Making an Impact: The Nonprofit Journey
Podcast Transcription
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Hi everyone, welcome to another special episode of PFCU’s Money Talk Podcast. In this episode, I’m joined by Bill Krieger for the second time. Bill is the President of Veterans Archives, and he shares what it takes to start a nonprofit. Here’s our interview.
Maddy: We really went deep into our in our last interview about Veterans Archives and what you guys do. And I appreciate you coming back. I think you're the first guest who has come back for a second interview, which is so exciting because I didn't scare you off the first time.
Bill: I was going to ask, what do you do to your guests that they don't come back?
Maddy: So, we're going to dive a little bit deeper into starting a nonprofit, but if you want to just give a brief overview of what Veterans Archives does and what it is, and then we can go into more depth on starting a nonprofit.
Bill: Yeah, absolutely. So, Veterans Archives, again, we are a nonprofit. That's why we're going to talk about nonprofits. But what we do is we sit down with veterans, and we interview them and collect their personal stories. And I like to make the distinction that we don't just like capture, we don't just sit and swap war stories, right? I'm a veteran myself.
We actually capture the whole veteran in about a 90-minute interview. We go back, we edit that recording. We provide the veteran with a copy of their recording. It comes in a nice display case with a memory card and one of our challenge coins. And then we provide that to the veteran free of charge. And then we archive it. So right now, we have a YouTube page where you can see the videos and we have a podcast where you can hear the interviews as well. And as I was saying before we started recording, I'm working on building the searchable database, so you'll be able to actually search those stories. We have collected over 175 stories so far. We're looking to hit 250 by the end of the year. Fingers crossed we'll get there. But really, it's about capturing the stories of our nation's heroes so that future generations can learn about our history from the men and women that actually lived it in their voices and in their words.
Maddy: Love that. So you said you're a veteran yourself. Can you share a little bit on what sparked this idea to start this nonprofit?
Bill: Yeah, so there's a lot of stuff that happened that got us here. One part of this is that I struggled a lot when I returned from my deployment. I had a lot of mental health challenges, and through my struggles, I found that storytelling was a great way to share that, kind of lift the burden a little bit. What I learned from storytelling was not only was it cathartic for me to tell my story, but other people listening to those stories had had similar experiences and thought that they were the only people that had been there. So, there's that part of it was the storytelling. The other part of it is my grandfather grew up in the south. And he was a bootlegger, and he lived on a riverboat, and he had this amazing life. And he would always share his stories at the holidays. And everyone in our family misses those stories, not just because the stories were cool, but my grandfather had a really cool voice, you know? And we can't tell the stories the way he did. And so I kind of put all that together and thought, what if we worked with veterans and captured their stories so that when people heard those stories, it was actually them telling it, not reading about it in a book or hearing someone else tell their stories. So that's really where that all came from. And we started back in 2022.
Maddy: Right. Right. Yeah, I love that. Like, I wish I, you know, family members that have passed away or like my grandpa was a World War II vet and like it would have been really cool to hear him sit down and talk about his experience. So, I love the idea. So, you get this idea. Can you talk about the first steps into actually starting the nonprofit and what that kind of looked like?
Bill: Yes, you want to buy a sturdy desk so when you're beating your head on it, you don't damage anything. It can be a struggle. You know, fortunately for us, so we selected a board and we selected an attorney to be on our board. So, you know, the first step is really put a board together, you know, three or four people. It doesn't have to be this huge.
undertaking, you know, find some people who are interested in what you're interested in and want to be a part of that service. I always recommend finding an attorney to either be on your board or to help you with what you're doing, because you're going to get a lot further along in the legal part of it with an attorney than with some of these other groups that you find on the internet. So, you know, you have to register as an entity with the state, which you can do online. I think it costs 50 or 25 bucks to do that. If you're a veteran, it's free. You know, you have to file your articles of incorporation. You have to get your employee identification number, your EIN number, and your status as a non-profit from the
from the federal government, from the IRS. You can do that right online as well. So, these are kind of the steps that you have to take. Now, there are people out there that will help you with that, but they charge a lot of money and there's some things that happen sometimes where they become your registered agent and it tangles things up. So, I always recommend getting some good advice from an attorney and doing the work yourself because it's less expensive. You learn how to do it and then you understand the systems involved. So really those are your first steps is putting your board together and then looking at what legally you have to do to become a nonprofit entity in Michigan and then also federally through the IRS. All things that can be done online and literally happen very, very quickly. So, when I filed our articles of incorporation and all that, I think it was a matter of just a couple of days. We had our, everything was back to us and we were up and running. So, it's not that difficult to do. But make sure you understand what paperwork is required and then how to follow those processes. Again, always recommend people get legal advice before they enter into any sort of legal contracts.
