Cami Nyquist: 21st century fundraising
As we are in this wonderful season of giving, wouldn’t it be miracle if we could all pause, even for a moment, in our busy, cluttered lives to ask what can I do or what do I have to give? Where is the need? What is my gift? What is my talent? What is my treasure?
As the holiday lights in the winter darkness shine all around and the words of carols ring out “Joy to the World” and “Peace on Earth Good Will to Men,” you wonder, as you wander, how can this be? There is so much trouble in our world we hear about. So many people are being displaced and many are homeless without family to be with — without relationships, without community, without a place to work, without a place to have hope.
This and more has led me recently to be in a state of reflection. After growing up in this town, I went out into the world to see what I could see. I did not know in the beginning that I was actually learning to see that my purpose might just be to help bring hope to my community and even beyond.
My eyes had been opened to the possibilities. I had felt called to do what I could to help bring new hope to others through relationships, knowledge and technology.
Swedemom.com began in 1999 and found its way into being quite successful in the online marketplace, and especially on eBay.com. Swedemom rose in the ranks and was like a pioneer on the Oregon Trail of technology. Truly, we were setting out on a journey that had not been tried before, and at times we wondered if it was worth it or would we make it to this unknown land. But thanks to good community around us and super mentoring from family, friends and even landlords, we always found our way back on the trail and persevered.
The value of Swedemom is the knowledge, the database and the software we have created to solve the problems and changes we have encountered in the fast-paced ever-changing world of technology and scaling issues. And now all that is the process of Swedemom has been put into a powerful software program to be able to allow the birth of new nonprofit called MacHub, a pilot project operated by Yamhill County Gospel Rescue Mission.
MacHub will create new jobs for people who have been marginalized by various economic issues and bring new work skills to our community. All at the same time allowing donors to give their stuff to a nonprofit of their choice they are passionate about and perhaps even getting a tax benefit they never knew they might have.
In this newspaper last Tuesday was a large spread about MacHub promoting a new way to give. Frankly, a chance for every single person in our community to give in a new way! You as a giver could bring your treasured collections or maybe even your extra stuff as you are simplifying or downsizing.
It is a win-win as “treasures” and “stuff of our lives” are collected from our community into MacHub. All of this can bring great new hope of much needed revenue to local area nonprofits and beyond. These non-cash donations also create new relationship through jobs, volunteers and mentors as MacHub continues to cultivate and flourish.
Here is a chance for our community to shine the light for others and the example of how to bring hope to a darkened world.
What an opportunity to give, what an opportunity to bring more joy to the word and goodwill to all.
Cami Nyquist resides in McMinnville. She studied communications at North Park University in Chicago and in 1985 graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications and film. Her husband, Ted, is a family practice physician at West Hills Health Care Clinic in McMinnville. They have four children, Kaleb, Karina, Annika and Aidan, all of whom have graduated from or are attending Mac High.
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