Starting a nonprofit in law school

I started Running Down A Dream in the summer of 2021. By that October it was an official 501(c)(3). Then I did almost nothing with it for months, because I was in law school and buried in reading.

That's not the inspiring origin story people expect. But it's the true one, and it taught me more than any class.

Lesson 1: Start before you're ready

I didn't have a big budget, a board full of experts or a perfect plan. I had a reason: running changed my life as a kid, and I didn't want a pair of shoes to keep another kid from that. The paperwork and the plan came after the reason.

Lesson 2: Waiting has a cost

I put off our first event until the summer of 2022 because school felt like too much. Looking back, I'd have started smaller and sooner. One Saturday run with five kids teaches you more than six months of planning.

Lesson 3: Consistency beats a big launch

Our first Saturday wasn't a huge event. What mattered was that we came back the next Saturday, and the next. Four years later, we've served 650+ kids because we kept showing up, not because we had a splashy start.

Lesson 4: Your first partners are people, not organizations

Our first coaches were runners who believed in the idea and gave up their Saturday mornings. Every sponsor, donor and store relationship since started with a person saying yes.

Lesson 5: Build what you wish you'd had

Growing up, the running groups I knew were for adults. There were no publicly known running groups for kids in San Antonio or Austin. Some of the best ideas come from noticing what was missing when you needed it.

If you're thinking about starting something

You don't need to quit school or your job. You need a reason that won't let you stop, and the willingness to do one small thing this week.