Maddy: Oh, good advice. And that was one of my questions, was any advice for anyone starting, wanting to start a nonprofit. Was there anything that you found surprising through the process or you weren't aware of, something that was maybe challenging through the process?
Bill: Yeah, so, you know, the state asks a lot of questions, and they should. So sometimes it's understanding what exactly they're looking for. You know, as a nonprofit, when you finally become a nonprofit, you do know, like we had our, we just had our golf outing, and as part of our golf outing, we had a raffle. But did you know that you have to register your raffle through the state of Michigan, through the Charitable Gaming Commission? And so that was a process. And once it's done, though, it's great. But in order to do that, you have to do things like be recognized in your community. So, I had to go to a county board meeting and have them recognize us as a nonprofit because you have to provide that paperwork to the state in order to get your charitable gaming license. So, there was that piece that kind of surprised me because I see people do raffles all the time. I didn't realize you had to have a license to do that. So, there's that. You know, some organizations require you to have a solicitation license in Michigan in order to solicit donations through their charities. And so that's another thing that I didn't think of. I had never heard of it before. So, we had to work through that process. I will say there are just surprises around every corner.
But I look at them as opportunities to learn and understand rather than roadblocks or challenges. So those were the two things that really surprised me. The biggest surprise of all, honestly, was how easy it was, once I understood the system, how easy it was to get stuff done on the front end. The IRS system was very user-friendly, and the state of Michigan's LARA system, very user-friendly.
Maddy: Yeah. Good. Yeah, I mean, especially since people who maybe find it intimidating to think about starting a nonprofit or, you know, don't know where to start, I think that's really good insight. Let's move on to fundraising, which you just had your big golf outing.
Can you talk a little bit more about fundraising and the importance of that to your organization and maybe other nonprofits as well?
Bill: Yes. So, I will tell every nonprofit that will listen. When I started out, I was doing everything on spreadsheets. I had all my donors, all my donations, addresses, all this stuff on these Excel spreadsheets. And the Lansing Community Foundation put on a nonprofit fundraising series a few summers ago, and I attended that. And the one take away from that was, you know, get yourself a donor database. You know, I don't know if I can say actual brand names, but there is one out there that I use that doesn't cost anything. It's free to use. And you can put all your donor information in there. It has an e-mail function, so you can send, like I send my newsletters out using that. But also through this system, I am able to set up my golf outing so that people can go to my website, click on it, and pay with a credit card and be a part of our golf outing. Our silent auction was run through this program as well. Everything was done online, so there was no cash that exchanged hands. Everything was paid for. It made things very, very, very easy for us. And we went from a couple 100 folks that we work with on a regular basis. I think our donor database has over 900 people in it now. And we're able to communicate with folks through that system. We had tried some other things. There are some systems out there. A lot of places will charge you $2,000 or $3,000 a year. We're so small that that was a lot of money for us so we opted for this free system. They don't charge us any annual fees. They don't charge us any transaction fees. Throughout the week, as donations come in, every Monday, we get a deposit into our bank. It makes it very easy for us to track the money that's coming in, where it came from, and what we're doing with it. And it also allows us to communicate with donors because we are entrusted stewards of the money that they give us. And we owe it to our donors to let them know what we're doing with that money because it's really their money. And so that's the next step before you get a ton of donors or a ton of people is to figure out what system you're going to use and get that up and running. That will make your life easier on the front end. I learned the hard way by doing everything with spreadsheets and stuff gets lost and it's very hard to track. So, yeah, so, you know, I don't know, can I say the name of the company?
Maddy: Yeah, you better say the name because I think people are probably going to be like, what is it? Because it sounds great.
Bill: Yeah, go to go to Zeffy, Z-E-F-F-Y, Zeffy.com. They're a non-profit. They do this for non-profits. They are worldwide. They're huge. And they put on seminars and symposiums and all kinds of cool stuff so you can learn more about them. But anything you do that has to do with money, you can run through them, right? So, if like next week, we're headed to Rochester, New York to shoot a documentary on a veteran who did a ton of work for veterans through the VA. So, we're going to interview his family and his friends, and we're doing a documentary up there. So, we're looking for special donations, right? I can set that up in Zeffy. And that way I can keep my restricted funds separate from my just regular donations. So yeah, I mean, there's tons of ways to use this program. And it captures all the information you need, phone numbers, addresses, emails, you know, how people prefer to give. It will allow you to set up recurring donations if someone wants to do that. I have several folks who every month they give us, you know, 50 bucks or 100 bucks or whatever it is. It's fantastic because they don't have to think about it and we don't have to think about it and they are supporting us and we can count on that to come in every month. So yes, zeffy.com.
