Inspired by founder Glen's experience volunteering with 5th graders and his own experience as a dad, Tied Together is on a mission to shape young men’s lives for the better. The organization's goal is to positively impact boys' lives by providing positive male role models to teach life skills, the same way a father would positively impact his son.

Background

In 2014, Glen was a realtor and father volunteering with 5th and 6th graders in Brevard County, Florida. During his time at the school, he was struck by how many young boys seemed to lack positive male role models.

Glen wondered what lessons he could pass on to these boys and realized there was no better place to start than the basics: how to shake hands properly and tie a tie. 

He spoke with a friend who was also a middle school teacher, and what Glen had experienced at the school resonated. Soon, the two of them, along with a group of men from the Civilian Military Council, gathered at Stone Middle School to continue the good work that Glen had begun. 

What started as one man hoping to pass on a few valuable life skills, soon grew into Tied Together: a non-profit that has touched the lives of over 26,000 young men in Brevard County. The organization has now visited all 28 public middle and high schools in the county. 

“Besides teaching the students how to tie a tie and properly shake hands, we share foundational life lessons we’ve learned. Every male student, administrator, and volunteer is given a tie in their school’s colors.” Glen Outlaw, Founder

During the 2023 academic year, more than 250 men representing the community of men in Brevard County, Florida volunteered at least one of Tied Together’s events. Every boy’s dad was invited to the event. Volunteers are asked to come dressed as they would for work, either wearing a tie or a work shirt featuring their company logo. Every student, volunteer, and teacher who works with Tied Together is given a tie in their school’s colors. 

“We want the students to know it takes all of us working together to make a community prosper.” Glen Outlaw, Founder

Before switching to Zeffy, Glen and his team were not using any fundraising technology at all, and Tied Together depended on generous donors writing checks by hand. But Glen recognized the world has changed from the days when people carried their checkbooks everywhere they went. 

What’s more, Tied Together was likely missing out on money that could have gone towards additional ties for its students and volunteers: ties that cost $4 each. This outdated system just wasn’t cutting it anymore. 

Glen’s ultimate goal was to make donations more accessible to all. The team learned about Zeffy through Tied Together’s web developer, who persuaded them to give it a shot. The web developer worked with many other non-profits in the past and talked highly of Zeffy. 

“When we asked about direct donations through our website and what direction we should go, he recommended only Zeffy.” 

The Tied Together team was impressed that Zeffy does not charge any automatic fees to its donors, and this was one of the reasons they chose Zeffy over others.

After switching to Zeffy, Glen saw several donations come in, totaling $11,690. That’s funding for over 2,900 ties! 

Glen intends to grow Tied Together’s good work beyond just Brevard County. In the near future, The organization intends to use some of the funds it has raised to sponsor programs at least in neighboring counties. 

“People are very willing to help our cause. Using Zeffy allows us to make the process of donating very easy.”