Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
KS Big Brothers Big Sisters on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 302
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We catch up with Michelle Sink from Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters on how the organization is rebuilding after the January fire while keeping mentorship at the center. We talk fundraising wins, a plan for a new community-minded space, and the urgent need for more Bigs so kids are not left waiting.
• progress toward a roughly $700,000 rebuild goal in the same neighborhood
• plans for a historically fitting exterior and open concept interior
• using the space for match events and offering free room to other nonprofits
• demolition and historical board steps shaping a year-plus timeline
• a potential $100,000 matching gift to help finish the capital campaign
• community generosity through Grow Green Match Day and civic groups
• the ongoing shortage of Bigs and what that means for the waiting list
• Tessa’s story and why stable matches matter
• upcoming fundraisers including golf events and a Studio 54 themed gala
• temporary office moves, relocation strain, and staying adaptable
you can reach out to me anytime and through our website at kansasbigs.org
Sponsor And Segment Setup
SPEAKER_01Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. In this episode, we feature a recently broadcast segment of the GMTF Community Hour, as heard on news radio KMAN. We are back with the GMTF Community Hour. Our next segment will get an update on what's happening with Kansas Biggs. Hot topics with Michelle Sink, the executive director.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, this girl is on fire. Yeah, I know it. I know.
SPEAKER_01Smoking today, too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, and first, I just want to tell you thank you so much for um helping us put on our um recent fundraiser with your banger bingo. And that was such a great time and able to raise over$3,000 for Big Brothers, Big Sisters. So we really appreciate you. Yeah, certainly.
SPEAKER_01That was a lot of fun. Yeah. I had a lot of fun too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I think it was a good time had by all. But you know, we had a little bit of a fire smoke show theme to it.
SPEAKER_00It was fun to do a little cheers every time we had that.
SPEAKER_01Every song with fire or burn baby burn or something like that. We had something, uh, had something to drink to.
Rebuilding Plan And New Space
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, how's the effort coming?
SPEAKER_00Um, it's it's going really well. Um, we are working to rebuild. Um, I have a committee put together to help us go through that process. We are um about, I think our goal is going to be around 700,000 to rebuild in that same area. We have the support of our neighbors, which is very important. Okay, cool. And uh we're, I think, over halfway there to our goal, which is great. Um, and our uh really our hope is to be able to do it all through grants um and not have to take away from the support we get for operations from our amazing community members.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Well, nice that you're gonna be able to stay in that neighborhood.
SPEAKER_00We love that neighborhood. And I think one of the things that my staff really loves about it also is that it's just so welcoming to our, you know, potential littles, our families, um, and to our bigs. It just felt very comfortable. And so we're excited to be able to continue that with them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. What do you have an idea of what that facility is going to look like?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So we loved a office, um, our house office, and we do want to make it as a office again. Okay. Um, we would have it fit in historically with the look to the building on the outside. Um, but on the inside, have it be an open concept plan so that way we could hold some of our match events there and then also open it up to the other community nonprofits if they had, you know, little things that they needed space for, that they'd be able to use that space um at no charge. So we really want it to be something that's useful to everyone. And uh yeah, and then comfortable. The thing we loved about the Hoffest part was like you guys said, just comfortable to come in.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um proximity to downtown is a nice aspect also.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it is, and it's very central um for our families when they when they need to get there.
Demolition Timeline And Final Match
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Do you have a timeline set yet?
SPEAKER_00Um, not exactly. We present to the historical um board in the end of May, we have to get permission to demo to demo the property um because we would take it all the way to the ground, remove the basement, and um, and start fresh from uh from ground up. And so once we have permission to demolition the property, then we will um get the designs and everything for that for the rebuild. So I anticipate it to be uh at least a year project.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Now this does a Sharanic Capital campaign. What's going on there?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um hopefully, hopefully a very small one. Um we uh have some a matching gift of$100,000 that I believe is going to be coming in. Um, but I don't know the parameters of what the donations will need to be for that. So we will be um posting that out on our Facebook and um through our website and then also through our emails and newsletters um if anyone would like to support that.
SPEAKER_01Keep posted.
