Executive Summary

Mission: The Advancement Foundation works to eliminate poverty. The Foundation focuses on improving the capacity of community nonprofits that transform the world. Through innovative strategies the Foundation is able to expand their resources and maximize the nonprofits strategic impact on our community. The Foundation leverages all community resources for the benefit of large scale impact on poverty. The Foundation coordinates comprehensive efforts of business leaders, nonprofit directors, boards, civic organizations, churches, the poor and the entire community. Additionally, the Foundation provides direct programming for the poor to learn business skills and confidence while ensuring they actively contribute back to the community. Everyone wins when all citizen’s are productive members.

Executive Summary: The Advancement Foundation will establish a model upscale thrift store to benefit the communities involved. The store will be operated by The Advancement Foundation to provide “earned income” funding for multiple nonprofits while also providing skill training and community service opportunities for the underprivileged. The Charity Cottage Thrift Store will actively engage community leaders, civic organizations, local schools and churches in various ways in order to involve the entire community in the social change movement.

Nonprofits that benefit from our work: Select Nonprofits will be chosen to participate in the earned income benefit to help build their sustainability. Nonprofits will be selected based on their impact on long term social change in our environment.

Resources: TAF Volunteer Workforce, Nonprofit 501C3 Status, Roanoke College Interns, AmeriCorps VISTA Intermediary for Southwest Virginia with a total of 18 full time staff positions dedicated to capacity building have been awarded.

Why This Project– Why Now: In these difficult economic times The Advancement Foundation is working to diversify income streams for all the nonprofits we work with including ourselves. This project allows us to build the funding capacity by creating multiple sources of income. By leveraging product donations, volunteers and donors the Foundation can provide earned income beyond general grants and donations. The Charity Cottage Thrift Store model will provide income, provide a forum for the underprivileged to learn business skills, position TAF to offer small nonprofits this option for additional income , provide the community with leadership in eliminating poverty and create multiple ways for individuals to support the work of their favorite nonprofit.  This project will create a new awareness for the work of valuable community nonprofits.

• Provide financial support for multiple nonprofits
• Increase exposure of downtown Vinton – public relations on project goals
• Increased foot traffic – general public shopping, civic, church and community leaders meetings, bring community leaders to store by conference space
• Productive citizen’s - Underprivileged working to improve their lives. Build skills and give back
• Opportunities for families to volunteer time downtown – citizens helping citizens
• Attractive storefront – charming and clean
• Innovative business ideas to expand outreach of the Foundation into broader community
• Partnership opportunities – across nonprofits, TAF likes to create win-win scenarios

The Future: The Charity Cottage Thrift Stores will become a chain of stores across the valley that benefit nonprofits and serve to teach the poor how to operate a business.

Store Hours and Description:

Upscale Thrift Store - designer layout, housewares, furniture, clothing, gifts, art work, lamps, etc.
Key Features: Coffee Cafe with Wi-Fi, local artists, small business incubator, multiple nonprofits which benefit will provide donations and volunteers.
Address: 301 S Pollard Street Vinton, Virginia
Store Hours: 10:00am-7:00pm Tuesday through Saturday
Shifts: Shift 1 is 10:00am-2:30pm, and Shift 2 is 2:30pm-7:00pm

Volunteer Committees -  VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

• Pricing and Research
• Donation Collections
• Processing
• Books
• Jewelry
• Polish and Shine
• Online Sales

How You Can Help:

• Provide a tax deductible donation - to help with our start-up cost
• Provide product donations - gently used housewares, furniture, etc.
• Volunteer time on one of the committees or sales floor
• Shop with us!
• Mentor an underprivileged individual who is trying to improve their life