Newsletter Archive

We are thankful for your commitment to Kootenai County as we work together to promote the human flourishing of our neighbors. Here's a peak into what we've been up to!

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Charity Tracker Expansion & Grants

One of the key pillars of the Charity Reimagined mission is to facilitate connections between helping agencies. Because no client needs just one thing to help them move out of poverty and no helping agency can supply all of a client’s needs, it's clear that agencies need a tool to find their clients the right help at the right time.

Enter Charity Tracker .

As we've shared before, this program was developed in support of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and is now in use in every state, with over 20,000 users. 

Back in 2022, we took a leap of faith and defined our North Idaho Network as Region 1 – Kootenai, Bonner, Boundary, Shoshone and Benewah Counties. We have started small in Kootenai County, mastered the software, and confirmed its impact.  

With this foundation, we're ready to expand Tracker to the other counties in the region. Many organizations are doing great work in these counties, but they are limited by isolation. By expanding Tracker in their counties, they will be able to maximize resources, share data and success stories that will inform funding and decision-making, and ultimately love their neighbors to the highest potential.   

Since our mostly volunteer staff at Charity Reimagined is not able to keep up with the training demand in even just Kootenai County, we knew we needed to train the trainers. It's a "Hub and Spoke concept" – Charity Reimagined is the hub in Kootenai County, and we want to empower a "Spoke" within every other Region 1 County who can then equip the organizations within their county to implement Tracker.

Toward that end, we trained Angel from the Community Resource EnVision Center (CREC) in Sandpoint this month with the intent for her to become the future trainer for new Tracker users in Bonner County. Angel had some great ideas to help smaller agencies in Bonner County use Tracker and as a result, we can spread those ideas to all other Tracker users. 

We are excited to find a person in Boundary, Shoshone and Benewah counties who can be the trainer “spoke” for their helping agencies. If you know of someone, let us know !

As this expansion of Tracker is unfolding, we're thrilled to share that we received two $3,000 grants: one from Umpqua Bank and one from Avista Foundation . These grants make using Tracker absolutely free for organizations in our region. 

We’ve seen the positive impact of Charity Tracker in Kootenai County: improved communication between agencies, better outcomes for clients and a growing sense of shared mission. By bringing more counties into the network, we can build on that momentum and create a truly regional model of care.   

Not long ago, "Anthony" lived in Arizona, was engaged to be married, and was working. He biked everywhere and was known in his community as "the bike guy." He biked 20+ miles a day and found it to be a key part of keeping a positive, healthy outlook on life.

A breakup, gang association, and the theft of his bicycle sent him spiraling. For Anthony, the theft of his bike pushed him over the edge. It meant more to him than he could describe. 

He's since moved back to Kootenai County to live close to his family. It has been a challenging season of homelessness, unemployment, and struggles with mental illness. BUT, Anthony has chosen the road to healing and stability : he is in counseling and working to forgive the person who stole his bike.

Through therapy, he has realized that having a bicycle would be a key part of getting back on his feet.

Anthony is doing all the right things to move forward: counseling, medication management, working with St. Vincent de Paul , and he wants to work again, but has no driver's license.

His request to Christmas for All Year was for a bicycle to get back into his routine and the ability to commute to a job in the near future. 

We worked with our business partner, Two Wheeler & Ski Dealer , who met with Anthony and determined the right bicycle to fit his needs so he could continue to grow in his journey.

After receiving his new bike, Anthony sent a thank you note:

"I can't express my thanks well...[but] you helped me to keep my one bucket list dream alive. Plus, I have a young nephew who I hope to teach to ride, so that later, we can ride together." The bike "helps my PTSD" and it "keeps my attitude more positive.”

DOING BENEVOLENCE BETTER

(with dignity)

Reimagining charity is about digging into how we help the needy:

Not just loving with our hearts and hands but loving with our minds, too.

