My Benjamin Franklin Moment
I had my official Benjamin Franklin moment over the winter as we were assessing last year's Summer Tennis & Reading Program (STRP) in an attempt to plan and budget for our 2009 program.
While our 2008 STRP was our best effort to date, the loss ofthe $100,000 Ford grant and a tough economic outlook were making planning difficult and stressful. On my way home, somewhat discouraged, I passed a billboard with a picture of Benjamin Franklin and the words “Go Fly a Kite” – Ingenuity, Pass it On.”
The billboard, sponsored by The Foundation 4 a Better Life,is one of many that can be seen throughout the city, each with a different inspiration message attached to it.
I was curious about what I had seen so I went to their website and read about Benjamin Franklin. After some reflection I began to look at these difficulties as necessities and opportunities, which brought everything into a different light.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I had never given Ben Franklin’s “necessity is the mother of invention” quote much thought. But, thanks to this billboard, and with a much better attitude, I began to apply it to every project that I worked on. It became cathartic, almost liberating.
Without ever having to need anything, nothing new would haveever been invented. It made perfect sense so I began applying this phrase to every program, activity, and project on which I was working.
MTEF used the new and innovative QuickStart Tennis program to develop a partnership with the Milwaukee Public Schools for their Community Learning Center Wellness Initiative and the results have been overwhelming. To date, 22 of the 70 CLC’s sites have contracted with MTEF to provide tennis instruction to approximately 770 children.
People, companies, and non-profits struggle every day. It’s part of life and essential to thelearning process. This year isgoing to be an especially tough one financially.
If given the opportunity, every non-profit would gladly accept a major donation that would give them financial security for life. I certainly know I would! But I wonder if that would stifle the innovation brought on by necessity.
Would we rest on our laurels and simply run each program aswe had the year before? Might we just buy things instead of using our resourcefulness to invent and develop them on our own? I sometimes wonder.
Since I don’t expect that large endowment donation anytime soon, I better keep looking for ways to help MTEF stay viable and relevant.
But, before I finish these thoughts, I would like to leave you with one final Benjamin Franklin quote, “If you would not be forgotten assoon as you’re dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing.”
The United States has never forgotten Benjamin Franklin because he did both. Personally, I think I better stick to doing something worth the writing – MTEF.