It's Official ~ Striving for More is a Tax Exempt Non Profit

It's official. We have been declared a tax exempt organization by the IRS. Therefore, all donations to Striving for More are now tax deductible!

I can hardly believe it. The IRS quotes a minimum processing time of 60 days to issue 501(c)3 certificates. The IRS acknowledged receipt of our application on 2/23 and granted our tax exempt status on 3/19.

Vince and I took the day off on Monday to spend it together for his birthday. We arrived home after having lunch and seeing a movie. I was glancing through the mail and my eye caught sight of a letter from the IRS. Typically this would make people worried. Not me... it was addressed to Striving for More. I actually wasn't thinking that it was my acceptance. How could it be? I had carefully calculated it and the earliest that I would be granted non profit tax exemption status was 4/23 and that was being optimistic. If the IRS meant 60 business days, it would be longer than that. My attorney warned me that it could be 6-9 months, perhaps even a year before I heard.

For some reason, I took the extra seconds to find the letter opener, not wanting to tear what could be one of the most important envelopes I have ever been sent. I unfolded the letter and read it slowly. I couldn't believe it. I started screaming and jumping up and down (literally). I was hollering to Vince and Mackenna and jumping around the room. I haven't jumped around like that since I was about 10. I hugged Vince and screamed again. This time right into the poor man's ear. Mackenna picked up the letter and read it, not understanding what all the fuss was about. I explained it to her and told her that except for the day that I married her Dad and the days that I gave birth to her and Colleen, this was the happiest day of my life.

That night, while we were all at our grief group, I told the other family members about my day. Through tears, I told them that the event was even better because for a long time, I didn't think it was even possible for me to be happy again, without Colleen. Let alone to declare that March 23rd, the day that I was told that Striving for More is officially a tax exempt non profit organization, was one of the happiest days of my life.

It only took the IRS 14 business days to issue a tax exemption certificate to Striving for More, Inc. Another sign that this is the work that I am supposed to be doing. I am so thankful for the continued affirmation. Thank you God.

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On the Cusp of More Compassionate Healthcare

A business associate recently shared with me that he had the opportunity to meet Dr. Bridget Duffy who is the CXO (Chief Experience Officer) at the Cleveland Clinic. I researched her a bit and this position and her work is exciting (see 2007 press release).

You can watch a video of Dr. Duffy at this link.

There is a movement in the health care world toward improving the patient experience. In fact, as a result of the fact that patient experience data is now public information, some hospitals are starting to implement strategies to improve patient experience. Although their initial motivations may have been to achieve higher scores on these now public surveys, the investments have in some cases resulted in undeniable overall improvements. Not just in experience, but in outcome as well. Connections between a patients emotional well being and their physical well being are being recognized and additional investments are being made.

I am excited about the potential changes that we may see in the future.

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Striving for More Team @ St. Baldrick's Event

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St. Baldrick's - A Great Cause, A Great Day

Saturday was an amazing day. I started by going to the pub to support The Magellan Charter school because there were some children who were shaving in honor of Colleen. This was shortly after noon.

I was worried that I would cry when I had my own head shaved. I actually ended up shedding the most tears while watching Elizabeth, one of our neighbors, have her long hair cut (for locks of love) and then her head shaved in honor of Colleen. She was actually the top fund raiser for the school by raising over $2,000 for the event. I was really proud of her and touched by her act of love and kindness.

My nephew, Matthew and his friend Ray were up next at 3:30. They were part of the Bayleaf Fire Department (aka Firefighters for Kids team). Matthew was the top fundraiser for his team raising $1400 for the team and Ray sacrificed this huge head of hair and raised $400 for the cause. It is great to see college kids participating to help such a great cause. This was Matt's second year and the reason that I am even involved. Thanks so much Matt. I love you for being the man that you are.

My Mom and my friend Karen were long haulers with me. Staying for most of the day for support. I really appreciated that. It was a long day but Napper Tandy's and the event organizers (The Redwoods Group) did a great job with the event and we certainly had a beautiful day. At around 5pm, my friends started showing up in droves to support me. People were showing up all the way up until the last minute when I looked down from the stage and spotted a few people from church that I did not even know were there. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated all of the moral support.

The Striving for More Team was amazing. Our team of only 9 people raised over $10,200 and the final numbers are not even in yet because cash donations were made during the event. I made new friends, became competitive for a good cause, had a blast, discovered that I don't have such a bad looking head and love the fact that I don't have to blow dry my hair anymore!

Tons of pictures were taken and some video too thanks to my good friends Chris (Nutt) Marshall, Derek Carawan, and Kim Petty. Check them all out at the links at the bottom of the page. Check out the great video uploaded because it tells the amazing story of how involved my friend (and Hawthorne's friend), the emcee, Collin got when the Striving for More team took the stage. It was fantastic. He was amazing. Thanks Collin.

Now, I will set my sights back onto Striving for More and what I need to get done for that. Indeed, there is a lot to be done.

Until next time, good night and thank you again.

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Tomorrow is Shave Day!

Tomorrow (Saturday, March 7th at 6:30pm), the Striving for More team, which is now nine participants strong, is having their head shaved to raise money for Childhood Cancer Research during the St. Baldrick's Foundation Event at Napper Tandy's Pub in downtown Raleigh.

It is very exciting for me because our team is currently in second place behind a team of more than 70 kids from Magellan Charter School and I am pretty sure we won't catch up to them. (Who wants to? Little boys and girls shaving their heads - how great is that!).

However, I am currently the second place individual fund raiser and I am a very close second. Right now, I am less than $400 from being the top fund raiser in an event of more than 250 shavees. The interesting thing is that I am not typically a competitive person. However, I see a huge opportunity for Striving for More to get a big PR push if I do win as the first place winner. I am doing everything I can to get the biggest PR push regardless. I purchased 30 Striving for More t-shirts and I distributed them this week hoping that most of our supporters who are attending will be wear them to the event. I hope to get my new business cards in the mail today and hand out stacks to the people wearing t-shirts so they can hand them to anyone who asks about Striving for More. My generous web developer is working hard to try to get the web site into an initial state that is ready for some visitors even though he has a full time job and a full time life of his own. The pressure is mounting.

The Striving4More Team is being featured on the home page of the St. Baldrick's site in the 'head'lines section which you can see on the home page but it cycles through several different stories. I have also been approached by some PR/media people as well (nothing too big at this point, but I can see the surge starting to swell).

There are people coming to me asking to be part of the board. Exciting people. The type of people we need on the board... coming to me... not me hunting them... stalking them... begging them... it is all starting to change and it is very exciting for me.

From the first day I made this decision, it was clear to me that this is the path God chose for me. It is very exciting that other people are starting to see that now too.

So if I could ask you today, please...

1. Pray for the Striving For More team and that the event goes well tomorrow. Pray that many people see our t-shirts and ask about Striving for More and that general awareness is raised within our community. Pray start thinking about the issue that we have in this community and elsewhere and are moved by it. So moved that they talk about it at the dinner table and tell their friends. Pray that we start a groundswell of public awareness.
2. Pray for the success of the event as a whole. It is an amazing event and a fantastic cause. Raising money to help childhood cancer research is important. The National Cancer Institute's federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that money, pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%.
   
3. If you have thought about donating to support my shave and have not, please consider it in these last hours. Even if it is only $5. It may put me over the edge to be the winner of the event and bring some really positive PR to Striving for More which will lead to bigger and better things down the road. Just click here and then click on my head!

Thanks so much to everyone, for everything!

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