Press Coverage

Part I: Identifying the Need For Your Project

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of articles about the birth and growing pains of a small nonprofit project whose mission is to assist newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. In this case, the project, Between Us: A First-Aid Kit for Your Heart and Soul, was folded into an already existing nonprofit film organization. That was the easy part. The hard part has been the never-ending search for support, particularly corporate sponsorship, to fund the services and programs provided by Between Us.

Mary Katzke, the co-author of this series, is a breast cancer survivor and director of Affinityfilms, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization formed in 1981 to produce socially relevant documentary films. During the cyclonic period following her diagnosis of breast cancer and its subsequent treatment, Katzke realized the intense need for a program dedicated to providing immediate emotional support for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. This gave birth to the concept of a free "first-aid kit": a documentary devoted to the feelings and experiences of breast cancer patients and a "care" package of gifts selected by survivors, such as tissues, a pre-paid telephone card, a notebook, and a pen. So, with an idea and mission in her heart and mind, she marched forth into the world of fund raising.

The Idea

In 1992, I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Since the only person I had known who had this disease was my mother, and she had died from it three years after finding her lump, I was terrified. Only a fellow survivor (or "Victor," as current vernacular runs), can know the sleepless nights and endless sobbing that occurs those first few days following such a diagnosis. I think I didn't really sleep for 48 hours, at which time I collapsed from exhaustion.

What I really craved was acknowledgement and comfort on the emotional level - I assumed the doctors would take care of the physical aspects of the disease. I called every hotline and hit the bookstores and Internet, but could not find anything that addressed "survivor mentorship." I knew on an intellectual level that other women had survived this, but I didn't know who they were or how they'd done it. The issue was: I wanted this information immediately. Possessing the skills of a filmmaker, I vowed that when I finished my treatment, I would go on a mission to fill the gap between diagnosis and finding the emotional support.

The First Step

Once my treatment was finished, I flew to my home state, Alaska, where I traditionally spend my summers. Each year, they have an Alaska Run for Woman, which raises money for breast cancer - not just research, but anything to do with it, including art, medical equipment, and educational events. I proposed my project to the board of directors of the Alaska Run for Women after walking the six mile, because I was to weak to run. They granted me $3,000 to develop my project to the proposal level. This meant interviewing 40 women, each of whom confirmed this incredible need for comfort in this immediate time period following diagnosis; developing a logo; copying, shipping, and phone calls; and hiring a grants writer to consult for a day to get the project off the ground.

Next month: Choosing a Name for Your Nonprofit

Part 1

Part 2

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