Original text

NAME OF CLIENT’S COMPANY:  Healing 2 Grace, Inc. a nonprofit corporation

OWNER: Owned by the public.  Founded by Sheila Malloy-Hall

ADDRESS:  8017 Hubble Drive, Lanham 20706

TELEPHONE NUMBER:  240-278-7776

EMAIL:  smalloy@healing2grace.org

WEB SITE:  www.healing2grace.org

NAME OF MENTOR(S):  Mariann Zylstra

SUMMARY OF THE CLIENT’S COMPANY:

Healing 2 Grace is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that addresses the impact and aftermath of abuse and domestic violence on women through counseling, social support services, training, and technical assistance,

The vision is to end the shame and stigma of survivors who have experienced abuse and domestic violence and to change the narrative from why they stay to how they left and healed and became empowered.

DESCRIBE PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES

At present, Healing 2 Grace has offered social support and training for victims of abuse through annual conferences.  The conferences encourage lifestyle changes to better recognize positive relationships, and they provide opportunities to connect with other women who are struggling with the aftermath of abuse. As more funding is generated, the organization will also offer one-on-one counseling and more frequent group workshops.

HOW DID SCORE HELP THE CLIENT? 

Client Comments: “I have been a client of SCORE since March of 2018, and what a wonderful experience it is.  Mariann is gentle, kind, approachable and makes me feel like she has faith in me. She has great knowledge and is willing to share her knowledge as well as her contacts and network.   I am completely comfortable asking Mariann questions, that I wouldn’t ask anyone else because Mariann listens and responses with great perspective, she’s unbiased, and I trust her. After, a meeting with Mariann, I feel so encouraged and less stressed. I respect her!”

WHAT HAS CLIENT ACHIEVED TO DESERVE THIS AWARD?

In many ways, starting a nonprofit is much more difficult than starting a for-profit business.  In the nonprofit world, there is no such thing as a “solopreneuer”.  By law, a nonprofit cannot be formed without a Board of Directors. The Founder then must share in the decision making with others who have varying opinions.  Creation of Bylaws which provide both structure and definition but allow flexibility for the future can be daunting. Once the board is formed, the registration process is confusing and requires back and forth between state and federal authorities.  On an ongoing basis, nonprofit regulations require a higher level of record keeping, meetings, etc. 

Sheila is a survivor of domestic violence.  She began to share her story with other victims by speaking at nonprofit events and by writing a book.  In doing so, she recognized a greater need to reach more women, and she decided to step forward to meet that need, in addition to her full-time job.  As with many nonprofit founders, she has used her own funds to get started, with no opportunity to recover those funds in the form of profits or draws.  Under the guidance of her SCORE mentor, she has doggedly pursued each step of the process, always asking questions, doing research, reading articles, etc. She founded a board of directors with the skillsets and connections needed by the organization, but with whom she sometimes differs, and she is working hard to become an effective leader.  The first board retreat with an outside facilitator takes place this month. She has delivered two annual conferences and one luncheon to date, with the third conference scheduled for September, each more successful than the last.  As a nonprofit, her progress can best be measured by a timeline of accomplishments which is captured here.