Small Business 101

Jason King: President and Co-founder, Turning the Page

Giving back to the community is a task many nonprofit organizations set out to fulfill. President and co-founder of Turning the Page, Jason King and his staff take that goal very seriously.

Established in 1998, Turning the Page works to link parents and teachers to help D.C. public school students get access to a high-quality education and resources. Through workshops and volunteer programs that promote "families learning together," the community-based initiative hopes to make a difference in the lives of young people and their families.

While a graduate student at Georgetown University Law Center, King taught street law to D.C. public school students, as a volunteer. He learned what it takes to be in front of a group of students, their needs and how to get them the help they need. The experience also taught him about the D.C. public school system.

What types of resources did you seek out before starting Turning the Page?

We started from the ground up and asked a lot of questions -- read a lot of how-to' books and went to different Web sites that had information on the basics of starting a nonprofit. In terms of the legal aspect, many of the founders on our board were young attorneys, fresh out of law school here in D.C. at Georgetown and George Washington universities. So we did a lot of research on how to start a nonprofit legally.

In terms of how to effectively run a nonprofit, we turned to groups who were already doing what we were trying to do for guidance. We went directly to teachers, principals, parents and other community members who were working in the schools.

We knew we wanted to help out, but weren't sure about the specific needs of children in this area. So we did a lot research, and that research still continues today -- we are always learning and growing.

What were some of the challenges you faced starting a nonprofit?

With any nonprofit, you should assess what the "need" is. What do people want to receive? With our company, we need to respond to what's needed in the community.

When people look at your track record, it is very important that you're building trust. With our organization, parents trust you with their children -- it's very important that you have that early on.

What resources are made available to the schools you work with?

For parents, it's helping them become better educators to their kids. We host events at the schools to help them do that. We also provide teachers with professional development and education that will link them to community-based learning opportunities.

How much of your time is spent actually working with the kids?

We are at the schools all the time and work directly with the kids. We have several programs -- one in particular called "Community Nights" -- where we encourage parents to bring their entire families to these educational workshops and learn together.

Will Turning the Page branch out to school districts outside of D.C.?

Right now we are very focused on D.C., and feel like there is a lot of room for growth here. As an organization, we want to continue developing innovative solutions for the many challenges that are out there in the educational system.

What advice would you have for other nonprofit organizations just starting out?

Listen and learn as much as you can about your community as you are beginning the projects and programs. I think for anyone who has the ambition and passion, it is important to step back and listen to what's going on in the community -- what the needs are. That will help you figure out, as a new nonprofit organization, what niche you can fill.