SIDE PROJECT INC

Side Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose aim is to promote social justice and social change by linking micro-assets to the macro-environment. We combine the philosophy and values of social work with the tools of the law to incubate and develop grassroots projects focused on social change.

We provided the resources, training, and technical assistance to nonprofit leaders and social change agents. Our work follows an Asset-Based Community Development strategy (See http://www.abcdinstitute.org/). Using this strategy, we seek to identify and support community assets and work to mobilize individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their existing assets. This approach focuses on the potential of a community. Many communities address social and economic problems with only a small number of the community's total capacity. This is the challenge and opportunity of community engagement. Our strategy starts with the belief that EVERYONE IN A COMMUNITY HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER.

Our work supports individuals, organizations, and institutions focused on social change as they try to begin to identify, utilize, and add to the existing assets of their community.
Our resources, training, and technical assistance focus on:
1. The Rules, Regulations, and Laws Impacting Social Change Efforts.
2. Community Organizing & Development Strategies.
3. Inclusion Of ALL People In The Community.
4. Evaluation & Outcome Measurement.

Side Project is led by co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Fromknecht. Jeff received his M.S.W. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work and his J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law in 2012. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Pennsylvania, and the United States Tax Court. Jeff has spent his career in the nonprofit sector and has more than 12 years of experience working at health and human service nonprofits. Jeff coordinates a talented team of part-time staff, volunteers, and interns who bring their skills, passion, and social capital to support and enhance the impact of small nonprofits and grassroots projects.

Side Project is fueled by the passion and energy of a dedicated corps of young professionals with a passion to give back to the community. Jeff coordinates the volunteer efforts and matches volunteers with a charitable side project. Many of our volunteers are lawyers who help with legal issues, but we have individuals from other fields as well, including accounting, computer programming, website design, graphic design, editing, community organizing, and social administration.

With our guidance, support, and resources, we helped our clients provide college scholarships to high-school seniors, support people with disabilities to be involved in their community, shelter and feed stray dogs and cats, care for single moms recently divorced, turn dilapidated houses into homes, provide recreational opportunities for children with autism, train health and human service professionals, and publish a book.

We have been working to promote community inclusion for people with disabilities. To date, we have held four workshops and published one book, two white papers, and numerous blog posts, tweets, and Facebook posts all focused on helping the community understand the importance of the concept of social capital and the value that diversity brings to the community. More than 400 people attended our workshop, and our email distribution list has several hundred participants. We also participated in one-on-one technical support and advice with four organizations. Several thousand people learned from materials and videos posted on our website.

Training and technical assistance focus on helping the community understand community organizing strategies and the state and federal rules, laws, regulations, and compliance issues impacting charitable, education, and scientific projects. This included one-on-one consultations to more than 40 nonprofits and would-be nonprofit organizations (with budgets less than $500,000) helping more than 50 people. We published one article in the Florida Bar's Public Interest Law Section newsletter on the rules concerning political activities and issue advocacy at nonprofit organizations. This article was distributed to the more than 500 members of the Public Interest Law Section.