Why We Choose to be a Nonprofit
Harrisen Min, Director of Internal Development
With the rise of digital health startups and startup accelerators, it would make sense for Afi Health to adopt a for-profit model. Being for-profit would alleviate a lot of the pressures when it comes to funding, support, and probably allow our organization to scale at a faster rate.
Then why is Afi Health a nonprofit?
When I first joined Afi Health, I asked myself this very question. I saw the potential of Afi Health to really grow and believed that it would be more efficient to make it a for-profit company. In this mindset, I missed the core mission of Afi Health. The reason why Afi Health was created can be summed in one word– accessibility. The root of Afi Health’s mission is to ensure the widespread accessibility of information regarding our bodies, especially when it comes to children. Our ultimate goal is to put our videos and resources in the hands of every child and family that would benefit from it, free of cost. Being a non-profit allows us to focus our priorities on sustaining the mission and not focus as much about profitability. Don’t get me wrong, we encounter obstacles when it comes to funding and being sustainable. But everything we do in Afi Health centers around getting our resources to help as many people as possible, without clouding our priorities .
Remembering the mission of Afi Health brought me back to my own childhood. I recall being in a hospital at 4 years old, looking through a window as I desperately tried to see my new-born sister who was in the ICU. I was confused, scared, and sensed my parents’ worries. Looking back, I wish I had one of Afi Health’s videos to help me understand what was happening and mitigate my fears. Afi Health’s resources are not just limited to patients suffering from a specific condition, but also impact loved ones who are looking to better understand the situation.
Afi Health is just one of the millions of nonprofits that are mobilizing to meet the needs of communities all around the United States. Healthcare, in particular, is a complex industry that requires a lot of support and resources from nonprofits. With this in mind, I know that Afi Health has the potential to be a game changer in the digital pediatric education field. But we need your help. Because we provide our resources free of cost, we are constantly looking for new funding. Monetary support allows us to create videos on an expansive list of topics that educates kids of their health and body.
Today, Thanksgiving seems to be slowly losing to Black Friday. As a society, it’s easy to forget to take a step back and truly be grateful for everything we have. Instead of looking for the first opportunity to end Thanksgiving dinner and get a head start on great shopping deals, what if we took the opportunity to support an organization like Afi Health?