Picture the impact one person can make when they combine the celebration of life's milestones with a heart for giving back. That's the story of Nikki McFarling, whose personal journey and the birth of her daughter inspired the transformation of Birthday Fundraiser Inc. into the thriving Positive Difference Organization. In our latest episode, we sit down with Nikki to explore the seeds of her nonprofit's origin story and its blossoming into a force for good, orchestrating events that weave together community, celebration, and charity.
Raised by military parents, Nikki's upbringing was steeped in the values of kindness and respect, which echo through her work today. Balancing life as a federal employee, mother, and author, she is living proof that one can harness their creative talents to foster a culture of philanthropy. We venture into her world to understand how her unique approach to fundraising not only supports her organization's administrative needs but also keeps the spirit of community involvement alive and thriving, without the luxury of a marketing budget.
As we pivot to the behind-the-scenes strategies that make these gatherings a success, we shed light on the monthly events at the Cultural Center Library that ignite joy and a desire to serve in young hearts. Hear about the collaborations and support from local businesses and publications that amplify the organization's reach and impact. Nikki's narrative is a beacon for anyone looking to combine their passions with purpose, and in this candid conversation, we discover just how much good exists in our world, thanks to neighbors like her.
Our mission is to inspire today’s youth to make a positive difference in the world around them by using their skills, talents & abilities to help others. We currently produce two free all ages community events every year and just launched a free monthly event for kids 3-6 years old and their siblings. Our motto is “Who you are matters and What you do matters.”
Picture the impact one person can make when they combine the celebration of life's milestones with a heart for giving back. That's the story of Nikki McFarling, whose personal journey and the birth of her daughter inspired the transformation of Birthday Fundraiser Inc. into the thriving Positive Difference Organization. In our latest episode, we sit down with Nikki to explore the seeds of her nonprofit's origin story and its blossoming into a force for good, orchestrating events that weave together community, celebration, and charity.
Raised by military parents, Nikki's upbringing was steeped in the values of kindness and respect, which echo through her work today. Balancing life as a federal employee, mother, and author, she is living proof that one can harness their creative talents to foster a culture of philanthropy. We venture into her world to understand how her unique approach to fundraising not only supports her organization's administrative needs but also keeps the spirit of community involvement alive and thriving, without the luxury of a marketing budget.
As we pivot to the behind-the-scenes strategies that make these gatherings a success, we shed light on the monthly events at the Cultural Center Library that ignite joy and a desire to serve in young hearts. Hear about the collaborations and support from local businesses and publications that amplify the organization's reach and impact. Nikki's narrative is a beacon for anyone looking to combine their passions with purpose, and in this candid conversation, we discover just how much good exists in our world, thanks to neighbors like her.
Our mission is to inspire today’s youth to make a positive difference in the world around them by using their skills, talents & abilities to help others. We currently produce two free all ages community events every year and just launched a free monthly event for kids 3-6 years old and their siblings. Our motto is “Who you are matters and What you do matters.”
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Mike Sedita.
Speaker 2:
Hello out there. Welcome to Episode 159 of the Good Neighbor Podcast. I am your host, mike Sedita, and today we're joined by the founder of Birthday Fundraiser Inc. Doing business as positive difference organization, nikki McFarling. Nikki, how are you doing today?
Speaker 3:
I'm good. Thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 2:
Oh, we're so glad to have you on the Good Neighbor podcast. Just so you know a little bit about what we do with the Good Neighbor podcast. The Good Neighbor podcast was set up back in 2020 during COVID as a way for foundations and business owners and people in the community to get out their story. Tell a foundations and business owners and people in the community to get out their story, tell a little bit about what they do to the community while still being socially distant. And now, in four years, we have Good Neighbor podcasts in Atlanta and Virginia and Philadelphia and all across the country. I'm the person here in the Tampa market that gets to talk to folks like you. So, with that said, tell us a little bit about the organization. What is Birthday Fundraiser Inc.
Speaker 3:
So my daughter is like a COVID baby. We had planned on having her and I ended up having her the day after my birthday. It's best birthday gift I ever got was at Epidural. So I knew that I wanted to do something special every year for our birthday so we could, so I can raise my daughter understanding the importance of yeah, it's our birthday, but it's about giving and making a difference. And it's just another year that's gone by to look back of what have we done and what can we do good the following year.
Speaker 3:
So I had originally thought, okay, well, maybe I can find a nonprofit or something to work that we could volunteer every year. And then I was like, wait a minute, I love planning events, I love networking, I love connecting people. And I was like you know what, why don't I just produce a birthday fundraiser? So I do produce an event, pick a nonprofit locally and have it open to the public, where it's not actually a birthday party, but seem like a birthday party benefiting that local nonprofit.
