2017 April Edition -flipbook

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10 I NonprofitPerformance Magazine
is a way for the partners to help each other
help themselves.
We started small and began building
relationships with organizations in the local
region. We wanted to start with not only in-
kind fundraising, but also with education.
We needed to teach nonprofits to question
the system to which they were accustomed,
and to begin asking for what they needed.
We also needed to teach them that they
were in complete control and to take more
responsibility for the don’t charge
anything for MyFiki and we never will. The
prices for the items are the same whether
or not they are purchased through MyFiki,
and we charge NOTHING for any of our
services. This helps to prove to nonprofits
that we are there to help them, not to take
advantage of their circumstances. Although
we started locally, we currently have partners
in fourteen states, and will continue to spread
nationally as we grow.
Our website provides donors with a
simple way to support partner nonprofits.
Donors visit a partner’s profile and see
basic information about an organization,
including images of the organization at work,
which often evokes an emotional response
that connects donors to the organization.
Nonprofits have sections to concisely explain
who they are, what they do, and what help
they need, so that donors don’t get lost in
content, nor do they have to search far for
more details. All of an organization’s social
media links are on the page as well and, once
in a profile, the call to action is evident: click
on the wishlist and help right now. MyFiki
is proud to serve as a hub of information and
action for our partners and their donors.
This process hasn’t been an easy one.
Nonprofits have grown skeptical and often
believe that we are in it for something else,
but we truly just want to help. We want to
make a difference in this world, and we want
to multiply our efforts by showing donors
how easy it is to support an organization.
Previously, I never knew that nonprofits had
so many needs. The people who run these
organizations do so much with so little and
change the lives of many people, animals, and
communities. They often spend their own
money and lead thankless jobs, humbly doing
more since no one else is there to help.
If you have a new idea, but you’re afraid that
it won’t work or that you haven’t figured it
all out yet, that’s okay. Do it anyway. You
don’t have to have all of the answers at
the beginning. Don’t let anyone tell you
otherwise if you’re planning on starting
something new. Your biggest obstacle is
yourself. Get out of your own way and let
the idea grow. MyFiki started with buying
some towels for animals and has continued to
grow into 44% increased donor engagement.
More importantly, MyFiki has grown into an
outstanding network of incredibly dedicated
staff, volunteers, and donors who all want
to make this world better. We’re grateful to
know all of the people we have met from this
experience and we’re excited to see it continue
to create tangible change in our world.
Rafik Tawadrous is a volunteer turned social entrepre-
neur. For over 10 years, he’s been looking for ways to
give back. By day, he analyzes numbers as a group
health insurance financial consultant; by night and on
weekends, he loves working toward leaving a positive
mark in this world by leveraging technology.
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