by Camila Martelo
Founding a nonprofit was never in my plans, but once I found a cause I felt passionate for, I could not resist. In 2014, I met a group of kids from vulnerable communities that despite facing many difficulties, always showed up for their boxing practice. No shoes, no gloves, no wraps, these kids fought with passion and motivation to find a better future.
These little champions have since become the motivation for everything I do as a person and as a professional. In order to help them, I decided to start my own nonprofit organization called Golden Kids Boxing Club. Our mission is to give children from low income households in Cartagena, Colombia, the opportunity to learn the sport of boxing while learning values that will help them fulfill their dreams in life.
The journey has not been easy, and while I still have a lot to learn, my experiences have taught me very important lessons that I apply to my nonprofit, communications and PR profession:
- Break barriers. You practice boxing? Isn’t it dangerous? “A girl shouldn’t be throwing punches around.” If I had a dollar for every time I heard this, let’s’ just say I wouldn’t need to organize fundraisers very often. Break as many barriers as you can and make sure people are aware of it. This has allowed me to be remembered more, as an individual, and as an organization. People like unconventional stories, if you give them one, they are probably going to remember you the next time they wish to make a donation.
- Always ask, never assume. For a birthday celebration, I bought a chocolate cake that I thought the kids would enjoy. After noticing the children barely touched it, one of the kids explained that they’ve never had chocolate cake before and disliked the taste. My jaw dropped. I had fallen into the common mistake of assuming what the community needed, but not asking them what they wanted. Even if you feel like you know the community you work with pretty well, get into the habit of asking. Questions will make your job easier, and if you work with children, much more enjoyable.
- Communication not only shares, it empowers. After running PR campaign to gain media visibility for the organization, several kids expressed to me how important they felt because it was their story that was being shared. They felt special, empowered, and were asking for more. When planning a PR or communication campaign, think about how this will help empower the people your organization helps. After a PR campaign, take time to conduct a discussion session with the people you help to share thoughts and feelings on how they felt before, during, and after the process.
Jesus was invited to a national talent TV show to display his boxing skills.
- Everything has been covered, pitch effectively. Journalists have seen and heard pretty much everything that is out there. When trying to find people who will cover your story, target journalists that will more likely have interest in your cause and motivate them to visit you. In my case, the obvious thing to do was talk to sport journalists. I decided to try something different and contacted reporters who I knew led and active lifestyle and invited them to join one of our trainings. Instead of being a normal media coverage for them, they had the opportunity to experience the nonprofit’s work first hand and enjoy a workout session.
Aldair was very proud to see his face on a national newspaper article.
- Words matter, positive words inspire positive actions. The children I work with come from very difficult environments. They constantly hear phrases or words like “You can’t”, “There is no money”, and “NO”. While working with them, I have established a positive communication approach, where kids are encouraged to speak in positive terms. When you change the way people talk, you change the way they think, ultimately impacting how they act. Use positive words in your work environment, this will change the way people, especially children, view their lives and their possibilities.
- Creativity is key, but don’t overthink it. We all want to come up with the next big idea. Sometimes, due to time and resources, it is just not possible. I constantly dream of creating a fundraiser that will solve all of the needs we have as an organization, but unfortunately, action gets resources, just thinking about it won’t. Don’t stress if your fundraising idea is not new or creative, if an idea works well to reach a key public and gather donations, that is perfectly fine. Sometimes the best brainstorming exercises occur when you are executing a simpler idea!
- Talk about it, a lot. My mom always taught me not to brag, but when running a non-profit, I have to disagree. While I don’t brag about it, I do take advantage of every opportunity I get to talk about my work because you never know who might be willing to help or share some good contacts or resources.Passion is contagious! Share personal experiences, ask for help, and invite people to join. During flights, during coffee runs, and of course, social media, share your non-profit’s work. Some people might not have the time to volunteer, or money to donate, but they could have a good contact at a company or store that could benefit your work. Every conversation you have has potential to become an advantage for your nonprofit.
Social media is a great way to expose your work, plus, kids love it!
Working with a non-profit is a challenge, but using your knowledge and the tools you have at hand to help others is worth the effort. The key is trying new things and finding out what works best for your specific organization or cause and what does not.
I hope my lessons prove useful, and if you have any questions or ideas, be sure to reach out! In the meanwhile, I invite you to check out and support my latest fundraising campaign!
Camila Martelo is a a current student in Georgetown University’s master of professional studies in Public Relations & Corporate Communications program and the founder of Golden Kids-Boxing Club, a non-profit aimed at helping children from Cartagena, Colombia practice boxing in a safe and educational manner. When she is not fundraising or boxing, you can find her drinking a perfect cup of Colombian coffee. You can support Camila’s latest fundraising campaign and connect with her on Linkedin.