melinda, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
While working towards my Master of Social Work degree (MSW), I began volunteering for some nonprofit startups. I discovered that though many founders had incredible visions for how to help others, their professional backgrounds did not provide them with opportunities to learn how to fund, structure, or develop nonprofits. I was taught how to do those things in the MSW program, so I was able to contribute that skill set.
Further, I researched what education was available to nonprofit founders outside of social work degree programs. Any other training was provided by consultants with outrageous fees. When the founders and their teams did not already have funding for their nonprofits, they were unable to afford the cost of learning the specialized skill sets. How could I help nonprofits achieve success serving people in need, when their needs as organizations were neither affordable nor accessible?
I started Organizing Nonprofits for Effectiveness LLC (ONE) to meet this need. ONE’s mission is to eliminate barriers to nonprofit development by providing affordable, comprehensive education, grant writing guidance, project-based consultation, and community networking opportunities. My vision is to create equitable opportunities for every nonprofit founder to establish a sustainable, impactful organization.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
How did you get into the industry?
While obtaining my Bachelor of Arts degree, I became a survivor of domestic violence. Shortly after I left my abuser, I began tutoring K-12 students at a home for abused and neglected children. Working with those students inspired me to publish Metaphoria, my raw, honest, and imagery-coated poetry collection about domestic violence recovery. Metaphoria was not about me anymore. It was about all survivors. They needed empathy and hope. Loved ones of survivors needed perspective to become effective allies.
As I worked with youths in the public school system as well, I discovered that my career as an educator was not enough to help my students with the challenges they were experiencing. As a result, I went back to school for my MSW. I started out learning case management and mental health care strategies for foster children. However, I discovered during my internship that those were still not enough if I truly wanted to have a positive impact on youths’ quality of life. They needed me to be able to advocate for their needs, fight inequities, and empower others aiming to help. I learned the details of funding, managing, and evaluating an impactful nonprofit in the MSW program. I use ONE to help other nonprofits become powerful allies in the battle for equitable, high quality of life for all.
What type of products/services/creative works you provide?
ONE eliminates barriers to nonprofit development by providing affordable, comprehensive education, grant writing guidance, project-based consultation, and community networking opportunities.
What sets you apart from others?
-Affordability: I use value-based pricing and a pay-what-you-can structure. This permits nonprofits to determine what they feel my services are worth and adjust their payments based on their financial conditions.
-Accessibility: All of my services are provided virtually so that nonprofits do not have to live locally to receive my assistance. This also allows me to easily share resource documents that my clients can access at any time, personalized to their organizations’ needs.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the clients I work with! Nonprofit founders are persistent, resilient, open to feedback, and never stop working to build their visions into organizations that create equity and fight for justice!
What are the main things you want potential clients, followers, or fans to know?
You are not alone. Nonprofits are fighting for you every day. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your local organizations on your time of need. If you are a nonprofit founder or looking to become one, I am happy to assist you on your journey to social good with ONE.
Need assistance with domestic violence? Call the hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) Text “START” to 88788 or visit https://www.thehotline.org/
Experiencing suicidal thoughts or have intentions of acting on them? Call 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org/
Looking to start or build a nonprofit organization? Call (860) 704-9521 or visit https://organizingnonprofitsforeffectivenessllc.com/?page_id=10
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
LinkedIn has been a great client base for me. I message people who are starting nonprofits and take the time to learn about their vision one-on-one before explaining my business. I continue to build a professional relationship with them regarding their nonprofit, even if they are not ready to become an official client at first. When they are ready, they transition to being a client of my business.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Networking with nonprofits at various stages in their development has helped me build my reputation. I facilitate meetings connecting nonprofits to each other, regardless of whether they are my clients or not, to increase their collective impact. They are appreciative of these efforts and happy to tell others about their experiences.
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