Speaker 3:
Well, the more I got into it and I had so much support from different businesses in the community and everything that I was like, all right, well, let me just turn this officially into our own 501c nonprofit instead of just kind of like piggybacking on what nonprofit would be featured. So at that point we got the 501cc, we had the first birthday fundraiser and now we're like, okay, now we got to create a fundraiser for ourselves because you still have administrative costs and we wanted to keep the event free. So we'd need funds to help cover incidentals and everything. So we were going to do a small Christmas in July event and at that point the place that was going to sponsor it went out of business.
Speaker 3:
So we had to find another location and the Angelus up in Hudson ended up coming on board and volunteering to let us use their huge acreage of land. I think they have like 17 acres of land. They have a 4,000 square foot covered pavilion. They have plenty of parking. So at that point they also pulled the event insurance for us too, because they do events on their site. So they have that event insurance that they can pull a certificate for, which kept the event 100% free. Because we want renting space for the event, we want paying for the event insurance.
Speaker 2:
Okay, wait, wait, wait. Let's slow down for a second. So you're getting into the specifics of what you guys do. Do you pick a different charity every year at this point, or is when you run this event, the proceeds you receive now go into your 501c and then you delegate out those proceeds to different groups in the community? I don't quite understand what you're actually doing.
Speaker 3:
So Christmas in July is our event. And then in November is when we do the birthday fundraiser, where we pick two events a year.
Speaker 2:
Yes, Okay, and let's just stick with birthday in July, Christmas in July. So this Christmas in July event that you have coming up now when you guys have this event, how many people I mean, you're talking about a 4,000 square foot pavilion how many people are showing up at this event when you have it?
Speaker 3:
Average about 250. I mean, obviously we can hold a lot more, but it's. We don't have the funds to put out to market and advertise it. A lot of it's word of mouth, and the different businesses who participate also help promote the event, because the event is still 100% free to attend.
Speaker 2:
Free to participate, no parking costs, so it's Okay, so now tell me at the event, when you say it's free to attend, I show up to attend this event. What am I? What am I like? What's going on there? What am I taking part in?
Speaker 3:
So the event itself, our mission statement is actually to inspire today's youth to make a positive difference in the world around them, using their skills, talents and abilities to help others. So the businesses involved are an actual example of individuals using their skills, talents and abilities to help others. So the businesses involved are an actual example of individuals using their skills, talents and abilities to do something positive. We have a DJ that donates his DJ service, lc3 Entertainment. We have an Elsa that comes out from La Dida Kid Spa. We have I think it is Pasco, santa, santa, santa and Pascoe. He comes out as Santa on vacation. I have Mancini Party Rentals. They donate a large bounce house. We have snow cones that donate snow cones to the kids. I have a baker that donates. Last year she did snowball cake pops. I have a bako that donates.
Speaker 2:
Last year she did snowball cake pops. Okay, time out. I got to understand. No-transcript. The event's all ages.
Speaker 3:
Okay, all ages, because we also have vendors there too.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so a bunch of vendors come, they set up shop. You have about 250 people there and it's really just a day out for kids to have a fun experience the bounce house and snow cones it's like a carnival. I'm trying to just understand what is the mission is for kids. I understand what you're saying. The mission statement is I want to understand what is it just the businesses that are giving back to donate their services so that these kids that are, these folks that are attending have a free event to just have a good time?
Speaker 3:
So I do sponsor signage. Any business at all can participate. I don't have sponsorship levels. I have America Locksmith is doing face painting. So each business itself on the signage I mentioned what they're donating to make the event possible. So it connects those parents with the businesses. To see hey, look at, different people are able to donate different ways to create something positive.
Speaker 3:
So that's an example, for the parents to know that, hey, these vendors aren't renting their spot to participate. They're there because they want to be and are somehow providing something to make the event possible.
Speaker 2:
Gotcha. Okay, I understand, I understand where you're coming from, and then we also have different Pasco County Shelves Office coming.
Speaker 3:
Pasco County Fire Rescue OneBlood comes for Blood Drive. We have Keep. Pasco Beautiful is coming out this year also. We have so many different other non-profits and civic organizations coming in to connect those organizations with the individuals in the community. Gotcha Okay, so we can make that connection, without anybody feeling like oh well, I'm going to a seminar or I'm going someplace where I'm just learning about this. No, it's that whole fun environment and is there food and beverage?
