Tiffany C. Foster
I wear many hats running this organization - it's not even my full-time role, as I have another business to try to make money at, and I don't take any income from running the organization. My background is in graphic design and websites, multimedia technology, so I do all of the marketing and all of the technology side of things. I apply for our grants, I hit the pavement and knock on doors, and I host the webinars. Right now we do roundtable series with webinars, and we're migrating into doing in-person events. I love getting to connect with other women - I usually have an introductory conversation, and through just having a conversation, I can naturally pull out from them what's an area that they really shine in, so that by them sharing about that, they could help other people. My main area of expertise is recognizing the power in other people, seeing through their stories the benefit that they would have in telling that to other people, and bringing that to light so it can help encourage others. Last year was our first full year, and we gave scholarships to local students, women returning to education, at my alma mater AB Tech. That really meant a lot to me - to have that full circle moment of being able to invest into somebody else's future. We're also building a partnership with a local domestic violence nonprofit to help support those women returning to education.
• Associates degree in multimedia design and technologies from AB Tech
• Scholarships received while attending school
• Board member of another nonprofit
• My Rehab Answers Foundation
• Local community charities
What do you attribute your success to?
I go back to the passion, you know, I think just having that desire. I always say, and it's not to demean myself, but that I don't know what I'm doing, I just keep showing up. That's the most important thing that you can do is just keep showing up. If you want to see change in a space, the best way to move that is by action, and you don't always have to have all the answers. Sometimes it's enough just to be present and to be willing and able to put in the work.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When it comes to starting a nonprofit, I would always encourage people to know that passion is not the only thing that drives it. I always say that this is a passion project, and it's incredibly fulfilling and wonderful, but it is like having an infant. I mean, it needs to be nurtured and taken care of. It's wonderful, but it is a lot of work as well. So just being prepared, I think, for those things, and making sure that you have the time, the capacity, and the ability to really work it, because it needs it to get there. It's fulfilling in the end, though.
Locations
Women 4 Mentors
Asheville, NC