Meet Susan Proctor | Founder, CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Susan Proctor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Susan, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Punk Rock Gives Back is a nonprofit to support other nonprofits. There are a lot of great charities doing amazing work and the world needs to know about them. There are people in the trenches of causes doing the boots on the ground getting things done and have little time for fundraising. We can help! We share out stories of what others are doing and our events are tailored to fundraise for these causes.

There are so many charities in the nonprofit space who work for advocacy, animal rescues, global, social, health and environmental causes, the list is endless. Sometimes the government does not do enough to meet all of the needs so it is our punk rock do-it-yourself attitude that steps in to help lift each other up. We can’t do everything but we can do some things.

Our primary fundraising event is an ornament auction where artists donate an ornament they create and designate the cause they wish to support with the proceeds. Punk Rock Gives Back provides the tax deduction for the donor and sends the funds to the charity on the artist’s behalf. It is a win-win.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In my life, I am most proud of my son, Eric. This seems like an odd answer to a question about my professional life and career. But it is the reason I do what I do.
Up until Eric was a teen, I was a pretty conservative and sheltered human. I have always had a heart to serve others but did not venture far outside of my bubble. As Eric grew, he developed a love for music and some I did not automatically approve of. As his mom, I wanted to find ways for him to enjoy what he loved. We ended up going to a few concerts together and I found a community of people who shared a bond through music. This community was more divergent than any group I had experienced in my lifetime. Through hours of waiting in long lines, I learned the stories of individuals that inspired me though we may have had nothing in common. The biggest take away from this community was not only the diversity but also the acceptance of those who were different. No judgement, no expectations, people were taken at face value. This attitude was especially present in Punk Rock and the concept of the mosh pit. When someone falls down, you pick them up. Punk Rock Gives Back is just like that – we want to be a support for those who may need a little boost to continue the good work they are doing. We don’t all have to do the same thing, but we can respect and care for each other.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not know anything at all about nonprofits if it were not for my current employer and boss Stanley Mutunga, the Founder, President and CEO of Tumaini International. Stanley and the Board of Directors took a chance employing me with no background in this field. Through the modeling of a life well-lived, confident leadership and integrity Stanley allowed me to navigate through all of the aspects of running a nonprofit. The biggest influence continues to be in the way he embodies the passion and work of the cause without wavering. Allowing me to learn by doing, I was able to take the knowledge of the working of a nonprofit and apply that to not only Punk Rock Gives Back, but also in the other charities I have the privilege of working alongside.

Website: https://www.punkrockgivesback.org/

Instagram: @punkrockgivesback

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552568434204