When you come from your heart you can’t go wrong. That goes for speaking on behalf of your cause and delivering on your mission. When you’re real with people, you’ll see real results.
There’s a thread of authenticity that runs through the Moyer Foundation… from how it got started, to the program results, and all the way through to how the business is run. That makes for a solid foundation and one that will keep going through strong and weak economies.
The Beginning
Executive Director Gary Pollock recalls the children who touched Jamie and Karen’s hearts long before their nonprofit was even formed. It was that spark that initiated their desire to start a nonprofit. At the time, there were scandals with various national nonprofits – people questioning the motives of the founders. It became a priority for the Moyers to have their name associated with an ethical foundation. They wanted to know where each dime was spent and what it was spent on. They wanted their donors to be involved and informed as well. From the beginning they saw their cause as a way to bring communities together. The mission of The Moyer Foundation is to help children in distress. The first year Jamie and Karen gave over 80 heartfelt speeches. Gary feels it was because of their down to earth, transparent nature that the organization took off and continues to grow every year.
The Programs
Camp Erin is a bereavement camp helping children express their grief in healthy ways. Gary doesn’t pretend that they solve everything in a weekend, but they do provide a place for kids to be authentic and share their feelings with others. Adult volunteers often have their own grief and wish they had a place like this when they were kids. There’s healing happening on many levels. Once you acknowledge what you really feel, it’s easier to move forward.
Isn’t that true of almost anything? If there’s an area in your life where you feel stuck, ask yourself what needs to be acknowledged.
The counselors at Camp Erin invite the children make memory boxes in honor of the one who passed on. On the outside, they put symbols that represent what that person meant to them. It gives permission to others to talk about these specific things. They also put symbols on the inside of the box to remember the person. The difference is if it’s inside of the box, they want to keep it private. Kids reveal what they want to reveal. It’s totally up to them how much they want to share. It’s all about respecting the camper’s pace and boundaries. With this environment, it’s natural for them to express more, deal with their grief and feel relief.
Wouldn’t it be easier for all of us to have authentic dialogue if we could do it at our own pace with healthy boundaries? Until we get real, it’s almost impossible to move forward.
Camp Mariposa helps children who live in environments of drug addiction. At home, the kids often hear statements like, ‘it’s your fault’ or some other demeaning statement. One of the things they learn at the camp is to decipher what’s real and what’s not. Yes, it’s their reality that they have to go back and live in less than desirable conditions. What’s not real is thinking they have to take on responsibility for the parent or that they’re no good. The camp helps them find their own strength and what they’re good at. They discover that other kids are going through similar situations and that they’re not alone. They realize they have support and a reference point of someone who really cares. They’re each assigned a Big Buddy they know is there for them. Kids come away from Camp Mariposa knowing the truth – that they are a good person.
The Rise and Shine Program supports children and teens affected by HIV and AIDS. It’s important for the kids to have a place to go where it’s ok to say, ‘My mom is infected with HIV’ or ‘My dad has AIDS.’ There’s no hint of shame as their peers compassionately listen to something that’s been hard for them to say out loud anywhere else.
These are just three examples of many programs The Moyer Foundation supports. A common element I see is that they’re all geared toward helping kids say what’s true for them. It’s done in a way that’s completely transparent and comes straight from the heart.
The Day-to-Day Operations
Not only does The Moyer Foundation fund 2 major programs, they also give a million dollars of grant money to 65-70 other worthy nonprofits each year. While many nonprofits are concerned with keeping themselves going, The Moyer Foundation views donating to other nonprofits as part of their mission. It’s pretty simple. They raise as much money as possible to help as many children as they can. There’s an atmosphere of happiness and contentment in the building. The staff is on the same page and they’re aligned with each other. Gary reflects, “It’s part of the reinforcement of doing good work. When you help other people you get this intrinsic reward. You can’t buy that. That’s why we like coming to work every day.”
A simple test Gary suggests for nonprofit professionals is, “Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself – Are we fulfilling our mission? Are we the real deal?” If so, great! If not, it’s just a matter of making the changes necessary so that every effort goes toward your mission.