Relational vs. Transactional

If you have ever spent much time around me, you know that I have lots of theories. Theories are how I make sense of the world. Sometimes they are correct, and sometimes they are not. Regardless, they help inform my thinking. One of my favorites is how I think about the non-profit world. I tend to divide them two different ways. The first is what I think of as the transactional model. This is the model that exists when someone comes to an agency for help, receives it, and leaves. There is nothing wrong with this model per se. Food pantries are a great example of it. They exist to meet an immediate need, and the transactional model is great for that. It is a simple transaction of handing the food over to the person in need. It gets them what they need when they need it.

The other example is what I think of as the relational model. This is the model Fort Bend Hope operates under. We cannot simply hand someone a bag of education. It does not work that way; however, if someone wishes to better themselves through one of our classes, then we will walk beside them as they do it. Fort Bend Hope is most successful when we focus on the relationships that make us what we are. It is hard to get a GED or learn a new language, and a student may not want to come to class one day. Sometimes a volunteer may find it difficult to come in when they are scheduled to do so. What keeps both individuals coming when it is difficult? It is the relationships they have formed.

So how do these relationships form? Well, there is no magic sauce or secret formula if you will. Instead, it is the way relationships always form. It’s through spending time together and working towards a common goal as we do in each class. It’s through enjoying a meal together as we will at the potluck this week. It’s through celebrating the success of someone reaching a goal as we do with Angie’s story in this newsletter, and it’s through celebrating the impact a tutor can make as we do with Sarasu’s working with Angie in that same article. In other words, we live life together, and the relational part takes care of itself.

If you’d like to be a part of what we are doing here, I’d love to speak with you. You can email me at [email protected] or give me a call at (901) 605-0210. As always, we would love your financial support as well. If you wish to donate to our mission, please click the blue DONATE button, and remember to Always Keep Learning!

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Thank you so much for your generosity and support. We also wish you a wonderful Christmas and holiday season.

Thanks,

Your Fort Bend Hope Friends and Family

October 10, 2022

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