Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ricardo Ramos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ricardo, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
Unlike other nonprofits, GRACIAS is a fully volunteered-based 501c3 nonprofit. Everyone involved in our events and programs contribute to our growth and impact for the sole altruistic reason of giving back to our community and lowering barriers for the next generation of students. This structure frees our organization from financial restraints while ensuring 100% of our donations go towards our community events and programs. It is a true testament of our motto “from the community, para la comunidad”.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The Growing Ramos Association Cultivating Inclusion and Academic Support, AKA GRACIAS, is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides resources and guidance to make higher education more accessible to Latino communities. We host various events and programs to reduce common educational barriers, offering them in English and Spanish. Our community presentations focus on spreading vital information; our WhatsApp connects parents and students with college experts to get their questions answered, our webinars provide an in-depth and personal view of different college and career options, our FAFSA and Scholarship workshops help students navigate the complicated financial aid process, and our website is a hub for many more resources and information (e.g., scholarship listing, GED classes, validating an international degree). We have expanded past high school students, also helping adults return to school.
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
Especially when first starting out, there were events and programs that did not get the level of engagement we expected. There were resources that were not utilized as much as they should be. It was tempting to give up, but we remember the reason and importance of expanding higher education access and the support from volunteers and community members motivate us to continue.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
When building a reputation, it is important to ensure those who interact with our programs have a positive experience. It is important to be relatable and sincere in our interactions with the community. It is also important to grow the passion within our volunteers to give back by showing the impact they’re making while allowing opportunities for them to further exercise said passion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gracias-atl.org
- Instagram: @gracias_atl
- Facebook: @gracias_atl
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gracias-inc/
- Twitter: @gracias_atll
Image Credits
Manasi Rathore