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Interview with Jimmie Baker
Jimmie is the Founder of Alternative Decisions located in Philadelphia, PA. He was interviewed by Michael Feagans on 01.17.01.
Jimmie Baker has a very powerful story to tell "A Secret Worth Telling" by Mike Jensen, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 13, 2000. In 1971 Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers described him as the best 17 year old he had ever seen. Many years later Jimmie was still battling drug and alcohol addiction. Today he tells his story to children and adults with the hope that they will make better choices than he once did. His goal now is to be a beacon for recovery.
4npo: How many staff do you currently have?
Jimmie: Right now I'm the only full-time employee. We're still in the process of raising money to fund additional staff. I'm not a fully salaried employee but because it's my "baby," I'm doing all the things necessary to keep it going. I'm currently wearing several different hats, which is running me a little ragged.
Ideally I'd like to have a program that allows us to try and bridge the gap between young and old people. I'd like to have a place where senior citizens could come during the day and receive a meal. I'd like to offer them activities as well as providing a drop-in center for young people. The common theme would be recovery, non-violence and conflict resolution.
4npo: When did you start the organization?
Jimmie: We started in 1998.
4npo: When did you get your 501(c)(3)?
Jimmie: We got that in March of 1999.
4npo: Why did you start Alternative Decisions?
Jimmie: Well you know some of my history. You know the history of the basketball player. I don't know if you are aware of some of the other things that happened in my life. You read the article that came out in the Inquirer, "A Secret Worth Telling" by Mike Jensen, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 13, 2000.
I got involved in some things that totally changed my life--in very negative ways. Out of that, being very grateful for the help I have gotten, I began this work. I remember talking and crying with my mom several times and saying that I would never have any type of success in life after I lost my basketball career. But I have, and this organization has been all about giving back.
The organization originally was named "Choices" because the work was all about helping people make good choices. I went as far as getting it incorporated but I never took the next step to get my non-profit status. I pretty much integrated all the ideas that I had with Choices into "Alternative Decisions." The premise was the same, to be a beacon for recovery, to getting your life back together in the wake of whatever tragedy may have laid you low.
It started very humbly. I thought my story could be a 'hook' that would be of interest, particularly to young people. Having been a professional athlete and having played against Dr. J and people of that magnitude. ---Not that I saw myself as on the level of a Dr. J, but just having played on that level was enough to gain their interest. That was my hook and with that hook I was able to share my story. That's pretty much how it all started, and it just kind of snowballed from there.
I've always been geared toward human services-type activities. When I came out of school to play ball, I didn't have my degree but I was a Social Services major. I certainly didn't know then that I would have any career other than basketball. I had been a counselor and playground director, but didn't think about it much. Unknownst to me, I did have another career waiting to emerge. So, it was kind of a natural progression for me to take my recovery message, to show how I blew it by making inappropriate choices, and then to build an organization designed to help others.
4npo: How has your organization changed as it transitioned from "Choices" to "Alternative Decisions"?
Jimmie: Choices was built around activities I did occasionally, on an ad hoc basis. It was limited to a small presentation that I created while working full-time. Yet, I was having significant success with it. About 3 years ago I decided to do it on a full-time basis. Around this time I was doing some work for Sonny Hill on Saturdays in Delaware, delivering services to underprivileged youngsters. The program had both educational and athletic components. My part was a drug and alcohol program. It wasn't successful. The kids stopped coming after the second week but we still had to show up for the entire fifteen weeks.
In the frustration of that my friend, Antoine, and I offered to develop a program that would be better and more meaningful. We began to formulate our vision to for something with a more in-depth developmental and educational bent, using basketball as our 'hook'. While beginning with basketball, our emphasis was always literacy and education. Our underlying theme was that you need to make the right choices in order to be successful.
I quickly learned that I needed the help of an accountant, and when I told him about my ideas he offered to help in anyway he could. He had some experience in helping others attain non-profit status, which I needed. That's how it all started to come together.
4npo: In going from "Choices" to "Alternative Decisions" what will you accomplish by formalizing the organization?
Jimmie: To be able to do it in a much more impactful way. To swallow my ego and realize that I need other people to help and support the whole theme, which is bigger than me. So many times, particularly in an inner city, people are always telling our youth that they "can't do it." And because they don't do it exactly the way that's presented to them, they are considered failures. Our premise is that there are alternative ways of doing things. To be able to fully communicate this message, we need credibility, to be taken seriously. The support and validation we could get from organizations like the United Way in turn helps us be more effective in achieving our mission. These things can't happen as long as we're a one-horse operation.
4npo: What are some of the steps you have taken to go from an informal to a more formal, established organization?
Jimmie: One of the first things I did was to learn how to run an organization. I conducted some research to learn what were the advantages and disadvantages of operating a non-profit versus a for-profit organization. I learned that there are various kinds of non-profit organizations, and was able to understand where organization fit into the big picture. This isn't a moneymaking endeavor but I am trying to create a program that will reach as many people as possible. Ultimately, the non-profit route made more sense.
Our accountant was central in helping us fill out the various forms we needed to complete in order to file for our non-profit status. As a lay person just walking into this, I would have been terribly overwhelmed without his assistance. The application itself is over a hundred pages.
4npo: So would you say getting an accountant to help with your application is a key move when trying to establish a non-profit organization?
Jimmie: Exactly. I would not have been able to be as successful as quickly without his assistance. He understood the language. We were able to maneuver through the process without becoming bogged down in trivia because he had a better grasp of what was required and what wasn't. I think that is something a lot of people just starting out wouldn't necessarily know.
4npo: To how many people have you made presentations in the past year?
Jimmie: Between 2,500 - 3,000 children and adults. I talk in prisons, juvenile facilities, charter and public schools. In 1999 I probably spoke to around 1,500 children and adults.
4npo: Is there any kind of follow-up to your presentation? Have you thought about some things you can do that will have a more lasting effect?
Jimmie: These are some of the things I'm working on now. These one-shot presentations may energize the kids but may not have a lasting effect. Involvement with drugs and alcohol is very serious and many people use denial as a defense mechanism. My personal involvement is key, to show these kids that I care and I'm serious. I want to show them that I'll be there for the long term. I'm also a Certified Addictions Counselor and have the experience to work with children who have a substance abuse problem in their family.
4npo: What has been the most difficult aspect of fundraising for your organization?
Jimmie: Convincing potential donors that "Alternative Decisions "is legitimate. Trying to find which individuals or organizations are appropriate funding sources is also tough. We still need to find those donors who understand our approach andcan appreciate what we are trying to accomplish.
4npo: Have you ever done any fundraising?
Jimmie: Never.
4npo: Jimmie good luck and thank you for talking with me.
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