Grassroots: Where all change begins

"Grassroots" is a term that is used a lot, but I always wonder if people truly know what it means. Answers.com gives us the official definition:

Grassrootsgrass-roots grass'-roots' (grăs'rūts', -rʊts') adj.
1. People or society at a local level rather than at the center of major political activity.
2. Often used with the groundwork or source of something.

When I think about grassroots, I think about people who have worked together for a greater good. Most people who started grassroots movements did so because they saw a need and decided to address it. Families, neighbors, and friends joined together to enhance their communities. Together, they developed a "root system", supporting the growth of the entire group.

You and I enjoy our civil rights because of grassroots movements. We drink clean water. We drive on safer highways. We visit museums, historical sites, and landmarks. We benefit from legislation that keeps our families safe. And yet, do we ever really think about how these things came to be?

I love history, partly because I am often surprised by the accomplishments of just one person. People who changed our world for the better. People who seemed to have no fear or hesitation. They just thought something up, and they did it.

I have always admired Clara Barton. During the Civil War, Clara served as a nurse to wounded soldiers in Massachussetts. She eventually obtained permission to move to the front lines, treating and comforting soldiers on the battlefield. (A woman on the battlefield was unheard of in those days.) We all know the rest of the story - she began the American Red Cross, became a suffragette, and lived in service to her country - in one way or another - until the end of her days. But the reason I admire her has more to do with her boldness. She was determined to make a difference in someone - a soldier's life - and she buttoned up her boots and laced up her corset and took off onto those battlefields. She knew they needed her. Nobody can argue with that kind of determination.

Grassroots begins with one person speaking up, meeting with another, discussing ideas, making and implementing plans. But in order to make a difference in the community, you need to be aware of its needs. It's important to be an active observer of your neighborhood in order to be able to find its strengths, weaknesses, and places where it just might need a little leg up. Do some research to find out if a local nonprofit is already trying to address those needs. And then, get involved! Volunteer, help raise money, or help to publicize their mission. You can do it!

Mahatma Ghandi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." I couldn't agree more.

P.S. I got this cool tee shirt at http://www.etsy.com/shop/cotton4people?ga_search_query=cotton4people&ga_search_type=seller_usernames.

Producing More than Just Plays at Bootless Artworks

Rosanne DellAversano lives a double life. By day, she is an unassuming Office Coordinator/Paralegal for a Wilmington law office. By night, she may wind up impersonating Julia Child, or directing a gaggle of bloodthirsty zombies. Her husband doesn't seem to mind her daily transformation. In fact, he joins in. She's the Executive/Creative Director for Bootless Artworks in Wilmington, Delaware. Her husband, Jim Fuerst, serves as the group's Music Director/Conductor.

Bootless Artworks is not your run-of-the-mill community theatre. Go to a Bootless show, and prepare to be shocked, thrilled, or to laugh yourself right out of your seat. And there's a good chance (if you sit in the "splatter zone") that you'll be sprayed with fake blood.

Count me in.

Rosanne, Jim, and their friends dreamed of creating a theatre experience that would knock your socks - or boots - right off. This charismatic couple serves as the coal, steam, whistle, and rails that have guided the nonprofit organization from its birth in 2003 to its status today, as a professional theatre group. Everything Rosanne and Jim do for Bootless is in addition to their full time jobs.

 

I met this dynamic pair at a cozy restaurant in Wilmington, and felt as though I had known them for years. They were excited and easy to talk to, and launched headfirst into the whirling, rough-and-tumble history of Bootless. The interview flowed so naturally, I nearly forgot to ask my prefabbed questions.

 

Bootless began as a gild of the Arden Theatre, originally called the Arden Club Theatre, but eventually they struck out on their own. The founding members, Jim said, hailed from a wide array of artistic backgrounds so "their experiences turned into a great knowledge base" from which to build. Since its birth, Bootless has become a professional theatre, and an affiliate of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.

And yet, that is only the beginning. Bootless has become so much more.

 

Scene from Evil Dead: The Musical

The group has organized and produced plays, musicals, operas, and one-acts. They also entered competitions. "The first year was terrible, really terrible," Rosanne laughed, "but we've won [awards] every year since, both for published productions and original shows."

Among their more memorable projects, Rosanne translated "Mozart's Magic Flute" from Austrian-inflected German to English, and Jim adapted its original orchestral score for a rock band. The costumes and set designs were directly inspired by Japanese anime. Jim laughed as he said, "Little kids were lying down in the aisles, not knowing they were enjoying an opera." These two seem to live and breathe innovation. I was kicking myself. How in the world did I miss this?

