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THRIVE Participant Perspective: Beyond Boundaries
Our Fourth Cohort of THRIVE: An Accelerator for Social Good, facilitated with our partners at The Spark Mill, began in early September. Each week, we'll bring you the perspective of a participating nonprofit and share a little about their organization.
About Beyond Boundaries:
Beyond Boundaries is a non-profit based in Richmond, Virginia specializing in guiding participants with disabilities, veterans, at risk youth, and recovery programs on outdoor adventures. The mission of Beyond Boundaries is to offer individuals of all ability levels, no matter physical, cognitive or economic situation, the opportunity to experience outdoor activities with the surrounding community.
FB/IG @beyondboundariesrva
What are you hoping to get out of this program?
We, Beyond Boundaries, are hoping to gain a new perspective of our organization as we grow and move forward. When working in a field that is so hands on and busy, sometimes it can be hard to see the bigger picture and THRIVE has been helping us see it. With more participants requesting our programs, volunteers reaching out to assist and recent grant funds, we are in an awesome position to grow and are so excited to gain insight that will help increase our impact in the community!
What did you learn or feel spoke to you about today?
In today’s meeting, we were asked to put ourselves in the shoes of who we wanted to most connect with in our organization: partners, staff, donors, or participants. We chose a donor. We were asked to look at it from their perspective; how they might feel, think and see things, but for us to use “I” statements. This really helped open our eyes to the feelings and thought processes that our donors might be going through. Although the process was challenging at first, these types of exercises help us shift the way we communicate our mission, vision, and impact to those already in our community, as well as those we meet in the future.
Tell us about your experience in the program.
Shep and I have been able to connect with a lot of people in our field, who are going through similar organizational challenges that we are, and that’s reassuring. The mentors provide us with personal stories, examples and advice that I feel we wouldn't get elsewhere. Not only that, but they also provide resources to help us grow and think through challenges and situations. It’s amazing to see other people who also want to grow and spread more positivity throughout Richmond.
How do you see this applying to your organization?
Beyond Boundaries is in an amazing position to grow, and we have a strategic board meeting planned for this winter. Each week, I feel we are gaining more tools that will help us improve our organization and help us better serve the Richmond community. Putting ourselves in the shoes of others, like the exercise we did today, is something we often do on adventures. It was nice to be reminded we can do the same with our partners, donors, volunteers.
Are you interested in applying for THRIVE Cohort 5? Complete our interest form today!
The THRIVE accelerator program provides an opportunity for nonprofits to look beyond current challenges and obstacles and plan out a direct and streamlined path forward. Organizations will tackle a specific hurdle they want to clear to get to the next level of impact with the community and will spend concentrated time with staff and board planning and executing real-time solutions with guided facilitation. We will utilize accelerator techniques to build a cohort-responsive program.
THRIVE was created through collaboration between The Collaboratory of Virginia and The Spark Mill.