Conversations with Stacey Nagelkirk

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey Nagelkirk.

Hi Stacey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 

Hello!  I’m Stacey Nagelkirk.  I am a wife, mom to 3 kids,  daughter of the King, entrepreneur, philanthropist, natural health and wellness advocate, pickleball enthusiast, and the loudest laugh in every room!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do?

During my extended time at home through the Covid quarantine, God was stirring in my heart a desire to become involved in the work happening in our community around foster care and adoption. I wasn’t exactly sure how I was supposed to get involved, but after speaking with several local grassroot organizations who are already serving in these areas, I walked away feeling so encouraged by all of the amazing things that are already happening right here in our own community! However, one of the most common things I heard was that funding was really difficult to come by. Either it took a lot of time and effort to gather individual donors or receiving grants and other funding was difficult to acquire and often came with a lot of strings attached. Upon hearing these things, the vision for The Dollar Difference was born.

What is The Dollar Difference?! It’s a non-profit organization where individuals donate $1 a month (every month) and the funds raised each month are used to help support a family or an organization doing work centered around foster care, adoption, or family preservation in the West Michigan community. You heard it right, just $1.00! No more, no less! Most of us can’t write a large check every time we learn about a need, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t play a part in financially supporting initiatives that care for people in our community. At The Dollar Difference, we believe that a small give by a large collection of people can make a BIG impact.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way?

It surprisingly has been more difficult than we anticipated getting people to donate $1 a month! We thought we could easily get 1,000+ people on board, but we currently sit below that number. Oftentimes organizations seek large donations from a small number of people, but we are trying to flip the script and have a large number of people give a small donation…just $1 a month! We want to provide an easy entry point for people to get involved in the foster care and adoption efforts happening in our community, and we feel like $1/month is pretty attainable for most West Michigan families. We are optimistic that we will reach our goal soon as we continue to spread the word about our mission and welcome new donors into our community.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned in your life that you can share with us?

Throughout my life, I continue to learn to fully trust in God and lean into His plan for my life. When He stirs something in my heart, I don’t hesitate to pursue it because if it’s from Him then it’s what’s best for me! I am incredibly grateful to be on the path I am serving the foster and adoptive community through the work of The Dollar Difference.

How can people get involved?

Donating to The Dollar Difference is incredibly easy and affordable.  Just head to our website (www.thedollardifference.org) and click “Donate Today”.  Sign up to donate just $1 a month, and help be a part of making a difference in the West Michigan community.  At The Dollar Difference, we believe that we can do something greater together than we could ever do alone, so please consider partnering with us.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thedollardifference.org
• Instagram: The.Dollar.Difference
• Facebook: The Dollar Difference