Published: February 09, 2010
Charity Establishes "Pay It Forward"
By Claudia Strasbaugh
Fiscal sponsor "Help Is Here" is still a fairly new-kid-on-the-block and growing quickly as a result of applying new ingenious ideas.
Founded by Operations Director Bill Mack, the organization has in its short life morphed from a Penny Saver Ad to a mainstream 501c3 corporation.
In 2006, Bill saw teenage crime rise in his area as a result of mothers meeting the requirements demanded of them as part of America's work force.
New "Help Is Here" Twists
Then an employee himself of Your Travel Business (YTB), Bill Mack hoped to spread his 'work at home' success, by signing on moms who could in turn remain with their families and still earn income.
Alas, the travel business continued to fade, travel agents or even ticket bookers found it impossible to eke out a living.
Bill attempted other various assorted methods of public service including addressing green planet and environment problems. None successfully proved much assistance to his community until July 2009 when Bill first heard about fiscal sponsorships.
It seemed like the ideal win-win.
He could sponsor others, and help them form income-producing charities while at home with their kids. This way, Bill could offer support to his sponsored clients as they went about doing good works.
Today, "Help Is Here" opens year 2010 with a unique collection of projects under its 501c3 tax-exempt umbrella.
Strange But True
A Northern California Nonprofit Public Charity itself, Fiscal Sponsor HIH covers 14 projects that have all found a home at Help Is Here. The eclectic band of projects are geographically located throughout the US.
Inclusive of a wide range of charity organization types, they span everything from Wisconsin's "Door County Renaissance Fantasy Faire" where children learn life as it was in the day of King Arthur and that flamboyant Robin Hood, to "Annie Ruth's House" which provides shelter for California elderly. Then there is the ever popular rapidly expanding free bi-weekly "Dinner On A Dollar" educational newsletter www.dinneronadollar.com designed to serve people struggling in this economy.
This small sampling by no means includes the wide scope of charity services other than living-history, homeless elderly shelter or feeding hungry children. Some extend public assistance with videos on psychic healing, another that teaches young people the mechanics of audio production, and one tutors kids the skills of computer repair. Some projects seem a tad odd but not when one realizes the wide spectrum of charitable works Help Is Here covers.
Get Help, Give Help
To further support projects,
Help Is Here just began an ongoing, never ending, in perpetuity,
"Pay It Forward" pet project of its own.
HIH offers a free grant to those interested in joining in the fun of putting together a salient game-plan thereby deserving seed money to start one's own new charity. The goal after that is of course to raise donations to sustain itself.
The winner of grant #1 is to raise donations, so that another charity may receive a grant, who in turn gets a grant and gives a grant... Thus, as Bill Clinton once proclaimed, "A rising tide lifts all boats."
So if a free grant of $5,000 to $50,000 cash will help your current charity already operating or one you have an idea to start, this is your win-win opportunity. Grant applications and budgets are available on the Help Is Here website.
Join In And Win
By taking part in this, project leaders and their teams help themselves and those in need. Keep in mind this is a hand up, not a hand-out. With the results of pay-it-forward, Help Is Here plans to open a thrift store. That too will have some new very creavitive, innovative methods of ways to support the works of those out to do good.
In order to kick that off, they are looking for donations of brick-and-mortar space and a couple of trucks. At that point HIH can fulfill their ultimate goal which is to make paying jobs for fellow Americans beginning with hiring someone to Manage the thrift store project.
If you are interested in a tax free donation as well as helping to create jobs, their contact information is www.helpishereinc.org
© 2010 Strasbaugh
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