Since before opening DiepCFoundation.org in the summer of 2016 I have been surrounded by volunteers. Being part of a nonprofit organization requires time, talent, and passion. I could not do this without our volunteers. This blog is dedicated to those who have and continue to believe in the mission of the Foundation. Every day I see volunteers moving the mission of DiepCFoundation forward.
The First Volunteers for DiepCFoundation
It all began with a phone call. Late in the day in February of 2016 the surgeon who performed my DIEP flap breast reconstruction called encouraging me to open a nonprofit foundation. Thank you, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, for taking time, for volunteering to make that phone call after your workday in surgery on your way home. I promised him I would begin giving this consideration.
A month passed and I was visiting our oldest son and daughter-in-law to help with the care of our infant grandson. We sat long and talked a lot about this proposal from Dr. C. I had cathartically been writing the DiepCJourney blog for a year to educate others about my experience. I couldn’t wrap my mind around asking for money and supporting all the work, expenses, growth, and development of a nonprofit. It is a business, after all and requires revenue. It was the ask I couldn’t wrap my mind around. Finally, one statement my son made was the pivotal moment in my decision to move forward. He said, “Mom, own your worth.”
Establishing the Mission of DiepCFoundation Through Volunteers
From that point forward I began to explore what it took to establish a 501c3 nonprofit organization with the U.S. government. It was a daunting task to begin with. I thought long and hard about a concise and meaningful mission statement. The next volunteer I discovered was a friend and neighbor. She sat on the board of nonprofit organizations and was well-schooled in the process of filling out IRS paperwork. She volunteered her time in exchange for me bringing her coffee. We sat at her computer many days understanding the process. She was a great teacher and volunteer.
The first and most important step is choosing a National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) Code. Out of hundreds to chose from I filed under “Education”. This was a natural segue since my entire professional career was working as a certified and trained ESL educator. Establishing a mission statement helps put everything in place. After many iterations, I decided on this as our mission statement:
DiepCJourney Foundation is a nonprofit 501c3 organization providing education and resources to empower those affected by breast cancer with information to make an informed decision about all options for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.
DiepCFoundation
Realizing The Value of Volunteers
I understood the passion and time of volunteers when I visited our local library to meet with my SCORE mentor. SCORE mentors are experts in entrepreneurship and establishing business practices offering advice at no cost to new businesses and nonprofits. I learned so much from my mentor. She gave me a true sense of ownership and vision to move forward with the Foundation. I established a GuideStar account to make DiepCFoundation a visible, transparent nonprofit organization for donors.
When my husband and I moved back to the state of Washington, I had to “move” my nonprofit to the state since I had established it in the state of Arizona. It required more paperwork, more costs, and more time to establish the Foundation as a “foreign entity” in the state of Washington with the IRS. It was worth is and I was excited to be back home with our family, a bonus. Additionally, there was a robust medical community in our great city of Seattle. I knew there were people here I could connect with and a community of those affected by breast cancer the Foundation could serve.
What has been a real bonus is the establishment of yearly talks at the Microsoft campus since returning to Washington presenting the educational resources and work of the Foundation. Microsoft GIVE Day connects us to those needing our services every year I have presented. I have had the distinct privilege of visiting those patients in recovery from their own surgery.
Microsoft, along with other volunteer organizations who use Benevity have volunteered time, expertise, and fundraising events to support our mission. One of the most touching moments was a run across Slovakia from the AT&T team for DiepCFoundation. How was I connected to Lenka Bašnáková? She was at the World Urban Forum with Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, and he told her about DiepCFoundation. What a dream for our team at the Foundation! Thank you Benevity for supporting volunteers and nonprofits!
Breast Cancer Survivor Volunteers and More
This is where my thoughts flow into emotion. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, myself, I understand the impact and changes that occur after a diagnosis. It can only be understood by those of us who are in this “unintended club”. We are connected so easily on many levels by a disease none of us thought we would be affected by. Like me, many want to pay it forward in a variety of ways. This is where I have been so very fortunate.
It is not easy to list everyone, each individual and survivor or those who serve breast cancer patients. They unconditionally volunteer their time and passion to help DiepCFoundation. This is just a small list of some of the volunteer activities they provide.
- Standing long hours at events to share education the Foundation provides.
- Volunteering to help administer the private Facebook group we call “The Journey”.
- Sharing Testimonials on our Social Media accounts to let others know the services we provide.
- Spending time making videos and podcasts for the Foundation to help educate our community.
- Mentoring me through medical questions so I can provide the highest level of evidence-based education for our community.
- Serving on the Board of Directors for the Foundation providing guidance and supporting the mission of the Foundation.
Continuing the Journey and Mission of DiepCFoundation
Many people have asked me what it is like to establish and run a nonprofit organization. I tell them the truth. It is difficult, time consuming, and for me, has been a full-time job beginning the day I established DiepCFoundation in the summer of 2016. I also follow with, “I love my job”. With all the ups and downs of running a nonprofit, it simply cannot be done without the people who have embraced the mission of the Foundation. With the help of many volunteers, I will continue to move the mission of the Foundation forward. I send each of you my heartfelt gratitude in honor of those we serve. You make a difference in what we do!
