Mark Bergel is the reason why I decided to devote my life to helping nonprofit organizations almost 20 years ago. I should say people like Mark are the reason. You see, I just met Mark for the first time yesterday.
When you meet Mark the first thing you notice is that Mark is passionate about his mission.
Mark is the executive director of an organization called A Wider Circle. Based in Silver Spring Maryland, A Wider Circle’s mission is to help low-income, and many times no-income, people move out of poverty. They do this in a number of ways. They offer for free quality used furniture for low-income families to furnish their homes. They offer for free professional style clothing, like suits and ties for men, so that their clients can be well dressed and unashamed to go to work. They provide job training in basic skills needed to get and keep a job. And more. (Visit their website at: http://awidercircle.org/)
I met Mark yesterday when our firm volunteered for a day of service helping to move and organize A Wider Circle’s household furniture donations. As our group of volunteers paused for lunch munching pizzas, Mark came and spoke to us about the mission and history of A Wider Circle.
The stories he told us about the work of his organization and the people they help he’s probably told hundreds if not thousands of times before. Yet his passion and enthusiasm made it seem like we were hearing them for the first time.
I’ve listened to people like Mark scores of times before. The executive directors of almost all of our clients share Mark’s passion for the missions of their respective organizations. Our firm, in fact, hosted a panel discussion not long ago of five nonprofit executive director founders to hear their stories of how they started their organizations and why. Their comments were so moving and inspiring that our staff of accountants broke into spontaneous applause after each one. (You can read a description of this discussion at http://www.yptc.com/Entrepreneurs.aspx). These people prove that one person can make a difference.
I enjoy accounting. But what I enjoy even more is helping nonprofits like Mark’s with their accounting so that they can make the world a better place. The purpose behind what they do is what gives purpose to what we do. Thank you Mark and to all the passionate executive directors out there!
Comments welcome.
Eric Fraint, President and Founder
Your Part-Time Controller, LLC
EricYPTC 