How a 14-Year-Old Started an Internationally Acclaimed Nonprofit, and YOU can too!

At 14-years-old, I stepped out on faith and decided to start my first nonprofit organization — Kinston Teens, Inc.

Throughout the year of 2014, my small hometown of Kinston, North Carolina was going through a pretty rough time. We were in the midst of a plethora of problems — issues in our school system, increased poverty and a string of gun violence that particularly involved young people. These issues bothered me greatly, and I wanted to make a difference.

Youth all over the world see issues EVERY DAY that they want to solve. Many of them do, but some of them are not quite sure on how to get started. Maybe you have an idea for a charitable organization that you’d like to work on in 2017 — here’s what I did to start mine, and what you can do, too:

1. Pray about it.

Pray hard about it. If you’re not a really religious person, then think hard about it. Whatever you do, make sure that this is the right action you want to take in your mind and heart.

As a person of faith, I strongly believe in the biblical verse of Jeremiah 29:11, ‘for I know the plans I have for you…’

Before I started Kinston Teens, I had to pray hard and make sure that this was what God intended for me to do. I believe that every single person has a special purpose and destiny for us to fulfill here on Earth, and I wanted to be confident that this was God’s intended destiny for me. Trust me when I say this, when it comes to something like this — God will clearly reveal if He wants you to do it when you pray about it. God gave me clear, consistent signs that I needed to start Kinston Teens. Trust His guidance and use your discernment.

2. Find your mission.

Something that I tell all of my friends when they decide to start a business or organization is that the FIRST organizational step, EVEN before you come up with your name, is to define your mission statement.

A mission statement is a short, sweet declaration of what you’re going to set out to achieve. For example, the mission statement of Kinston Teens is ‘to empower our city’s youth through service, leadership and civic engagement…’ — and that’s EXACTLY what we do.

Your mission statement is going to be the foundation of your communications, your branding, and your ENTIRE organization. When people hear your organization’s name, your mission statement needs to INSTANTLY come to their mind.

Make sure your mission statement describes exactly what you want and are going to do. Make sure it’s something tangible. Make sure that this is what you want your organization to be based on.

3. Find your team.

You can’t do it all by yourself. (Sometimes, you’re still going to try, though. That’s just how us leaders are.) However, you still need a team.

Having a support system of people who believe in you, the organization, the mission, AND the work is what will hold your organization (and your mental stability) together. Over the last two years, there have been times that I wanted to give up on everything and everybody. However, the people on my team supported me, showed patience with me, and pushed me to keep going.

Every now and then, the people on your team are going to change. Sometimes, people have to move out of the way to make room for greater individuals to move in. As a leader, don’t get discouraged when this happens. Change is good, and it forces us to work harder to make sure things transition smoothly and keep going.

Also, when you get your team — support your team. Your team members are going to have passions, hobbies and interests of their own. As their leader, you’re going to have to support them. Attend their sporting events, share your knowledge with them, and even help them get their organizations started. When we’ve been privileged to have leadership capabilities, it’s selfish of us if we’re not using them to develop more leaders.

4. Stay true to your mission.

As soon as you’ve defined your mission and announced that you’re in the process of starting an organization, there are going to be people who try to steer you away from it. When I first started Kinston Teens, people were instantly like like “Oh wow! Why don’t your bring that program to ______ for us to help you?” or “Why don’t you do this instead of that. I think it might even make you some money this way!” or “Why not start a school club, it’ll be less stress on you!”

Some of the offers I got were actually appealing! But, nah. It was hard, but I had to resist. I had a mission set, goals in mind, and I knew the difference that I wanted to make. Just think: if I had taken someone up on ANY one of those offers, Kinston Teens would not be what it is today. We’re an internationally recognized organization continuing to grow. It’s because I stayed true to our mission.

*Sometimes, though, it can even be your family, your team members, or EVEN you yourself that will try to push you in another direction. Every now and then, I will get an idea and think, “Hmm… what if I do this instead?” Again, nah. Stay TRUE to your mission. Jeremiah 29:11 is REAL. When there is a destiny and plan set forth for you, stay on the course and watch how great things will turn out!

5. Get the word out.

When I announced Kinston Teens, I had a HUGE media advantage. There were SO many shootings and negative things going on in my community that people were ASTOUNDED when this 14-year-old kid walked up to a podium in our library and told everyone he was starting a nonprofit to improve the city.

Use social media ESPECIALLY — and invite people PERSONALLY:

• Social media has a way of making things go viral. Post what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how others can get involved. Then, encourage your friends and family to share it from their profiles.
• When you personally reach out to someone and say “Hey, I want you to be a part of this!” or “Hey! I need your help with this.” it means a lot to them. It shows that you thought specifically about them. It makes people feel good, so use it to your advantage. Even though they may have seen your story on the news or Facebook, still reach out to them on an individual level and invite them to be a part of it.

6. Be consistent.

Once you get started, don’t let things fall through the cracks. Keep it going, keep it regular, and keep your momentum up. If you commit to something, push through with it. If you don’t think that you can do it, then just don’t commit to it. When you become a young leader making a difference in your community, it puts you in a major spotlight. Organizations and individuals are going to invite you to their meetings, church services and community events ALL of the time. Try to go to as many as you can to promote what you’re doing — but sometimes it’s going to get tiring. If people ask and you don’t feel that you can do it, it is absolutely OK to say NO. Every now and then, I have to turn down speaking opportunities, media interviews and event invitations just because I don’t want to overwork myself. Be consistent and committed, but still take care of yourself. Self-care is important.

These are just a few things that I’ve learned in my few years of running nonprofit organizations as a teenager. Although I’m truly grateful for the learning experiences that I’ve had, it would’ve been amazing if I had someone to teach me these things beforehand. Maybe there was someone there who could’ve, but I didn’t ask.

7. You have not because you ask not.

It is so important for us to learn how to ask for help. Find people with similar passions as you, who’ve accomplished similar things as you, and who have experience in the field that you’re entering with your organization. Even better, find a young person who matches that criteria. There are organizations like YouthCorp, Black Youth Network (which I co-founded), VolunteenNation, GenerationOn and Youth Service America that share networking opportunities, grants, tools and resources to help you get a jumpstart in the world of youth-leadership. Additionally, I offer consulting services on my website—www.chrisjsuggs.com. Use these resources to your advantage.

My goal with this post is that somewhere, a teenager is reading it and is beginning to put their hands to work in their community. If you are that teenager, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear what you’re up to, and how I can help.

If you’re an adult reading this—thank you. Thank you for taking the time to support me by reading this post. Now, support a young person you know by sharing it with them. You just might be providing a resource for the next Nickelodeon HALO Awards Honoree!