Mission
The mission of Made4Me is to help improve the lives of people with special needs and those that care for them, by building customized furniture adaptations out of industrial cardboard
Ruling year
2017
Executive Director
John Mainey
Main address
5540 Atlantic Springs Rd Suite101
Raleigh, NC 27616 USA
EIN
81-5420009
NTEE code
Children's and Youth Services (P30)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Made4Me is a non-profit 501-c3. The Made4Me fully volunteer staff helps special needs children benefit from custom made furniture and equipment built using industrial strength cardboard. In order to achieve this, Made4Me meets with the child's parents and physical therapist to design the piece(s) needed. Children can often experience an improved quality of life when provided with adaptive furniture and equipment. These items contribute to improvements in home, therapeutic and educational settings, as well as providing independence in the activities of daily living. The expense of commercial grade furniture and equipment may be prohibitive for families already coping with extra demands which is why Made4Me designs, builds and supplies these items asking only for a donation from these families. As client donations can't be forecast and typically don't meet the full financial needs to operate, Made4Me does need a stabilized income flow.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Design and fabrication of custom furniture adaptations
Made4Me works with the client, their family, and their therapist to design and fabricate a custom furniture adaptation using cardboard as the primary building material. Each item is customized to the client's physical dimensions, the life issue they are wanting to address, and their favorite colors and characters.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our primary goal is to grow our referral list and expand our manufacturing and delivery capabilities.
What is missing is a stable income stream to:
1. Meet rent requirements to maintain the shop location that we occupy through donations and grant applications
2. Staff Made4Me with a paid operations manager to oversee the day-to-day operations and a skilled tradesman to provide training, manufacturing supervision, and equipment maintenance
3. Create more public awareness through website development and social networking
4. Replace aged and obsolete equipment
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We expect our growth will be accomplished through a variety of ways:
1. Obtaining access to government and corporate grants to maintain location, and expand operations with paid staff
2. Meet with school systems staff and physical therapists provide access to referred children
3. Outreach to the news media and corporations to raise awareness of our capabilities and need for funding
4. Attend local health fairs and conferences to raise awareness of Made4Me and our work
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Made4Me leases a 2500 sq foot shop which is dedicated to building cardboard furniture. Two thirds of the shop is for physical construction and 1/3 for finishing and administration.
About 10 volunteers contribute time and labor to design and build furniture and/or equipment. Another 15–20 volunteers provide artistic skills to apply personalization and finish to the product.
Administrative duties are covered by 2-4 volunteers.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
1. Made4Me became a non-profit 501(c3) on March 17, 2017
2. Made4Me relocated from a 2-car garage to a 2,500 sq foot facility
3. During 2017 we designed, built and delivered 34 pieces for children
4. In 2018 we designed, built and delivered 88 pieces
5. In 2019, during the move to the new facility, 77 pieces were built and delivered
6. As of 7/31/2020, 92 pieces have been designed, built and delivered
7. Next is expansion of our referral base and volunteer equipment and safety training efforts.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person),
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Made4Me, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 9/12/2021
Jeff Drabek
Jeff Roike
Jeff Drabek
Jeff Roike
Jim McAgy
JT Sellers
Organizational demographics
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Leadership
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Race & ethnicity
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Disability
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