1. Human capital: My experience working with shelters
- V: Yes, knowing how shelters work is essential when donating toys. Specifically, home-made toys. We have to ensure they are safe to use.
- R: No, a lot of people volunteer at shelters
- I: Yes, it easy to hire someone with that kind of volunteer experience or go yourself.
- N: it is non-substitutional; there is nothing like seeing firsthand how these shelter animals live. It is extremely motivating
2. Social capital: Current relationship with the humane society
- V: Yes, having direct contact with one humane society could lead to good word-of-mouth to other humane societies and shelters
- R: No, anyone who fosters, or volunteers can have a relationship with the humane society
- I: Yes, going to talk or volunteer even donating can spark a positive relationship
- N: it is non-substitutional; having a stable relationship built prior is essential. They already know me and my values. There is nothing else that can take that place.
3. Human capital: Experience in fundraising and outreach
- V: yes, as an outreach director for a new non-profit, I must know how to reach out, not potential donors or people that are interested in volunteering.
- R: No, again you can hire someone with the same experience as me
- I: Yes, there are many people with experience in fundraising
- N: It is non-substitutional. Experience in outreach is relevant because it has a big learning curve. Knowing how to reach out to people and be personable is hard to effectively. There is no other way to fundraise.
4. Human capital: GEB3213, taught me how to write, useful
emails related to outreach
- V: Yes, sometimes, when reaching out, it is done through email. Cohesive and persuasive writing is a must.
- R: No, most UF people can take the same course or take a seminar on business writing
- I: Yes, hire someone who writes efficiently
- N: it is substitutional, I think writing is outstanding but there are templates regarding how to draft emails
5. Social capital: connections to Greek Life
- V: Yes, Greek life prides themselves on their philanthropy. Project Canis deals with volunteers, which ties into philanthropy.
- R: No, Greek life is prominent at UF.
- I: Yes, join or hire someone in Greek life
- N: substitutional, there are other significant organizations on-campus that could be interesting volunteering.
6. Financial capital: I have the saving account that I can use
- V: Yes
- R: Yes, at my age, at least. I was lucky enough that my parents started a saving account since I was a baby
- I: Yes
- N: it is substitutional, we are a non-profit for the most part we will depend on donations
7. Social capital: I have a connection to Donors through Relay
for Life
- V: yes, I have a relationship with some willing donors
- R: No
- I: yes, any club that raises money has connections to large donors
- N: it is not substitutional, large donors are important and there is nothing quite like it
8. Human capital: good at design and layout for letters and
flyers
- V: yes, knowing home to make eye-catching flyers and letters are important
- R: no, most people can edit photos and design
- I: yes
- N: it is substitutional, there are other ways you can do outreach. Like through email or face-to-face conversations.
9. Human capital: experience planning volunteer events
- V: yes
- R: No, a lot of people have experience planning events through work or clubs
- I: yes
- N: it is not substitutional; event planning is essential. You want everyone to have a good time, therefore, spreading positive information about the organization.
10. Social capital: my grandpa used to work for UF and still has
connections to some individuals
- V: yes, having links to UF people can help make our organization more of a staple at UF
- R: I would say yes, my grandfather has some close relationships with some influential people at UF that not everyone has.
- I: No, it is hard to have the same personal relationships that my grandfather has. It is years of friendship
- N: it is not substitutional, no one relationship is the same especially of this caliber.
I think that number 10 is the most important. All the other numbers I wrote about are not rare and mostly inimitable. Having those deep connections and relationships is hard to come by and also hard to copy. If Project Canis wants to do well at UF, we have to ensure that people know about it. Therefore my grandpa being able to mention to his friends is essential.
Hey Taylor,
ReplyDeleteLike I said before I absolutely love your idea and movement. The connections you have built with the humane society and the experiences that you have gained working with shelters is awesome. It also great that UF is apart of this because it will bring more awareness to the problem at hand. Your grandfathers connections will definitely help you along the way!
Hey Taylor, wanted to point out that your best resources are probably your connections. Your potential ties with UF, philanthropic ties due to Greek life, and your connections with the Humane society are amazing connections to have that others for sure do not have, these are rare resources with so much value. However, your experience as well will make a big difference as your ability to fundraise and outreach to others will be a main component of your idea’s execution.
ReplyDeleteHey Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mateo. It seems like you have an overwhelming advantage over any potential competitor in your social capital/resources category. You have a diverse and wide social network of people that extends to nearly every major social group on campus. You have the ability to reach the gainesville community through the humane society, the student population through your Greek life, and to the staff and alumni through your grandfather. This is huge because sometimes who you know is more important than what you know.