Australian Yoga Journal — January 2018

Give BackTip

Are you a non-profit or volunteer seeking support from a

larger company? Go beyond simply “asking for stuff,” says

Jerrehian. “We get many letters each month requesting

mat and prop donations for worthwhile organisations,

but what really makes us take notice—and often do more

than just send mats—is when people convey how

passionate they are about what they do,” he says. Jerrehian

suggests writing a thoughtful email, sending a short video,

or inventing some other creative outreach to make your

efforts stand out.

The big backer JADE YOGA

THE PEOPLE BEHIND JADE YOGA’S environmentally friendly
mats and props have long been committed to giving back. For
starters, for every product sold, Jade plants a tree (with more
than 1 million planted so far). The company also donates $5
from each mat sale to a specifi c cause: a teal mat purchase, for
example, benefi ts ovarian cancer research; pink mat sales aid
breast cancer research; and saffron mat sales benefi t autism
causes. Plus, Jade donates hundreds of mats per year to shelters,
hospitals, rehab centres, prisons, and other programs in need.
But when Jade’s president, Dean Jerrehian, met Sharon
Manner, founder of Ashrams for Autism, he knew he wanted to
do even more. “It’s easy to ship mats and write cheques,” he says.
“But when Sharon told me about her work with such passion,
it convinced me of just how much her program really helps kids
and their caregivers, and I had to get involved.”
Now, Jerrehian is helping Manner with a series of educational
videos to help Ashrams for Autism expand its public reach,
in the hopes of inspiring potential volunteers—and donors.
“I saw an opportunity for us to use our resources to help this
amazing organisation expand—and I jumped at the
chance immediately,” says Jerrehian.

The unsung hero

JILL BRENNER

AS A YOGA PRACTITIONER with a family
member who was on the autism spectrum,
Brenner was naturally drawn to Ashrams for
Autism. “When I connected with Sharon Manner
in 2015, I had just completed my 200-hour
yoga-teacher training, and I was eager to teach through
her programs,” says Brenner.
At the time, Brenner was working for a major public relations
fi rm—which put her in a position to see that the non-profi t was
missing opportunities to spread the word about its work.
“In such a small organisation, someone like Sharon is busy
doing everything she can to help others—she isn’t thinking about
the marketing and public relations side of things,” says Brenner.
“That’s where I saw an opportunity to help.”
Brenner started going after media appearances and placements
for Manner and prepping her for interviews—just as she had
done in her PR career. “Teaching yoga to populations who
really need it is beautiful, and I love doing it,” says Brenner.
“But I hope people see that you can use whatever skills you have
to help others.”

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