About The Organization
Propeller is a 501c3 nonprofit that grows and supports entrepreneurs to tackle social and environmental disparities. Their vision is an inclusive and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Orleans that responds to community needs and creates the conditions for an equitable future. Propeller’s strategy is to build a critical mass of small businesses and nonprofits working to tackle disparities in community economic development, education, health, food, and water. These are areas we have identified as having significant inequities and proven market opportunities for local entrepreneurs to implement solutions.
Challenge
Propeller has been a fully operational nonprofit organization for several years, but one of our key initiatives is with Black-owned neighborhood-based businesses. Part of our long term plan is organizing collectively through the South Broad Business Coalition (SBBC). The challenge for many of these businesses is consistent capacity and resources, so we are working with SBBC leadership to have a more established board, in turn giving business owners a bigger stake in what’s happening in the community. In the future, the SBBC will also have the ability to secure grants that can further support these small businesses during growth, contraction, and various aspects and challenges facing owners.
Solution
We enlisted Resilia to help us secure 501c3 status for SBBC and subsequently used their Nonprofit Formation product to expedite the process. We started formation in the middle of the pandemic, and (given everything going on, all the distractions, etc.) we greatly appreciated Resilia’s streamlined approach. The platform was extremely efficient and user-friendly, and the customer success team kept us on track to get everything collected and submitted in a timely manner.
Result
With the SBBC’s official nonprofit status, business owners now feel like they have agency over what is happening within the organization and it’s a more effective structure driving change in the community. The platform helped us add a layer of professionalism and full transparency for the business owners. As a result, the SBBC is fully able to enact their mission of promoting the local economy and fostering community engagement.