 

Rosanne works directly with volunteers, paid performance actors, mentors, and families who make up the Bootless team. They will find a job for anyone who wants to work. She says, "Come to us with a spark, and we'll ignite it, and keep it going." One volunteer didn't have a theatrical background, but was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. "We put him on blood splatter work for Evil Dead: The Musical, Jim said. "The guy was in his element, spraying the audience with blood." For each show, Rosanne may oversee as few as six and as many 50 staff members, paid and unpaid. "Whole families participate in the production of a show." While Mom is delivering a monologue onstage, Dad may be running the audio, while Junior is helping other actors suit up. Families that run plays together stay together. What a great way for families to spend time together!

 

Vocalist Jim Dennison as Sarasoto
in Mozart's Magic Flute



Bootless is also building a successful mentoring program. The organization pairs younger volunteers with their more seasoned counterparts in order to help them develop their talents. This is true for every participant, whether they are acting, handling stage lighting, prop, set, or costume design, or production management. Jim takes school-age kids to buy lighting rigging and props. The kids aren't just shown the equipment, they're taught, hands-on, how to run it. "We're teaching kids a lost art," says Jim. Bootless runs a summer camp for kids, which teaches them all of the components of a drama production. At the end, they produce their own performance - a camp grand finale.

Bootless mentors have unlocked incredible potential in kids. "Lynn was a kid who [didn't have an outlet]. She got involved with Bootless, eventually winning Bootless's $500 scholarship." She described a kid who just didn't have obvious outlets. "[Bootless] gave her the opportunity to show what she could do, and to develop confidence. She continued to perform in college, and she comes back to Bootless to volunteer whenever she can." Another young man, Sean, auditioned for Love, Sex, and the I.R.S. a few years ago. After Bootless, Sean went to New York and is a working actor, performing in The Changing Room, and eventually winning the Strawberry One-Act Festival award for his original works. For those of you that don't know, that's a pretty big deal. And it's obvious that Rosanne could not be more proud of them; her face glows as she talks about them. With young people involved, she says, "Bootless will never get old."

 

Scene from
Mozart's Magic Flute

Despite all of its champions and support, Bootless is homeless. They have been without a performance hall for nearly a year. They've bartered and paid for temporary space, performing everywhere from an airplane hangar to an elementary school auditorium. Although their audience is faithful, Bootless has faced enormous challenges. Jim told me about the theatre company's worst nightmare: a show's opening night was canceled without notice by the leasing agent. "Rosanne and I were in the parking lot on opening night, handing out drink tickets. Talk about tears."

So they've developed a plan for a new theatre/community center, identified a location, and are starting up their capital campaign. They need $250,000 to get the plans underway. "We know that the creative and logistic must work hand in hand." Crystal Trust has stepped forward to help them get their capital campaign started, but they still have a long way to go. Read their appeal here: http://www.bootless.org/pgm-download_media.php?name=2011_Patron_Ltr.pdf

 

They plan each season, no matter what. They know they will find locations.

I asked Rosanne how my ten bucks would be used to directly impact her consumers. "Actors cost me $100.00. If ten people give me ten bucks, I can hire one more actor for a show." But what does Rosanne need the most? Bootless needs a home. Their capital campaign (a Bootless "community center") is their first priority. "We've been given grants for programs, but we have no place to [house them]."


Rosanne plays Rona Peretti in
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

True to their originality, Rosanne and Jim have fun plans for recognizing their donors. "We'll have a donor wall, with a plaque for every donation, no matter its size." They want people in the community to have a sense of ownership when they visit Bootless. "They're helping to build a theatre that will be around for years and years. A kid that donated his allowance can bring his kids to show them his name on the donor wall."

And they've taken it one step further. "If you buy a piece of equipment for the center, we'll put your name on it." Oho! There was only one thing on my naughty little mind. But my excitement soon turned to deflation when Jim said his mother had beaten me to donating the toilets. Jim says, "She wanted to have the best seat in the house."



Finally, what's with the name? It's catchy, but what does it mean?

"Bootless" is a Shakespearean term meaning "profitless". But Rosanne says the definition, for them, means more. "Bootless means we're not in it for the money or prestige. It's about providing a great show." Their ticket prices average $22, which covers the costs for each show, nothing more. (If you haven't tried to buy theatre tickets lately, let me tell you: this is a bargain.)



Rosanne and Jim's enthusiasm is delightfully infectious, and they make me want to be a part of the future of Bootless. I hope you will also choose to do so, either as a donor or a volunteer.

