For most of the staff at Restore Global, we spend our days fluttering between the office and warehouse, assisting on pick-ups and drop-offs, sifting through logistics, and facilitating meetings. For our Regional Partnership Manager Caroline Wienecke, however, her day is spent traveling between events, nonprofit locations, and meetings with as many partners as will accept her meeting request. To gain an understanding of how we interact with our partners in AND out of the office, I packed up my bags, set my alarm for a preposterous hour, and traveled to uptown Charlotte to begin our 11 hour day.
TODAY'S SCHEDULE:
6 a.m. - Wake up and begin responding to overnight emails
- Caroline truly jumps right in when she wakes up. She quickly began responding to emails and, during that time, made a "callback list" for the later morning hours (so as not to awaken our partners). Emails checked and responses sent off, she reviewed her calendar, packed her bags, and headed off to the first event of the day.
7:30 a.m. - Coffee shop meeting
- Our first meeting! Caroline and I met up to discuss the objectives of the day, and after a quick latte, we made our way over to Share a Latte with SHARE Charlotte (where, yes, we indulged in another latte).
8:30 a.m. - Share a Latte Event
- During this event, Caroline thrived. She buzzed around meeting potential partners and introducing herself and her position at Restore Global. If anyone were unengaged, she would walk up, introduce herself, and make them feel welcome. After an hour and a half, a coffee (you can see the addiction building), and four new meetings later, we were off to the next adventure!
10:00 a.m. - Community Matters Cafe for a reset, work, and lunch
- We headed to the Community Matters Cafe for several reasons - 1: Charlotte Rescue Mission is one of our partners, 2: we do everything we can to support our partners, and 3: the food and the atmosphere are stupendous. After completely dehydrating ourselves with coffee, we made the executive decision to grab some water and lunch while taking time to refresh and reset. Caroline also took that time to speak to Restore Global's Founder and President, Steve Wray, and inform him (as well as the team) about new leads and potential partners. Because Caroline's job revolves around travel, it's vital to have daily check-ins for team-wide continuity and understanding.
12:15 p.m. - Take a drive to the outskirts of Charlotte to meet with a potential partner
- The endless miles are what makes Caroline so unique and valuable to Restore Global - she will come to YOU. Because Restore Global's mission is a "nonprofit helping nonprofits," Caroline truly believes that every nonprofit should have the opportunity to hear what we have to offer. This extra step helps bring our mission to light, and according to Caroline, creates friendships rather than just partnerships.
2:00 p.m. - Gain a new partner
- After researching the potential partner, Caroline quickly and efficiently explained how Restore Global could be valuable to them, and within the next hour, we had a new partner! The papers were signed, a follow-up meeting was created (to discuss our collaboration on an upcoming project), and we were off to the other side of Charlotte for another meeting.
2:30 p.m. - Grab another coffee
- Now that I'm writing it out, I believe we have a problem.
3:30 p.m. - Meet an existing partner
- Although this may not be the protocol for most nonprofits, the staff at Restore Global strives to go the extra mile for our partners. Because this partner had been with us since the birth of our Access to Procurement program, a complete staff change had taken place (on their end and our end), and it was necessary for both of us to refresh missions and goals. After fond stories, 30 short minutes, and a happy atmosphere, we were ready to take the hour and a half drive back home.
While following Caroline around for a day, I realized one thing - there is never a time where she isn't fully involved, engrossed, and in-love with her job. The way she treats every partner, potential partner, and friend is like she's known them for ages - laughing, inquiring, interested. Although networking events can be monotonous, Caroline thoroughly enjoys meeting new people, making connections, and making new friends. As Regional Partnership Manager, Caroline treats her job as though her objective is to find every nonprofit in the city and befriend them. For her, it isn't so much about the partnership as it is a genuine connection. When she says, "I'm so excited to hear about what you've been doing," it's authentic. When she beams, "Your work in the community is unmatched, and you are making such a difference," she wholeheartedly believes it. Her level of personability is unmatched, and because of that, we're so thankful that she's part of our team.
If you've stumbled across our blog and would like to become a partner, please reach out to Caroline via the email address caroline.wienecke@restoreglobal.org.
We would love to add your nonprofit, church, or organization to our team!