Donors, this one is for you ! You make our work possible, and we know you are conscientious about the organizations you support. We are grateful for both of these things. We also know that you are the first line of change in our community as we seek to examine traditional charity models and move from one way giving to long-term development of those in need.  

True Charity  has a phenomenal giving guide intended to equip philanthropists to discern where to give their money and time that we want to share with you.

The guide encourages donors to look beyond traditional measures of overhead rates and number of people served. This guide challenges donors to evaluate if an organization's methods of helping honor the dignity of those served and produce a lasting impact.

Here are 6 questions that can help you make a confident decision about organizations to support:

1. WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR PEOPLE BEING SERVED?
   People need more than money to flourish. We are created in the image of God and have
   spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual needs.
   
   
2. IS THE ORGANIZATION ASKING PEOPLE CLOSER TO THE PROBLEM TO DO THEIR PART?
   People closer to the problem should do their part before people and institutions further away
   step in. That starts with the individual’s responsibility to himself, then extends to family, friends,
   church, charity, and finally government.
   
   
3. HOW ARE RELATIONSHIPS PRIORITIZED?
   Does the organization s seek to be in genuine, reciprocal relationships with the poor and connect them to new ones. This will significantly limit the number of clients any single program can serve well .
   
   
4. ARE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP CLIENTS NOT NEED THE ORGANIZATION IN THE FUTURE?
   While one-way giving is an appropriate response to a short-term crisis, a chronic pattern of living in crisis requires development resources. Development cannot be done “to” someone. It must build on the existing strengths of the person in need so that they can support themselves in the future as much as possible.
   
   
5. DOES THE ORGANIZATION MEASURE OUTCOMES IN THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE BEING SERVED?
   Look for charities that track meaningful changes in the lives of their clients like improvements
   in housing, employment, education, and relational health. Don’t confuse these with measures of activity like meals served or coats given away.
   
   
6. IS THE ORGANIZATION PARTNERING WITH CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS?
   The best ministries are team players. They are quick to refer clients and even donors to
   ministries better suited to serve them.

Answering these questions either through conversation with staff or through published materials will illuminate the true impact an organization is having: beyond the number of handouts given or people served, how is our community truly a better place because of the work being done?

REFERRING PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Open Arms Real Choices Clinic

Open Arms Real Choices Clinic is a faith-based organization that provides valuable supporting services for pregnancy and healthy relationships regardless of one's faith. Their services include counseling, clinical support, programs for fathers, education and post abortion support for all ages.

Referring Partners are front-line poverty-fighting warriors, our community's Unsung Heroes, serving the poor. They refer their clients to Charity Reimagined for specific assistance tailored to our work. 

BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Two Wheeler & Ski Dealer

Two Wheeler & Ski Dealer has a dedicated team of passionate and knowledgeable staff, committed to serving North Idaho since 1990. They have a vast inventory of over 300 bikes, ranging from Push bikes to e-Bikes, and everything in between. More than a bike shop, they are a community hub, dedicated to promoting the myriad benefits of cycling.

Business Partners offer their services at a discount in order to meet the needs of those rising out of hardship. They give clients the dignity of interacting in the business world for their needs, not just receiving handouts. The role played by these partners cannot be overstated! 

Gratitude Corner

We helped a struggling lady a couple months ago with car repairs. Her copay was $220, of which she only had $75 at the time. This left her with a $145 copay to pay when she could.

She recently brought in $200 and asked for the extra $55 to be used to help another person in need. 

This is the grateful and generous spirit that so many people who are helped have. What a privilege it is to work with them!

If you're new or would like to learn more, we'd love to grab coffee with you and get connected. Your partnership makes effective charity in Kootenai County possible. 

OUR VISION

No matter how big or small, no single church, charity, or “helping” organization can meet all needs. But, by all of us working together through communication and collaboration to identify categories of care and responding appropriately, pride can replace shame, hope can replace despair, and lives can be changed.

CHARITY REIMAGINED | [ CharityReimgained.org ]

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