The best way to donate to Bootless is to go to http://www.bootless.org/ and make an online donation using Paypal. The nonprofit doesn't pay any fees to PayPal to use this service. Here's the direct link to their donor page: http://bootless.org/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=4. Since they don't have an official home, to mail a check, please email me at ecurtis19977@gmail.com and I'll give you their mailing address.

My ten bucks matters, and so does yours.

Small Nonprofits May Mean More Value for Your Ten Bucks

Did you know that there are 6,000 nonprofits incorporated in Delaware? Believe it or not, in a state with a population of less than 900,000 people, the nonprofit field represents an enormous percentage of our workforce. More than likely, your life has been touched in major ways by the efforts of nonprofits and you may not even know it. Nonprofits are so deeply ingrained in our current world culture that many operate under our very noses, completely undetected by their own constituents.

According to the Nonprofit Career Guide, http://www.nonprofitcareerguide.org/fact_sheet-scope.php, "The [nonprofit] sector accounts for 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) of the U.S. economy, 8 percent of wages and salaries, and 10 percent of employment. In addition, 29 percent of Americans volunteer through formal organizations." That means that 1 in 10 individuals are employed by, and therefore depend on, the public's continued support of their local nonprofits.

I myself am employed by a nonprofit. As the Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of Delaware (BIAD), my job depends on the contributions of our valuable members, individual contributions, and sponsorships. Check us out at http://www.biade.org/. I'm very lucky that my salary is my family's secondary source of income, but I'm sure that my case is not typical.

There's a reason why people work in nonprofits. Their reward is not just monetary, it is based on knowing they are part of something greater than themselves. Many of them are operating their own lives at or below the poverty level. Imagine the personal sacrifices they have made to serve others.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, such as the $531,924 salary paid to Halla G. Modelmog, CEO of Susan G. Komen, and then of course, the other 17 executives who are paid six figures, some up to $400,000 per year. Check out their 2009 990 - or IRS tax statement - page 41 - at http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments//2009/751/835/2009-751835298-05c074f1-9A.pdf. This particular nonprofit has come under fire recently for filing lawsuits against people using the term "the cure" in their fundraising efforts. Talk about losing your focus. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/komen-foundation-charities-cure_n_793176.html?view=print.

I am passionate about supporting small, local nonprofits because I have found that they are small enough to be more closely connected to the population they serve. For example, I am one of just two people responsible for handling calls from people who need help. Personally handling a phone call from someone who can't afford to stock his own fridge discourages me from spending the organization's money frivolously. Being connected to my own cause is the greatest possible strength I can cultivate. I never want to lose sight of that goal.

In no way am I inferring that larger nonprofits can't do good in our communities. In fact, I find that Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, and Goodwill have their priorities in order. They show ingenuity in programs and are constantly changing and shifting their purpose within the community. They also provide many different ways for people to contribute to their missions.

Consider your donations as investments in your local community, rather than just a tax write-off. Not only does your donation make a positive impact on your neighborhood, but it may keep your own neighbor employed, thus building your own local economy. It's a win-win-win-win situation.

I'm challenging you to look up your own state's listing of nonprofits and find one that you can support with your ten bucks. The IRS has a nonprofit search engine at http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/ and you can select your state on the "Location" drop down box. (The lists have been substantially narrowed due to the IRS's 2009 decision to cut nonprofits that weren't filing regular 990s.)

And if you can't donate, volunteer! Did you know the IRS values volunteer time at $20.85 an hour? Check out this article from the Independent Sector. http://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time

Whatever you do, do something to support your local nonprofits. Because whether you know it or not, they are supporting you.

Blast Off!

The response I have gotten to this idea over the past few days has been unbelievable. I've had phone calls and emails - steadily - since Monday. Last night, one more person pledged to match my ten bucks. His reaction was, "Sure, why not?"

Help me spread the word about My Ten Bucks by following this blog or passing it on to your friends and family.

I'm now researching my next charity. I can't wait... it's going to be a good one!

Another "Wow" Morning

It's Tuesday morning. I'm swamped with work, the sky is dreary, it's cold, and it's raining. But I don't care. I have my own little patch of sunshine right in the middle of my chest.

Yesterday, just before I interviewed Melinda, I received a phone call from another matching pledge. This morning, two more people jumped on board. These people have promised to match my ten bucks dollar for dollar. That means every charity I feature will receive $60.00 in support! See how quickly this could grow?

Let me make this clear: I'm not asking you to match my giving; that's something some people chose to do. I am asking you to pass the idea of My Ten Bucks on to your friends. You can help this seed of an idea take root and grow into something larger than all of us.

Help this blog grow by becoming a follower. Click "Follow" on the left side of this page. You'll get email updates on blog activity, but more importantly, the blog will impact more charities as it gains a larger following.