GoodHeart Collaborative supports female nonprofit executives by building personal and professional resiliency through encouragement, community, and connections. 

The charitable sector plays a crucial role in lives across the country and around the world. There are currently 1.6 million registered nonprofits in the USA, making up 10% of the country's workforce. 45% are led by female CEOs/EDs. That's 720,000 talented, compassionate, and innovative female nonprofit executives currently fighting for equality, safety, and changed lives all around the world!

The nonprofit sector and other helping careers are oftentimes very rewarding but can be incredibly difficult to work in. To the detriment of our communities, and our world, we are losing talented, experienced, compassionate, and innovative world changers, due to the lack of support and unrealistic demands put on nonprofits and their leaders. There are many who have had the nonprofit world negatively impact them deeply and some to the point where their burnout, lack of support, heavy workloads, and low pay has caused them to not only leave their organizations, but the nonprofit world altogether. The result is the nonprofit sector is losing highly qualified women because of something that could be prevented. 

I started GoodHeart Collaborative because over my years of founding and leading a nonprofit called Extended Hands of Hope, I noticed myself becoming incredibly burnt out, overwhelmed, and feeling alone. As I began investigating whether or not others were also experiencing this, I found that many female nonprofit executives and founders felt the same way. There are so many incredible women that are not only leading nonprofits and changing the world, but are also taking care of their children, trying to be a present and loving wife, taking care of other family members, and still finding time to help out friends and their communities. I’m absolutely fascinated by their pursuit and utter commitment to change lives and generations, and yet their willingness to sacrifice comfort, safety, and stability in their own lives. They carry burdens like most don’t and can’t even understand, and yet they are often overlooked, misunderstood, underpaid, and unsupported. I started this cause-centered community out of feeling grieved and deeply saddened that there are so many incredible women out there giving their all for others, and yet feeling so lonely and unsupported themselves. My hope is that GoodHeart Collaborative will provide a space that is exclusive to what these women are seeking. They need a judgement-free community of understanding and overwhelming peer-to-peer support and encouragement.

In order to reach as many of these women as possible, we are developing our first app called GoodHeart, which will build a positive, supportive, and relatable peer-to-peer digital platform for Female Nonprofit Executives. GoodHeart App is a digital retreat that boosts personal resiliency, inspires joy, celebrates successes, reminds you of your purpose and mission, encourages wellness, and connects you with your peers locally and around the world. This app will feature access to our weekly podcast highlighting members around the world, articles and video content from trusted experts on mental health, wellbeing, healthy living, self care, confidence, and more! GoodHeart app allows for members to connect digitally and in real life through a shared calendar based off of geographic location. It is focused on highlighting positive stories, sharing resources and knowledge, encouraging each other, providing joy and laughter through content, igniting inspiration, improving wellness and mental health, and sharing lifestyle ideas such fashion, food, and travel. There will also be a daily gratitude journal, inspiring women in history featured each day, and an opportunity to shout out other members on the platform! 

Funding raised here will go directly towards the app we are currently developing. I have bootstrapped the first $20,000. We are in the first round development phase and will launch the beta version by September 2020. 

What we will offer –

• A digital platform exclusive to our target market where they can safely engage with each other without attracting men looking for relationships. 

• An intentionally positive and uplifting community, curated to specifically meet the needs of the members without all of the other political and societal distractions or mindless social media scrolling, which can lead to a decrease in wellness and can negatively impact mental health.

• An "I get it" and "I got you" group of women combatting loneliness and isolation through meaningful connections.  

• Expert-led resources that will help members remain effective long-term in their pursuit of a safer and more equitable world by building resiliency and increasing overall wellbeing. 
  
   
• Relationships with peers all around the world for less than the price of a venti coffee!

Thank you for supporting these incredible women who are sacrificing their lives and comfort to make this world a better safer and more equitable place!!! When these incredible nonprofit women are strengthened, supported, and encouraged, we will see the results for generations to come!