A Non Profit Wasn't Exactly My Dream

Lately, I have had several people contact me in regards to how to go about starting their own 501c3, or telling me how they too would like to be like me running their own non-profit organization.  Well, I am here to tell you, a non-profit WAS NOT my plan in the very least!  Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of the accomplishments of Team DO3 over the last two years and this all was accomplished with a TEAM effort no doubt, but truly, I did not set out for it all to be an organization, let alone a non profit organization.  As most know that follow my posts on Facebook and Twitter, I am "real", I don't try to play as I am anything but just a normal barrel racer, mom and full time employee, trying to make a difference.  I have my ups and downs, good times and bad with trying to make Dreaming of Three succeed, and trying to continue to "do good" for animals and kids fighting life threatening diseases.  I do not have business of my own, nor am I a trainer of any sort that would benefit from any of the work I do through Dreaming of Three, or the Ultimate X Showdown, or anything that goes on with Dreaming of Three.  I get up at 6:15 every morning, drive an hour to my job, and come home every night at 6:00 p.m, to cook dinner for my family, take care of my herd of horses, and usually back to work with what needs done with the organization most nights.

I, of course,  have told the story a hundred times, of how things started with Dreaming of Three, not because I want to talk about myself, not because I want sympathy, but mainly because once I realized that things were growing, and perhaps as a Team, we really could make an impact together and grow this organization big someday, telling the story, getting it out there, is how that was going to happen.  Nobody was going to support us, or donate, or join, or sponsor, if we didn't build the reputation, if the equestrian industry never heard of us.  US, the Team, the concept, all of it!  Not me, Team DO3!   Most that know me very well, know I am not one to want much of being in the spot light.

In fact, I've worked for a very well known ex-Pittsburgh Steeler for the last 23 years.  My barrel racing friends and community, other than my closest of friends, did not know this until probably 5 years ago, as I kept that to myself as to NOT draw attention to myself.

So, the story of DO3 did get out there, we did grow, and FAST!   I just kept hanging on, doing what I had to do to progress, sticking on different "hats", as certainly we had no funds to pay people.   As I mentioned, a Non-Profit?  I had no intentions or dreams of starting one as some may have this dream.  Sure, I've always seen horses at auctions that I wished I could save, but just to bring home for my own.  Sure, I had the dream of a barrel race where trainers would give a horse a second chance via a barrel race.  But, Dreaming of Three, as you know was just supposed to be for myself to have a way to mourn my losses, for me to give back in my own way. 

My first attempt at my logo, bad hat, too fat of lines!

When friends joined, when more people joined, when we raised over $15,000 for a foundation to help animals such as a horse that was burnt in Erie...that is profit that we actually donated, so you can imagine if $15,000 was what we donated, what amount was coming into my own Paypal account!  There was also the Colorado Wildfire fund raiser as well in the beginning.  So, I, of course was advised to file for 501c3 status for Dreaming of Three if I planned on continuing, as otherwise, that $30,000+ coming into a personal  paypal account would be added onto my own income for the year that I would have to pay taxes on.

Northstar, horse burned after doused with accelerate in Erie, PA

Also, with the Rodeo Kid Program, there were companies donating items for these wonderful kids.  No doubt they did not mind, but to be able to offer more to them for assisting us in making a special evening, would certainly make things easier to get more folks involved in the future.  So, I realized, this was the next step I had to take.  As stressful as it was to me to take this step, as I knew nothing, it was what had to be done.  I asked several friends who I felt at the time believed in the concept to be on the Board, and we started the process.

I didn't know the first step in doing any of the non-profit stuff.  Luckily, with help from friends, like Karrin from Forever Safe Farm who had already gone through the long application, she walked me through what I had to do.

I also am on the Board of the Northstar Equine Foundation, Inc, who at the time was also going through filing their 501c3 paperwork and were able to hire a lawyer to do so, so I was able to learn along the way with what we were doing there as well.  

Non Profits, as I  have learned over the last two years, are A LOT of work.  Not for the faint of heart, or lazy, that is for sure!  There are't people waiting to give you money as soon as you get that paperwork back from the IRS.  We have bills to pay, things we want to do to help more, projects we want to see succeed but lack of money to do so.  Spreading the word of projects, or Rodeo Kids, or fund raisers for disaster relief, seems to get rougher at times, when a simple "share" or "like" doesn't happen from the 500+ friends on your list because Facebook doesn't allow them to see your posts, or your posts are just ignored or the over 10,000 followers on our business page don't even see your posts unless you pay for them to be seen.  We need money to operate, so I sit and try to think of ways to raise that money without having to be a begger on a street corner with a can.  

Having a Non Profit  is like having a second job that you are not getting paid to do, and that you work double shifts!  You have to be driven to "work" because if YOU and your Board members don't, IT won't succeed.  You have to perhaps spend less time with family to "work" on this second job, because if you don't, nobody else will and things won't get done.  You have to ask for help from others when you need it, even if you aren't used to doing so, because if you don't, the organization won't succeed.  Be prepared for friends wanting to help and believing in your mission to start and fading over time.    Be prepared for opinionated people, and days when you'll be in tears.

Overall, if your Non Profit is something you believe in and the people you have on your Board believe in it as well, you will get through it together.  You will meet a lot of new friends, it will be rewarding, and at the end of the day, you will know you obviously made a difference for something you had passion for and believed in.