Launched in 2020 by State Forty Eight, an adored local philanthropy-minded apparel line, State Forty Eight Foundation has a mission to enrich and strengthen Arizona through thoughtful partnerships, community action and investment in the changemakers of tomorrow. Alyssa Moore, executive director, discusses its Entrepreneur Speaker Series, its upcoming fundraising and volunteering events and State Forty Eight Foundation’s goals for 2021.
How did the State Forty Eight Community Impact prompt the start of the foundation? In 2019, State Forty Eight launched an initiative called State Forty Eight Community Impact, where we made a commitment to do good by empowering others to do good. We recognized a need from our community to give back and do the work to improve the community. We already had so many great charity partners that were needing support, so naturally we were able to create a platform for local organizations to be seen, heard and supported. The team was blown away by the support. In the first year, we managed to draw out more than 250 volunteers and donate more than $21,000 to local charities and nonprofit organizations. After witnessing the incredible support, the company realized the potential at hand and was inspired to do more. That is why in 2020 we officially launched the State Forty Eight Foundation, which is dedicated to the prosperity of Arizona and its community members, through the support of our local organizations and local people.
What is the greatest reward in being involved with State Forty Eight Foundation? One of the most rewarding things has been connecting with partners that we already have through State Forty Eight and seeing how excited they are to not only work with us but to help us mobilize our community and amplify our impact—and theirs too! We love being able to partner with organizations who care about making a difference as much as we do, that is why our ‘creating meaningful partnerships’ pillar is so important to us.
What is the biggest challenge the nonprofit faces? Right now, it’s creating awareness about the work that we are doing and bringing in funding as we build and implement our programming. That being said, it’s really pushing us to be innovative. We’ve been able to launch number of unique events and fundraisers that have been successful for us thus far.
State Forty Eight Foundation specifically meets the needs of Arizona and its community members. What makes the needs of Arizona and its residents unique? I don’t know that the needs of Arizona residents are unique, rather we want to do everything we can to ensure the prosperity of our state and its residents. The way we see it, you can’t change the world all at once. You have to start in your own backyard and let that ripple out. We can’t possibly meet every need that Arizonans have, but we can do our best through by sharing knowledge and resources on entrepreneurship, supporting and empowering youth through mentorship, and activating our community through volunteer and fundraising events.
What are your goals for 2021? Our main goal is to successfully launch an Entrepreneur Speaker Series in late summer. This will be a virtual program featuring incredible and successful Arizona entrepreneurs. Attendees will be able to hear their personal story, learn practical tools and tips they can apply to their own business or leave inspired to start one. We’ll release more information on this closer to July! Other than that, we are busy building out our programming for school beautifications, community impact days (our volunteer call outs), youth mentorship and more. We are very excited about these programs and look forward to continuing to positively impact the lives of Arizonans on a larger scale.
How can readers help? We are always accepting donations. You can also sign up for our email list via our website and learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities and activations you can participate in, and help us spread the word through social media @statefortyeightfoundation.
Does the foundation have any events or fundraisers on the horizon? Yes! We have a few fundraisers and events on the horizon.
- Through May, vendors at The Churchill vendors are donating between one and 10 percent of their monthly proceeds to the foundation. Participating vendors include Brill Line, Cosas Boutique, Freak Bros Pizza, Gather PHX, Provecho and So Far, So Good.
- June 5: Habitat for Humanity Build (volunteers needed!)
- June 26: Poker Tournament Fundraiser