Maddy: Yeah.
Bill: If you're starting out and you're waiting for your articles of incorporation, go check them out. Now, you can't, they won't let you join until you have all your paperwork because they're going to want to make sure you're a nonprofit. But again, they don't charge you a nickel. I have never paid Zeffy a penny for anything. And they do amazing work. So that's the other part. When we look at donations and fundraising, you have to have a good foundation. And then the other part is, I don't think that you can over-communicate with folks about what your needs are and what you need to do. Another great resource here in Michigan is the, hold on, I'm going to have to look this up really quick. But it is the Michigan, it's called the Charity Directory. It's the business charity directory.com. And it's a listing of companies and corporations and people in Michigan that have money to donate.
Maddy: Yeah.
Bill: So you can go out there, you can click a link, you can go to their page, and you can ask for money. And it works. It works great. You know and develop relationships with folks. Like, you know, PFCU has been just amazing for us. You know, we met through the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. And I was on your podcast a while back, and you didn't scare me off. And so here I am again. And, you know, they actually gave us a grant this year to help us get these recordings done, helped with our golf outing, sent a volunteer, was the cart sponsor.
Maddy: Yeah.
Bill: And really, that all just boils down to relationships. If people understand what you do and they like what you do, they'll help you get what you need, whether it's volunteers or money or items or whatever it is. So, when it comes to fundraising, it's building those relationships. And here's the important part, it is not building the relationships so you can get money. Because I think people see right through that. It's building relationships regardless. Because I have relationships with lots of businesses who don't give me money. That's okay. Because we work together, they spread the word. There's lots of different ways to help out nonprofits. And so that's very, very important, is build relationships to build relationships and not for any other purpose. And, you know, January 1st, if you have an event coming up in 2027, or if you're looking for grants and donations in 2027, on January 1st, 2027, start going to all of the large businesses in your area via their website, because most places now you can't go in and ask for a donation. You know, have somebody on your board or on your team that wants to sit there and pound the keys on the keyboard for a couple of days, and that will guarantee that you will get some dollars from somewhere. You know, we've done that. Hanover Foundation has been really good to us, Consumers Energy Foundation has been very, very good to us, PFCU has been very, very good to us. These are all things that came through the website. So most large corporations have a foundation or a giving page. Meijer has a great foundation giving page. They've been very generous to us. It's a lot easier to look towards these corporations who have dollars to give and get big chunks of money than it is to try and get small chunks of money from hundreds of people, which we do. If someone wants to donate, a nickel, we will take it. We're not going to refuse a donation. But it is easier to go to these large corporations. And it helps you establish that relationship so that year after year, you're able to count on having a budget in order to do your work. And then it's getting out there and getting the word out. Join your Chamber of Commerce. I mean, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce has just been, I don't know how I'll say, just incredible. I have met so many people there, made so many friends there. We have a good time at the meetings, and it's been very, very beneficial, not just for me, but for the other people that are there as well. You know, you can find things that are mutually beneficial as you go through those. So, get yourself out into your community. You know, get yourself in a position, so, the position we're in is when I go to like a chamber meeting, I tell people, look, you know, if you want to donate to us, great, but I'm not here with my hand out. We're funded, we have the money, we need veterans to record their stories. That's a great position to be in because then you can focus singly on something. So, we put in the hard work at the beginning of the year, and then we just let it flow like it flows. We do our golf outing, which I'm so glad it's over. It was so much fun, but it's a lot of work. A lot of work. And, you know, it's been very, so this is our second one.
Maddy: A lot of work, yeah.
Bill: You know, the first one we did very, very well. This one we did even better, and who knows, next year. So, you know. And maybe a golf outing doesn't work for you for fundraising. Maybe it's a bowling outing, or maybe it's a cocktail hour, or maybe it could be anything, but you have to figure out what works for your organization as well. You know, golf outings, I think everyone tries to do them. Some are fantastic, and some are just like, what are you guys doing? And everything in between. But you have to find out what works for you and your team.
Maddy: Yeah. So many little useful nuggets in there. Like I feel like you really dug into what would be helpful for people. And a lot of it's so simple too. Like you said, going to those chamber meetings and just building relationships is really good advice. Do you
have any additional, you already shared a lot of advice, but could you share maybe what success looks like to you? What keeps you motivated year after year with this, with your nonprofit?