Speaker 2:
Like, do you guys have a food truck? Is that being donated? Like? It just seems like if I'm picturing this in my mind as you're talking about it it's people show up to a party and all the vendors and business owners are basically paying for this event to show people that they're willing to give back to like a community outreach.
Speaker 3:
In essence. Yeah, we have Beef. O' Brady's last year actually came out and gave out I think it was like boneless chicken wings and mini tacos at no cost actually. Wawa the last two years and I'm confident they'll do it again this year has donated 220 water bottles that we were able to give out to attendees at no cost so they can stay hydrated right because that's important for the health and safety of the attendees especially in july and we also have a food truck that comes out and the food truck donates 10 of the proceeds sold to the angelus directly.
Speaker 3:
Not my non-profit, but to the Angelus, because the Angelus is donating space to help offset their cost of that and then, like I said, with everything coming in, it's all connected about that experience and the positivity that everybody ends up leaving, from the business owners to the kids, to the older people, because we do a Christmas gift raffle and that's where the proceeds come to benefit the nonprofit.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so the Christmas raffle is the present raffle. Is that? Is there like Santa's there in his summer gear and he's relaxing away from the North Pole? Is there like a gift exchange that goes on in this event at some?
Speaker 3:
level. So we have the holiday scavenger hunt raffle which is free for people to participate.
Speaker 3:
You come in, you get a list of different things to look for, like yard signs. Then they go to the vendor that's highlighting the yard sign, sign off and they get a free raffle ticket to win a prize from one of the vendors that's on site. Then we have the Christmas gift raffle, which the tickets are two for a dollar or 12 for five bucks to keep the prices low because everything's donated and that's everything from. Kendra Scott is donating an item we have. Let's Roam is donating a bunch of things, a whole bunch of other bigger businesses, along with local restaurants that donate like $10 gift certificates.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 3:
And it's kind of a mystery. So we have about 100 smaller prizes between $10 and $30, wrapped up like Christmas gifts. All the raffle tickets go in that one bucket. For those we shake it up and we just pull them until the gifts are gone.
Speaker 2:
So all right. So do you have a group of people that are helping you do this? Are you organizing all this on your own? I see is that your mom or your aunt or somebody in the background is walking around your house. Do you have a team of people, do you have elves, that are helping you do this, or are you doing it all on your own?
Speaker 3:
I really wish I had more team of elves. I have my best friend, lauren, who is the treasurer of the nonprofit. She helps out oh no, she's the secretary so I send her the different things for her to review and get back. And when we do the board meetings, like the counts and stuff, then I have Heather, who actually is a mother to a multitude of special needs children, who actually owns magical holiday, magical Florida holiday moments, and she is the treasurer and she actually provides the oversized games. That's how we met her the first Christmas in July. She came out, was on board and was all in and then when my actual treasurer pulled out because of school commitments and a new career, heather jumped in and they help where they can. We also just started a monthly meetup for kids three to six years old at the Starkey Ranch Library and that's an hour long event where I oversee it and we have a bunch of different activities for the kids. They're also no cost at all because that's part of our mission, so I accept any volunteers while possible.
Speaker 2:
So all right. So I need to understand this, because tell me a little bit about your upbringing. I mean, were you born at the North Pole? Do you have some sort of like like this is a very giving heart, a very giving spirit that you have to be able to do this? Did something happen growing up? I mean, look, I don't want to. This isn't a psychology, you know, psychiatry session. Did you just have a upbringing where you didn't have this stuff and you just want to pay it forward? Or were you in so much abundance of it growing up that you just want to pass that forward as well? I mean, I want to understand what makes you wake up after having a baby and go, you know what? I just want to start volunteering my time to make sure everybody has all this stuff and have people kind of volunteer their time and money to show people there's good in the world it's.
Speaker 3:
I was raised with the understanding that you treat everybody with respect, that everybody is a friend until they give you a reason Otherwise. My parents were both army. They met in Okinawa, japan, and I was taught that you do the best you can, you make the decisions you can and if you mess up, you accept what you've done, admit it, learn from it and move on. And from doing that. I was very big in life experiences, going out and just doing things, and I gained so many different skills and saw so many different people through those life experiences and knowing that the littlest thing, from smiling at somebody to just helping someone with a project, made so much of a positive difference, seems so small to me because it was something so trivial, but to them it was so big of an impact. I just knew that I wanted to continue that and inspire other people to be able to do that also. And I was lucky growing up Basketball, bowling, cheerleading, swimming, softball, violin, piano.