Community Support And Rotary Leadership
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but that will actually um then I think close up the capital campaign. That will be the last piece.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00It's been great. We have such a great community.
SPEAKER_01I bet it's really been rewarding the outpouring of support that you've had.
SPEAKER_00It has. I mean, I've always known that our community is so great and that everyone is, you know, very generous and supportive. Um, just as shown through Grow Green, as you know, Vern was talking about all of the support that we've had. But yeah, it has been very special to see how much our community does care about Big Brothers, Big Sisters, uh, the value that they see in our program and that they want to support that.
SPEAKER_01How did you do on Grow Green Match Day?
SPEAKER_00We were up um by over$15,000 this year. Yeah. That's a jump. So great. Yeah, so great. Um and yeah, it was just again overwhelming that day of seeing all of that come through.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00We also have so many civic organizations that um are so supportive that I think um I really hope that everyone listening is involved or knows about and supports a civic organization like Rotary or Kawanis or Optimus, um, Junior League um fairy godmothers. They're just all out there doing such great work.
SPEAKER_01Can we just put a quick plug in for Michelle Sink to soon be the Rotary District Governor?
SPEAKER_00I mean, we can.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, it shows it shows your desire to give to the community and and to carry the Rotary message and and congratulations, you know, like five, six months in advance.
SPEAKER_00Oh, well, thank thank you. Actually, just one month. I will too. I take over. Oh, is it July 1? Yeah, July 1. Yeah, yeah. So um I'm excited and I love serving all of our clubs and all of our members um and just really being a partner for them and helping connect them with their resources.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you get to meet a lot of people, don't you?
SPEAKER_00I do, I do. It's great. I will travel to um essentially 41 clubs um in a short amount of time.
The Need For More Mentors
SPEAKER_01Let's talk real quickly about um this thing called Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I like it.
SPEAKER_01The work that you do in matching bigs with littles. And that is an ongoing process. There always seems to be a shortage of bigs.
SPEAKER_00There is. There is always yes, there is always going to be a waiting list. In fact, actually, um, I was just looking at Facebook and I saw that we had posted um uh a little sister. She's been waiting for almost two years. Oh my. Um her name is Tessa. She um was actually in a previous match, um, but her match had to close because her big had some family obligations that came up. Um so I've known Tessa um actually probably since I started um at Big Brothers, Big Sisters, just from match events. Um, she's such a sweet girl. She um loves basketball, um, is just uh and I'm gonna say she's probably late elementary, maybe kind of getting towards middle school. And um yeah, a tweener. Yeah, probably. Yeah, but such a sweet girl. And I'm when I looked at that, I thought, why has this sweet girl been waiting for almost two years? And um, so if anyone is interested in learning more, we would love to um either come and give you an info session uh through for a bunch of friends, um, for you individually, uh, anyone who wants to just learn about how they can make a difference in a kiddo's life.
SPEAKER_01Do your bigs have a typical age range?
SPEAKER_00Um, for how old our bigs are? Um, probably 67 to 70 percent are college students, um, which is great and we love that, but we know that they're usually only here for a few years. Um, after that, it really ranges. You know, we have some bigs that are um grandparents, and maybe their grandkids don't live close by, and so they just want to make a difference in a kid's life. Um, and then we have some that are young professionals, and then we have people like me in the in the middle of our lives that are that are bigs too.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, you just uh told a story before the show about, you know, going to go chick shopping.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes. My little sister, she's not a morning person. Um, but I had asked her if she wanted to go with me to this little um chicken swap on on Sunday morning. And so we both drug ourselves out of bed at eight o'clock in the morning and uh she got to pick out all of the new baby chicks.
SPEAKER_01I was uh 64 years old before I first heard the term chick swap.
SPEAKER_00I mean, I didn't know it was a thing either.
Golf Events And Studio 54 Gala
SPEAKER_01Annual fundraiser, what you got working?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, we've had a lot of fundraisers this year, which is great. Um, we do have our uh we are a beneficiary of the Young Trustees Golf Tournament um this week. We have our upcoming Fairways for Futures um golf tournament.
SPEAKER_01So that's a separate golf tournament.
