All Volunteer, All Heart from Binky Patrol

For those of you who help market non-profits, volunteer for social media to help the non-profits, this episode will cover free tools to help lighten your load. I'm also excited to share with you some of the amazing small charities and organizations doing things differently in 2023. We'll be exploring the challenges they've faced and the successes they've achieved to inspire you to volunteer or run a nonprofit more e...

Volunteering gives us an opportunity to break the cycle of negativity and fear. We have the power to change lives! Caitlin Peterson is a legal professional by day, and a Binky Patrol chapter leader in the off-hours. She's been volunteering for ten years - she started when she was 16. Listen to this episode to be inspired to do good and outshine the negative through volunteerism.

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How to get more volunteers? It will depend on the opportunities you have. Sometimes you have to be flexible and creative. Binky Patrol is a great organization for younger volunteers because what we do is easy and fun with friends.

In the past, we've gained a lot of volunteers through annual events.  These events can include scouting troops, schools, and service organizations. You'll have to think about what creative idea ca...

When Ben Tewes called panicked, he had two months to complete 236 court-ordered community service hours. We quickly calmed him down and assured him, he could do this! We came up with a plan, outlined here - https://binkypatrol.org/article.cfm?id=510. And he took it a step further. His probation officer wanted to be assured that BEN was actually making the blankets. He came up with the idea to set up his phone in timelapse mode ...

Have you ever known the family was coming over, but because of the weather, and varying ages, you didn't quite know what to do with everyone after the meal? What about when your office and workload are lighter due to the upcoming holidays, end-of-year vacations, and more? A great way to bring these groups of people together is to make blankets. It's a chance to lift some of the annual awkwardness, stay busy for those fidget...

Amy Smart is the founder of Diary of a Quilter. Her newsletter is inspiring, her website is filled with resources. Amy now knows about Binky Patrol. Binky Patrol volunteers have all been introduced to Amy Smart and Diary of a Quilter. This is how it works. 

Susan suggests that you seek out companies, individuals, and influencers in your space that have active social media presence, but who also have newsletters. There is a great op...

When you volunteer you have an opportunity to help others, and better yourself. Our chapter leaders are not paid. No one is at Binky Patrol, but they are learning marketable skills. Binky Patrol chapter leaders - Area Coordinators - learn how to lead a group, speak publicly, do PR, coordinate events, do basic accounting and more. We give recommendations to up to 10 people a year who are seeking a job - sometimes for the first time....

We've invited people and they signed up! That's great. But, they need to be able to easily find you from the parking lot. Sometimes non-profits have events at libraries, community centers, schools, churches. Their campuses can be large and confusing. Having directional signage can help prevent volunteers from being frustrated before they walk in the door. Jordan Castellanos (J.C.) is our guest today from FastSigns in Beaver...

We are having two Bink-a-Thons October 8. One in Monroe, Connecticut, and one in Beaverton, Oregon.  A little friendly competition never hurts, right? I really want to win. Jeanne Malgioglio usually wins. But really who wins? The kids who will get the binkies we are all making that day.  This is a fun opportunity to  connect multiple chapters. This is a great idea for other hands-on charities that have multiple locations. We will m...

Having events is a great way to expand your audience, donors, volunteers, and build goodwill in the community. Since Binky Patrol is all-volunteer, we rely on partnering with sponsors and hosting organizations that are looking for a fun event to offer their volunteers, employees, members. This episode walks you through some ideas, and a list of what you need to know before you have an event.

If you want to have an event, find partn...

Wil and Liam are back with Susan talking about what the homeless in Portland really need, and it's not tiny houses. They need to kick addictions, get teeth, get an ID, get a ride and sometimes that's all it takes to get them off the streets. Dinner and a Movie has great gift cards you can give instead of having mugs printed with your company name for client gifts. The focus is on helping one person as a time, not unlike Bin...

Will and Liam from Dinner and a Movie see it on television every day. Reporters assure the homeless their story will be told and when it ends up on television it's been changed, twisted, and doesn't tell the truth. They know because they spend most days in Southeast Portland trying to give respite from the hell of being homeless. There are many misconceptions. This is part one of a two-part episode that shares some beautifu...

Wade Perry joined Susan after his first annual Coventry Summer Jam in Littleton, Colorado. He goes through the expense and return of this event. The expense is all under marketing, the return is beyond what he had hoped. This event benefitted the School of Rock in Littleton. They raised enough for ten scholarships. Seeing and hearing everyone enjoying this event in their local park was the best gift. Listen to this to hear how a sm...

Nina Acosta, the Area Coordinator for Riverside Binky Patrol, told us, "When I started doing this with my daughter 15 years ago, I didn't think that it would still be here!" Susan asked her the reason she's still in Binky Patrol and her favorite part. Nina says it's the stories. Knowing the difference a binky their chapter made given to one child keeps them all going. Being able to immediately handle the need of...

Hobbies change, people die, and people downsize. Many times this results in a ton of fabric purchased for those projects that were never completed. Binky Patrol has been fortunate for over 27 years to receive a lot of fabric through these circumstances. It's a great way to honor the person who has passed or to make mom feel better about downsizing.

We give tax donation receipts by the box or the bag of fabric. Think about all o...

There are 6 elements a 501c3 orgs website must have to build trust and give a clear picture of the impact of the organization. Listen to this episode for the list

Kimberly Ofilas, Healthcare Partnerships Communications Manager at Direct Relief joins us to talk about the must-haves for a non-profit organization's website to build trust and credibility, as well as clarity of the organization's mission. Kim's experience wi...

When people have the idea to start a non-profit, they usually know some of the steps, especially if they've had experience in a board role before. We learned a lot when we started Binky Patrol and wanted to help newer non-profits avoid mistakes that could cost them their reputation, sponsors, and ability to grow.

The Legg family has welcomed over 30 foster children through their home and each one receives and leaves with a Binky Patrol blanket. They also have adopted four children from the foster system. She tells us about a child that arrived two weeks ago at her home. And just two Fridays ago, we received a, a little baby girl. And during the drop off of them inspecting our homes and whatnot. I had six blankets that had been delivered to ...

What we do is simple. We make blankets and give them away to comfort teens and children who need a reminder that they matter, that they are not invisible. But can a binky be more than a blanket? Definitely, listen to this quick episode on how you can send binkies through your phone. A binky isn't just a blanket.

If a binky is a reminder that someone matters and that they are not invisible and that someone cares can it be someth...