Local scholarship funds starts YouTube Channel to teach other nonprofit leaders
Local leaders understand the challenges of starting a nonprofit. Some may assume that starting a charity will be easy, but it can be a challenge no matter how well-intentioned.
Dia Dawkins Nyarko, Lexington native and director of the Johnny Leroy Dawkins Scholarship Fund, says having a passion for a cause will not be enough. Nonprofits require just as much foresight and knowledge about running an organization as any for-profit business. She aims to help other nonprofits avoid common mistakes nonprofit founders make.
“I love helping others and sharing knowledge I’ve learned to overcome obstacles. One day I was thinking back over how far we’ve come with scholarship funds, how difficult it was to get to this point and how I’m still learning things along the way,” said Nyarko.
The scholarship fund has created a YouTube channel to cover topics that will include:
· How to become incorporated
· Nonprofit 101: How to get started
· Partnership with United Way
· Applying for grants
“I began to wonder how many others out there are trying to start a nonprofit and are intimidated by the process or maybe have already started and, like us, are a smaller organization and are trying to figure out what to do next! Then the idea came… start a YouTube channel to share all we’re learning to help those who may be in a similar position.”
For the past 11 years the Johnny Leroy Dawkins Jr Scholarship Fund has raised funds to provide scholarships in the honor, Johnny Leroy Dawkins Jr, who was murdered in 2008 as a result of gun violence. The volunteer led group has awarded over $11,000 in scholarships.
The mission is to continue to honor the legacy Leroy one by providing scholarship awards to males - African American, Indigenous, and People of Color – upon graduating high school for the purpose of pursuing a higher education while joining the fight against gun violence.
Check out the first YouTube video. The Making of a Nonprofit.
