Blog #2

    On my first day last week, I went with Emily Thome, who works at the Third Federal Foundation, to a meeting with a man who wanted to share about his non-profit and talk about potential funding. I went early and talked a lot with Mrs. Thome about Third Federal and the foundation. She explained to me the rich history of Third Federal, the bank, and her responsibilities as the person who runs the foundation. Every year, Third Federal devotes millions to helping their non-profit partners and serving their mission. They state, “Third Federal Foundation exists to strengthen communities and improve the conditions that make home ownership possible, supporting efforts centered on affordable housing, financial stability, accessible education, and thriving neighborhoods.” Mrs. Thome is responsible for finding amazing organizations that relate to this mission and making sure the foundation’s funding goes to the right places. She explained to me how difficult it can sometimes be because, with a set budget, you have to say no a lot more than you can say yes, so she is very careful and intelligent about looking into the organizations and building trust with the non-profits they work with. She also explained why the Third Federal Foundation focuses much of its resources on home ownership and safe housing. A lot of the foundation’s focus is on improving the neighborhood where they are located, which is Slavic Village. Slavic Village has been struggling recently because many of the homes there are now very old, making them unsafe, which is driving many residents away or causing current residents to have health or financial complications. Some problems have been the effects of lead in old houses on residents and broken-down parts of the houses, which are significant safety concerns. House repairs are very expensive, so many times, low-income families in the community cannot fix these issues and have to endure the health risks. If the foundation can help cover these repairs/renovations/new homes, it creates a safer and more sustainable community. Third Federal Foundation wants to help Slavic Village grow and thrive and believes that helping with the housing issues is a big part of accomplishing that. After our great conversation, I met a man named Tim, who told me and Emily about a new non-profit organization he was starting. He wanted to help kids who could not afford college get started with their careers and help break generational poverty. I learned so much about how the non-profit world works and the complications, risks, and work it takes to start your own organization. We talked for over an hour, and it was a super valuable experience. Emily has already taught me so much on the first day, and I am excited to keep learning.