Speaker 2:
Oh, now you're just bragging, nikki. Now you're just bragging about all the good stuff you had going on. No, I'm just kidding. Story really, truly listening to it is that like the simplest gesture to another human being might be simple to you, but to them it could turn their day around, change their, change their whole outlook on. You know, having a bad day and that smile, that handshake, that nod shows them that there's good in the world. And this whole 501c that you have developed is a way for you to show people that there's still a little kindness in the world that's in essence it.
Speaker 3:
just everybody has the different ability to do something. You don't realize that you can do something good, and then you end up doing something and then you can see the joy on somebody else's face and to me, just knowing that you were able to do something that put that impact, it's just overwhelming the feeling I get and knowing that I can share that with other people. I hope that they can get that same feeling of helping and knowing that it didn't cost them anything to do that and it's there for them when they need it.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so this is what you do. I mean, do you have a full-time job on top of this, or is being a mom your full-time job?
Speaker 3:
No, I actually have been a federal employee for 17 years now.
Speaker 2:
Oh, federal employee, Do you work for the IRS? Can you maybe pull some strings? Can you help me out or no?
Speaker 3:
No, but they are hiring. I just saw it on USA jobs. Oh, I know they're hiring.
Speaker 2:
So so you worked. You have a government job. You do that during the day. You're raising your daughter. Do you only have one child? Yes, and she's three four.
Speaker 3:
She is three and a half now. I waited until I was 35 before I had my daughter. Okay, so I knew what I was getting into.
Speaker 2:
You had all these life experiences before you decided to have a baby, and now you have a baby and you're showing her that you know there's good in the world. This is how we're going to take the world on with. You know, with with a good heart, or you know, a good intention in what we do. So let me ask you this working your job, taking care of your daughter what do you do for fun when you're not? I mean, this is like you have three full-time jobs your job, your daughter and running a 501c nonprofit. What else do you do for fun? Do you mountain climb? Do you surf? What do you do? I?
Speaker 3:
Do you mountain climb? Do you, do you surf? What do you do I actually, just being creative, I actually have a book published on Amazon. It's also on iTunes books. I created an undead prom when I was in Los Angeles and I created an entire fictitious school for the undead. I'm planning on writing a second book in that series. But, just being creative, I do all the graphics for the nonprofit and the website, the different flyers and the handouts and I just created an actual commercial for the event Christmas.
Speaker 2:
You have this nonprofit about loving and caring and giving back and are you telling me you write zombie books?
Speaker 3:
It's not zombies, it's a school for the undead. Zombies are only one of the students. You have the vampires, the demons, the zombies, the fae and witches.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so it's a cross between Twilight and True Blood, mixed in with a little bit of uh uh, world war z. Is that what we're talking about?
Speaker 3:
no, um, it's basically. I started it as a motor mystery event called the undead prom. Come for a party, stay for a model, basically. And I was like, okay, well, if I'm doing an undead prom, I gotta have a school that goes with it, obviously so I actually got a school crest.
Speaker 3:
I designed a school crest so the students would have a crest. We had the school mascot. I actually used FIBO and actually envisioned like what the school would look like and hired somebody to do a school graphic. So we actually have an entire graphic of the school and then I ended up building it out from there. Okay, what kind of teachers are there, what kind of students are there, what kind of curriculum it is? And then I use all those elements. So when people came for the mode of mystery, I can be like, oh, okay, well, what one of these types of undead students are you? Okay, what kind of school clubs are you into?
Speaker 2:
who are you here with for the so you're saying you don't really have an imagination, is what I'm hearing. You have a very limited imagination. I understand some of us. You know we just we can't branch out, we can't really go down the rabbit hole with some of this stuff and really take it to the next level. You sound incredibly creative and I love, I love the mission that you guys are on, because, you know, look, I personally stopped watching the news like years ago, because every time I turn on the news it is just nothing but either parties fighting with each other or doom and gloom.
Speaker 2:
I'll catch some of it like the, the relevant stuff, but I'm not one of these people that just sits in front of the news because it just it has such a negative tone to it that it just makes me not feel like I want to do anything after I watch it. And what you guys are doing with your organization is the actual polar opposite. It's bringing a little bit of sunshine into people's lives, even though it's only currently two times a year. Is there plans to expand it to? You know a spring event, a fall event, you know a summer and kind of like? Are you looking to make it a little bit more year round?
