In this episode of What the Fundraising, I get to talk to Gerald A. Moore Sr. Gerald is a CEO, Visionary, and Thought Leader for young Black males, committed to empowering and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Having dedicated two decades to cybersecurity and management consultancy, Gerald has expert insights into the tech and STEM spaces. Recognizing a disheartening dearth of young black males in these fields, he harnessed his experiences to inspire and empower at-risk BIPOC boys. He founded Mission Fulfilled 2030 with a clear purpose to provide opportunities and mentorship to underserved communities. Under Gerald's leadership, Mission Fulfilled 2030 has grown from a startup with zero funding to a nonprofit organization that has raised over $400,000 and impacted the lives of over 7000 young people.

In this conversation, Gerald generously shares his experience starting Mission Fulfilled 2023 - and what some of the initial roadblocks and gates were that were so surprising when he was just starting out. Despite being a successful engineer, Gerald found himself struggling to secure funding for his nonprofit. It was a reality that caught him off-guard, and in his own words, ‘I realized that fundraising for a smaller nonprofit was a whole different ball game’. 

We dive into the challenges that smaller nonprofits face when it comes to fundraising and provide actionable strategies for success. We also get specific and talk about what you need to have before reaching out for grant funding, some things to consider when setting up your nonprofit Board of Directors, and what can keep you motivated when you face all of the very common challenges of new nonprofits. Gerald gives such good advice for people who are starting out - from self and community care to staying focused on the mission - this episode has it all. 

You will….

Get all the resources from today’s episode here. 

Many thanks to our sponsor, Bloomerang for making this episode possible. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf. After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Head to bloomerang.com/whatthefundraising to learn more about Bloomerang. 

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If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization.