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never been a person who gives up on things,” she said. “I completely
invested myself in this, financially, emotionally, and in every other
way.” She was also driven, she said, by the public visibility and her re-
sponsibility to deliver on her promise to The Ivey’s many stakeholders.
She credited her own spiritual outlook as well, a steadfast belief that
something bigger was at work. And she still believed that The Ivey
was on the front lines in an effort to address a growing societal prob-
lem. “A wave is coming,” she said. “We are meeting a core need that
will only continue to grow.”

Just as critical for Lynn’s survival to this point was her late-
blooming ability to let go of cherished ideas. Chief among them was
her belief that The Ivey could thrive as a for-profit business. In 2009
she came full circle, finally accepting an idea that a few colleagues
had advocated early in her planning process: to operate as a nonprofit
organization. As her funds had continued to dwindle, this became the
best option for keeping her fledgling service alive. “We needed money,
and we needed more clients,” she says. “The nonprofit approach
helped us make gains in both areas.” It allowed her to begin raising
funds in the form of charitable donations, still a challenging task in a
tough economy but also a great fit for her skills, enthusiasm, and sense
of vision. Operationally, the nonprofit status has allowed her to lower
her fees and offer her services to a much wider audience. As a result,
she had acquired forty full-time members by May of 2010, a number
climbing steadily month after month.

Heading into the summer of 2010, great challenges remained for
The Ivey. Lynn was increasingly focused on fund-raising opportunities
and continued to think big, promoting a vision for extending her model
to the national level. In June, she entertained a week-long visit from
the founder of an upscale adult daycare center planned in the Pacific
Northwest region of the United States. “You should see her business
plan,” Lynn said, “It’s almost exactly like the one I wrote.” Lynn was
eager to share her lessons learned with this founder and continued to
look for opportunities to forge mutually beneficial partnerships.

The only thing certain about The Ivey’s future is that it would
bring plenty of new and unpredictable hurdles. Lynn felt up to the
challenge, encouraged by the people being served right in front of her.

American Management Association • www.amanet.org