Speaker 3:
So we just launched I'm calling it the positive difference makers. It's for kids three to six and those siblings, so it's not limited to just that age group for the essence of it. And I was looking for like a Girl Scout troop, a Boy Scout troop or something for my three year old that I can take her to connect and start getting those fun learning experiences other than, you know, going to daycare. And I couldn't find anything and I was like, well, you know what? I got a nonprofit. Why don't I just make my own? I actually went to school for child development also, so I have that experience. I also worked at the daycare at one point too, so I still have my DCF certifications and first aid and everything. So I was like, okay, well, positive difference makers, I got a 501C. I booked the room at the Starkey Ranch.
Speaker 2:
Cultural Center Library.
Speaker 3:
It's a paragraph, yeah yeah, yeah, that new one and it's an hour-long event. It's the fourth Thursday of the month. We got it coming up this Thursday from when we're recording this and it's kind of like a structured event. I have music or a movement activity get the kids moving and feeling. We have a storybook reading. I had previous an author come in to read her book. I had someone who does paper pie books. She came in and read books. I also have guest speakers. I had a girl named Gina who was running for district representative. She came in and talked to the kids about volunteer, helping animals and making that positive difference. That way. This Thursday I have a woman named Dana coming in and she's talking about volunteering and just helping. That way we also do like a service project where we do a craft that they can do, so different things, like we'll either donate it to a nursing home or it's something they can take with them. And Publix also sponsors my nonprofit, so it also comes with a snack and a drink.
Speaker 2:
So first things first is you're breaking down the fourth wall. You're like Deadpool and breaking down the fourth wall. You're saying this Thursday, you don't know when this podcast is going to air.
Speaker 3:
That's what I said. I said I'm not recording it. It's the fourth Thursday of the month, okay, so seven.
Speaker 2:
And is it open? You're holding it in Starkey Ranch and the cultural center. Is it open to anybody? Yes, and how do you promote it? Just on social media?
Speaker 3:
Yep, it's on Facebook. I also have a Facebook group just for those who are interested in attending to give the different updates or connect with the other people involved with it too. Anybody can just come.
Speaker 2:
So I'll tell you what I'm going to do. Ok, I have a publication called 54 West Life. It goes to the homeowners in Starkey Ranch, belantry and Bexley along 54. Right, you're kind of wedged right in the middle of those three. I follow it. I remember when you launched it and Bexley along 54, right.
Speaker 3:
You're kind of wedged right in the middle of those three communities. I follow it. I remember when you launched it?
Speaker 2:
Yep. So what I'll do is I will connect you when we're done with a woman named Sandy who writes the content for the magazines. We will put your events in our publication every month, so we'll get you in our calendar of events, and then we'll also see if we can write a little bit of a story about your 501c. We can't solicit donations in the article, but we can definitely drive them.
Speaker 2:
Well, we could definitely drive them to your page. And then we have a whole bunch of sponsors in the publication that you know may want to take part when they see it and want to work with you and your organization because it is really a worthy cause. It is really a worthy cause. So if people want to find out more as we wrap this up, what's the best ways for them to reach out to you? If they're a company that wants to donate their services, if there's someone that wants to take part in your event, how do they get a hold of you?
Speaker 3:
ThePositiveDifferencecom.
Speaker 2:
And is there a phone outreach, or is it just on the website?
Speaker 3:
There's a contact information on there. Well, anybody can contact me. Everything goes to my phone because everything goes to me. But there's also the phone number, which is 561-510-6454, and that number also goes to my phone. You can text it, you can call it. Leave me a message and I'll get it, and I'll be able to my phone. You can text it, you can call it, leave me a message and I'll get it, and I'll be able to get back to you. If I'm obviously busy with the three-year-old running around, my bunch of-.
Speaker 2:
The three full-time jobs and a three-year-old. So, folks, if you're listening to this and you're a sponsor and you're in the Pasco area or you're just in the general Tampa area and you want to give back to an organization that's sole purpose is to show human beings that good exists in the world, you definitely want to reach out to Nikki. Her organization is Birthday Fundraiser Inc. And the organization within that is Positive Difference Organization.
Speaker 3:
Yes.
Speaker 2:
Okay, the website is thepositivedifferencecom. You can reach out at 561-510-6454. Nikki, I always say to people thank you for being a good neighbor, and a lot of times I sort of mean it because they're kind of good neighbors, but you really are a good neighbor. Thank you so much for being on the podcast with us today.
Speaker 3:
Thank you so much for reaching out and having me.
Speaker 2:
Have a great day. Talk to you soon.
Speaker 3:
You too. Thanks, Mike.
Speaker 1:
Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast PASCO. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnppascocom. That's gnppascocom, or call 813-922-3610.