Jill Pearson, Board Member
Pearson Partners believes in giving back to the community, and we encourage our employees to be involved in charitable organizations.Jill Pearson talked with us about her involvement with Pinion, Benefiting Special Olympics, her personal reasons for her passion and the organization’s vital role in the community.
What is the overall mission of the organization?
Pinion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that conducts charitable drives and social events to raise funds for Special Olympics.
What is the history of the organization, and how and why was it formed?
Pinion was founded in 1991 and has grown into an organization whose membership comprises a cross-section of South Florida business and community leaders.
Since inception, Pinion has hosted regularly scheduled social events, meetings and activities on behalf of Special Olympics. Pinion has become the financial arm of Special Olympics Broward County, providing the program with the funds needed to give individuals with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate.
How and why did you become involved?
Five years ago a close friend of mine passed away who was very involved in the organization and its mission. I joined Pinion at that time, after attending a couple of their events and seeing how much fun these women have while helping to make these very special athletes’ dreams come true.
What would you say have been the overall results of the organization so far, and can you give an example of a project you’ve done or the ways you have had an impact on the community?
To date, Pinion has raised more than $2.2 million for Special Olympics Broward County. Pinion is an all-volunteer organization, meaning we have no paid staff or overhead, so 100 percent of this money goes directly to support the programs. Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. These programs give them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
How has your involvement enriched your life, both personally and professionally? How has the organization helped you expand your business network?
I have been a member of Pinion for five years. Being elected to the board this year has been so rewarding for me, both personally and professionally. The women of Pinion are an incredibly dynamic group of South Florida business and community leaders. I’ve never had so much fun raising money for a worthy cause.
What are the factors limiting the organization in terms of its ability to do more for the community?
As with most nonprofits, our biggest challenge is promoting community awareness on a limited budget. The more we can do in terms of community outreach—and social media has helped a lot with this in the past few years—the more we can bring people aboard as members and contributors to help directly support Special Olympics.
What is the best way to get involved with the organization?
The best way is to attend one of our events. We have four or five signature events per year, and also a monthly happy hour. Visit our web site at www.pinioninc.com, or follow us on Facebook:PinionBenefitingSpecialOlympics and Twitter: @PinionSOBC. Membership only costs $30 for one year, which gives members discounted admission to our events and of course, the satisfaction of helping to support Special Olympics.
What other information would you like to share with our readers?
Get involved in your community. There are so many worthy organizations that need help. It really takes very little of your time and can make a world of difference to the beneficiaries. You’ll be enriched both personally and professionally.
