Meet Kipp Kramer of Kramerica Gives in Denver Metro Area

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kipp Kramer.

Kipp, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been working in student leadership and mentoring for over 15 years, creating different versions of youth leadership and mentoring programs. They were funded through grants and non-profits, and I was able to develop and run the programs how I thought would be best for the kids. So, I tried everything. Some years, I focused on exposing students to different career fields. Some years, we focused on learning about colleges and I did my best to raise scholarship money. A lot of the time, we just tried to provide a safe and encouraging after school environment.

I collected little nuggets of wisdom over the years about what works and what doesn’t, on what makes students feel supported and elevated. My initial goal was to just make sure the students had opportunities, exposure to different future pathways. Over time it evolved into finding the right set of interactions to meet their needs and bring out their full potential.

In 2018, I did the most exciting and terrifying thing I’ve ever done and started Kramerica Gives. I knew there are still so many students without resources and opportunities that have this amazing potential but just need the access. I had seen a lot of students benefit from my programs over the years: graduating from college, getting their first job, taking on leadership roles at school… I knew that it would be worth the risk.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no. Fundraising is challenging. Grant writing is challenging. Figuring out transportation for students all across the Denver metro area is difficult. Recruiting students from different high schools, who need to be recommended by a teacher or counselor is hard. And I’m sure others who have taken the leap and started their own organization, especially in the non-profit field, know that it requires a lot of time and sometimes your own money. But you also have to figure out how to have your own money coming in. So it’s going all-in and working every day on the program, and taking a bunch of part-time jobs on the side to stay afloat.

The students make the road smooth. Really. They get so much out of the program right away. After our first meeting of the year, which is normally a retreat, you start to see them step out of their comfort zones, make friends, and walk away with more confidence in who they are and what they bring to the group.

There are times that I wake up and I think, what was I thinking? Am I qualified to raise this money, have a board of directors, pursue grants? To this day, we have not received any grants. It’s tough competing with other great non-profits, not having many years of data, and being considerably smaller than other organizations. But I am energized by the students when we have and it keeps me going.

Please tell us about Kramerica Gives.
Our mission is to provide students with leadership and opportunities to empower them to live up to their full potential. Students are paired with a mentor and attend bi-weekly meetings, and other Community Involvement and volunteer activities. We receive recommendations from school counselors and teachers who identify youth that have leadership qualities but just haven’t had the opportunity to show it off.

I think what really sets us apart from other programs is that we have set up our system to focus on the whole student. We try and identify activities and opportunities so every student feels like they are participating in something that’s in their “wheelhouse” or brings out the best in them. That is why we have four pillars of the program: leadership, mentorship, community involvement, and scholarships. Every students’ need is unique and we focus on having diverse experiences so that they feel engaged and represented.

What are you most proud of Starting Kramerica Gives! Its paid off. Students are getting out of their comfort zone, and so am I. I wanted to lead by example and take a risk like I encourage our students to do. We have had an amazing two years, even weathering the storm of Covid19. And I feel it’s only going to get better.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kramericagives.org
• Phone: 720.431.9296
• Email: kramericagives@gmail.com

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