Segment: college students who are interested in volunteering their time for food pickup and drop-off
1. My first interviewee is a junior at UF who is interested in working in the nonprofit sector once she graduates. She said that she is passionate about serving the needy because of past experiences in her personal life. She pointed out that it would be difficult to make a profit in this business, but that it’s still important to have services like these. She occasionally volunteers at a soup kitchen with her roommate.
2. My second interview was with an 18-year-old girl who believes that serving one’s local community is extremely important. She wants to run for public office in the future. She said that she tries to find a new cause to help every month.
3. The last person I interviewed said that he needs to get volunteer hours for a class, so he would be interested in helping a new foundation get on its feet. Although his class is the reason that he wants to volunteer in the first place, he said it’s important to him that he find a cause he thinks is worthwhile.
I learned that I will need to target people with an innate passion for helping others and serving underprivileged communities. Many people do not generally make a habit of volunteering their time, so my business would likely have to rely on charity donations for funding rather than the traditional model. While I will also charge a service fee for picking up and delivering the food, most nonprofits cannot afford to pay a lot for this. However, I think that with the help of volunteers this could still be successful and help many people.
Hi Beatriz,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it is true that many people choose not to volunteer often. But when people like you, find a cause they're truly passionate about then other people/companies will see that and support the cause as well. I agree that donations are really important for a nonprofit to get started and operate on its own two feet, but volunteers are what make nonprofits special and capable to give back to the community.
Hey Beatriz,
ReplyDeleteFinding people to volunteer can always be difficult, but if you look in the right areas, you’ll be sure to find those willing to help. High schoolers may be another segment you may want to look in to. I know when I was in high school, I was required to get a certain number of volunteer hours before I graduated and I was always on the lookout for opportunities to volunteer.