Zanade L. Mann
What was I to do when I found myself surrounded by so many young girls looking for information and resources? I did the only logical thing and implemented The Pink Polka Dot Organization! An organization dedicated to the enrichment of underserved young girls throughout New York City, ages 5 to 21.
At first I was a bit overwhelmed by what it would take to operate as a nonprofit in NYC but I remained dedicated to the overall purpose of Pink Polka Dot. I knew that I could not just start an organization without experience, so in 2007 I began volunteering at many organizations, such as Career Peeks, Girls Scouts, NY Cares and the Administration of Children’s Services, to strengthen my knowledge of children. It was time-consuming, considering that I worked a full-time job, was a full-time parent and was taking classes at Hunter College.
I received wonderful support from my professional networks including NYWICI, on how fine of a job I was doing, so that kept me above water most of the time. By 2008 I had brought PPD to over five schools within the NYC Board of Education and numerous community centers in urban areas. Our programs grew immediately as more parents noticed the need for our specialized programs. One program in particular that was an instant hit was The Empowerment Challenge. This eight-week program engages the girls in self esteem modules to help them better understand and love who they really are. We focus on internal beauty and well external appearances.
There are so many memories and experiences that I can recall in the implementation of PPD. In early 2008 I was faced with a challenge; after months of research and preparation of PPD’s programs, I realized that I had no physical space to host my meetings. So I put my CEO cap on and brainstormed for answers and finally it hit me. I would call every community center within the five boroughs until one director told me yes! To my amazement, the third director of a tiny community center in Staten Island said, “Of course we would love to have you!” and that sparked the flame that is now PPD.
Financially, things were tough because I funded PPD out of my pocket; everything that PPD needed came out of my take-home pay from my initial job, but I found ways to manage. It was the girls’ smiles that made it that much easier.
Listing pros and cons, I would say the only con about starting this organization was learning nonprofit law. Being that I had no additional money for such training I had to learn everything myself or through information from my networks. The pros are endless, and my most valued pro would be making a huge difference in the lives of little girls. I look forward to the day that one of my members announces to me that she is going away to college!
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