Closing the Gap(s)

"We use a supply-chain business model … but it's not as if we're a Walmart," she says. "We're here mostly out of altruism. I tell the employees in the warehouse they do an amazing job. We're interlinked. I can't fundraise if the warehouse isn't functioning properly."

Brinkmann notes the high value that NTFB places on in-house creativity and cooperation: "It's about building the right team," she says. "You have to find the right combination of talented people who are passionate about the mission and willing to go to the edge with you."