Role of Network in Expanding Capacity

[Daniel Bassill]

This graphic illustrates how non profits are all competing with each other for a limited pool of resources. Most are not as successful at getting resources as they need to be, or at keeping these for many years needed to have a social impact, such as helping a first grader move through high school graduation and into a job.

The graphic illustrates the role Tutor/Mentor Connection is taking, to try to draw donors and volunteers directly to different tutor/mentor programs in Chicago, using our Program Locator maps as a tool.

Finally, the graphic illustrates our aim to recruit volunteers and leaders within faith groups, colleges, hospitals and businesses, in Chicago, and in other cities, who take on the role of the T/MC, educating a growing number of people and pointing them as volunteers and donors, to the map, and to the different programs in Chicago and other cities.

Why is this important?

T/MC is a non profit. We don't have relationships with the people we're trying to influence, thus, we're trying to get attention for our intermediary message, just the same as each individual program. Because we talk for all programs, we can have some success, such as the growing pool of money raised by Lawyers Lend A Hand, but our impact is limited by our own lack of resources.

Each person who duplicates the T/MC role, geometrically increases the impact of our effort. If we can recruit leaders in every industry, in every faith group, in many different cities, the combined power of this group will have much greater impact on increasing the number of dollars and volunteers supporting tutor/mentor programs, and in changing the way programs are supported with innovative, flexible operating dollars, rather than competitive, narrowly defined grant programs.

Furthermore, if these people area already part of a business, faith group, university, they build upon existing networks and relationships. They already have a communications network that they can use to share T/MC ideas. When we're on the outside, we're blocked by the firewall and procedures of different organizations. We can't get our message through. If the messenger is already inside, we don't have that problem. We just need to help these people take the lead.

Everyone who is part of this ning group is able to take this role, and able to recruit others who carry this message into their own communities. Go out and multiply and we can increase the food available to support tutor/mentor programs in Chicago and other cities.