SPEAKER_00That is a separate golf tournament. That one will be on June 1st.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00And then our um big um gala, if you will, is uh going to be on September 26th, and the Manhattan. That has evolved over the years. It started off as a bourbon tasting fundraiser, and um we've kind of uh transitioned that into being more of a decades fundraiser. Um, you know, the investment you make today will make a difference for decades. And so 1970s Studio 54 is this year's theme. Uh-oh. Um, disco balls and all. So uh will I try to ride a white horse in there? Maybe. If uh Greg will let me, um, he probably won't.
SPEAKER_01But uh so I'm trying to figure out where the white horse comes in.
SPEAKER_00Oh, it like if you Google like Studio 54, like you know, classic moments.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I I was around when Studio 54 was big.
SPEAKER_00And there was a uh singer or actress that rode a white horse into the club. Oh, I don't recall that. Yeah, Google it. Okay. Um but yeah, I maybe a stick pony. I'm you know what? And we did just do our Drive for Dreams, which was a Kentucky Derby theme. So now that you just said that out loud, I do have an inflatable um riding a horse costume.
SPEAKER_01There you go.
SPEAKER_00Just like the dinosaurs.
SPEAKER_01The the dinosaur was that was pretty special.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and so but I do have a white horse, and I'm glad you said that out loud.
Temporary Offices And Staying Resilient
SPEAKER_01Okay, good, good. Well, you know, and when we talk about a lot of things that are going on, and and this has been a year, you know, the fire was January 27th, correct?
SPEAKER_00Correct.
SPEAKER_01That's been four months almost. Isn't that crazy?
SPEAKER_00It is crazy. It seems like yesterday.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. And, you know, there's the recovery process, relocation. You've got temporary facilities up at the Edge district, if I recall correctly.
SPEAKER_00And then a new temporary facility over by Radena's um on the hill uh starting July 1st.
SPEAKER_01Oh, really? Yes. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Um, the uh foundation was so kind to give us six months of free rent.
SPEAKER_01Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_00Um in that space. But um, then we'll go to something uh uh a little more affordable.
SPEAKER_01Will that carry you until the new facility is built? Yeah, my hope is it will be because every six-month move, that's that's taxing.
SPEAKER_00Yes, and it looks like we're just um it looks like we're just constantly in flux of moving because we just have boxes everywhere that we don't have a place to like store them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00We're making it work. And you know what? Uh one of the things I will have to say is we've really proven that um that we're adaptable.
SPEAKER_01You know, one of the things that I've noticed about you is it has not all this stuff has not dampened your spirits. Oh, I think that's in fact, I think it's um I think you seem um very lighthearted about it. I think that you seem very ambitious about what this transition means to you in Kansas Biggs.
SPEAKER_00Oh, 100%. 100%. And I really hope it also is elevated um just Big Brothers, Big Sisters in general, that more people have heard about it, know about it, have talked about it in some way, shape, or form, because um uh supporting, like we always say, time, talent, treasure in any way um is always so valued. And I think seeing the value of mentorship in our community is so great.
How To Get Involved
SPEAKER_01Real quickly, how can people get involved in Kansas Biggs?
SPEAKER_00Um, you can reach out to me anytime and through our website at kansasbigs.org. If you um go to Riley County, um, it's got information there um with my cell phone number, with a link to schedule a meeting with me. Um always happy and excited to chat about chickens, big brothers, big sisters, and rotary, but not always in that order.
SPEAKER_01Not always.
SPEAKER_00Now, if you brought a chick swap to the rotary conference, I I mean, I think that actually me and Isaac and I, Isaac is the other district governor from uh he's also a chicken person, so don't tempt us with a good time.
SPEAKER_01She's Michelle Sinc. She's a delight, and she's with Kansas Big Brothers, Big Sisters, uh, KansasBigs.org to find out more about how you can participate as a big or participate as a contributor to their efforts. Uh uh getting feedback on the ground after the fire. Always a delight to have you here.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01When we come back, oh, China's in the house. We're gonna get an idea of what's coming up uh down the road with a bunch of activities on the GMCF Community Hour here on News Radio K M A N.