Bill: Yes, I can boil that down to one story for you. Here's what drives me. Like, love storytelling, love the historical value of what we do, love that families get to hear stories from their veteran that maybe they haven't heard. But Vicki Cane is someone that I interviewed a few years ago and she was at the Michigan Veterans Homes. And if you're not familiar with the Michigan Veterans Homes, it's three locations in Michigan. If you are a veteran or a disabled veteran, you can go there and it's free. So, as you get older or if you have special physical challenges, you can go there. It's amazing. They're just wonderful, wonderful places. So, Vicki was here because she had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She's the only person I've ever met that had pancreatic cancer that lived as long as she did. She stuck around for a long time. And we were trying to get her interview scheduled. And she was getting ready to go to Disney with her family. And honestly, for the last time, her and I talked about this and she was like, oh, you know, we'll get to it. We'll get to it. We'll get to it. And I said, Vicki, here's the deal, when you get back from Disney, you're going to be tired. And you know, you're going to want to get some rest. That's going to take a lot out of you. Let's do it before you go. And she agreed. So, I head over to Grand Rapids. We sit in her room for like 2 hours. I do this incredible interview with her. Incredible because she was a female mechanic in the Army in the 80s when there weren't a lot of female mechanics in the Army. And she just had great stories about her time in the military, but also
about family. She was very much about family. And so, she talked about her family both before the military and then after the military. It was a fantastic interview. She made it great. And then we got everything done, edited it, sent it to her. She went to Disney, she came back, and things were good. And a few months later, it was a Saturday afternoon, and I got a phone call and it was her son. And her son said, hey, I wanted you to know that Vicki passed away. But we are so thankful that we have these recordings. They were fantastic for the for the memorial, and now we have them and we get to hear things that we didn't know about our mom. So, thank you very much. That's it. That's what drives me. That one story right there, because a lot of the veterans I've interviewed were older. World War II, Korean War, they're not here anymore. Probably half of them are gone now, but their stories and their images live on. That drives me to do what I do.
Maddy: Yeah, which is incredible. And I think anyone thinking about starting a nonprofit, I mean, I'm sure they're passionate about that mission, whatever it is that they're starting otherwise they wouldn't be doing it so I can definitely see how that keeps you motivated. Is there anything else that you would like to share about Veterans Archives or the process, anything you'd like to say to people thinking about it?
Bill: So, one other thing, and you said it right there, you know, people tend to start nonprofits because they have a passion for something. If you're starting a nonprofit for any other reason, don't do it. It's a lot of work. A lot of it's thankless work. A lot of it's sitting in your basement like I am right now, working on stuff that's, this is a great break because I was working on some kind of boring stuff that's got to get done. It can be a lot of hours. It can be a lot of stress but it can also be a lot of joy, a lot of happiness, and a lot of satisfaction in seeing that all come through. But if you don't have a passion for whatever it is you're doing, then just don't do it because it's not worth it to you and you're not going to do any good for the community that you're trying to serve. Haven't seen that in the nonprofit world. Everyone I know is very passionate about what they do.
Maddy: Okay.
Bill: So, there's that. You know, like I said, we're at 175 plus stories at Veterans Archives. Because of folks like PFCU, we have the money to continue doing this as well as some of the other things that we need to get done. And so, the update from Veterans Archives is if you're a veteran or you know a veteran go to veteransarchivesorg. That's veterans with an S, archives with an S dot org and sign up. I'm probably the guy that's going to call you and schedule your appointment. I am a 21-year veteran myself. I did a combat tour in ‘06. I'm a retired captain. I've been in the Navy. I've been in the Army. I grew up in a Marine Corps household. It's a conversation between 2 veterans, and I would just love for our next story to come from someone who's listening to this right now.
Maddy: Yeah. And you can't get anyone nicer than Bill. Like, who wouldn't want to sit down with you and chat about their story, right? And I know your story is out there on Veterans Archives, right? Like, you've recorded your own, I'm sure.
Bill: Yes, there's actually two stories out there right now. We partnered with Talking Dog Films here in Lansing. They do videography for nonprofits. In fact, that's who we're doing the shoot with up in New York. But anyway, he came to my house and did a very professional interview with me and I love the way it turned out. So that's out there.
Maddy: Yeah. Cool. Very nice. All right. Well, I appreciate you coming back on for a second time. You give wonderful insight and your story's not only out on your platforms, but we also talked pretty in depth in our last interview as well about your background and
a little more about Veterans Archives and what you do. So yeah, I really appreciate your time. Glad to give you a little break.
Bill: Yeah, thanks for your time too. It's always a pleasure to talk with you. And love my friends at PFCU. You guys have been great to us. I just can't say enough. I'll end my part of it with zeffy.com. If you are a nonprofit and you're struggling, that is a game changer. If you're thinking about starting a nonprofit,
Maddy: Yeah.
Bill: Don't do what Bill Krieger did. Do it the right way. Go to Zeffy.com. They will set you up.
Maddy: Awesome. All right. Thank you so much.
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