Today we’d like to introduce you to Travaar Armstrong.
Hi Travaar, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My connection to nonprofit work started long before I ever had a title or ran a program. I grew up watching my father serve our community with a level of commitment that left a lasting impression on me. He was involved in multiple organizations focused on uplifting youth and strengthening families, and I saw firsthand what it looked like to show up for people. Service wasn’t framed as something extra — it was a responsibility, a calling, and a way of making sure others could stand a little taller because of your effort.
That foundation shaped everything for me. I volunteered throughout my childhood and early adulthood, and by the time I was 22, I launched my first nonprofit in Virginia. We were young and passionate — doing everything out of our own pockets, learning as we went, and trying to create change with whatever resources we had. Looking back, we made a small but meaningful impact, and it taught me more than I realized at the time.
As I grew professionally, I started to understand that nonprofits don’t just run on passion; they thrive when they’re built with the same level of structure and strategy as any successful business. That shift in understanding changed the trajectory of my work. I became intentional about creating organizations and programs that were not only mission-driven, but sustainable, scalable, and capable of leaving a long-term imprint on the communities they serve.
That journey — from a kid inspired by his father’s example to an adult committed to intentional, strategic service — is what guides me today. It’s the reason I show up, the reason I build, and the reason community remains at the center of everything I do.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has definitely not been smooth. I think most people enter nonprofit work with the right intentions, but intention alone doesn’t prepare you for the realities of running a grassroots organization. In the early stages, you wrestle with how to tell your story in a way that resonates, how to raise funds without feeling like you’re constantly asking, and how to build a volunteer base that is not only excited in the beginning, but truly committed to the mission over time.
One of the most valuable lessons I received came from a mentor who told me, “You have to heal from the trauma that pushed you to start the work.” That was a turning point for me. Nonprofit work is emotional, especially when you’re serving kids and families. You can’t pour from a place of pain — you have to process it so you can lead with clarity and purpose.
There were also practical struggles: learning how to structure programs, how to organize systems, and how to measure impact from beginning to end so donors and partners can clearly see the value of the work. That part doesn’t come naturally; it’s something you grow into.
And then there’s the human side. You will have personnel challenges. You will have volunteers or team members who drop the ball, lose momentum, or aren’t aligned with the mission the way you hoped. Those moments force you to strengthen your leadership — to hold people accountable, to communicate expectations clearly, and to remind yourself that you must also model the standards you expect from others.
The road hasn’t been easy, but every obstacle shaped me. It taught me how to build organizations that are not just passionate, but structured, sustainable, and grounded in purpose.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work centers on building and strengthening nonprofit organizations that serve youth, families, and underserved communities. Over the years, I’ve led, co-founded, and supported several programs focused on mentoring, leadership development, STEAM education, community engagement, and scholarship access. What I specialize in — and what I’ve become known for — is taking grassroots ideas and helping turn them into structured, sustainable, and scalable initiatives.
I’ve had the privilege of leading programs that mentor middle and high school students, coordinating large-scale community events, partnering with major organizations for youth-focused initiatives, and helping families access resources that genuinely improve their quality of life. My approach blends compassion with strategy. I love the heart and mission of nonprofit work, but I’m equally passionate about the systems, operations, and business models that allow those missions to thrive long-term.
What I’m most proud of is the impact we’ve been able to create with limited resources — the students who discovered their potential, the families who gained support when they needed it most, and the community partnerships that have grown through trust and consistency. I’ve seen firsthand how a single program, a single mentor, or a single opportunity can change the trajectory of someone’s life, and that’s what drives me.
What sets me apart is my perspective. I understand nonprofit work not only from the lens of a leader, but also from the lens of someone who grew up watching service modeled at home, someone who started a nonprofit in his early twenties with nothing but passion, and someone who has learned through both successes and setbacks. I’ve worked at every level — from packing backpacks and serving meals to building budgets, designing curricula, writing grants, and shaping organizational culture.
I believe in leading with empathy, executing with intention, and building programs that leave a lasting imprint. For me, it’s never been about spotlight or recognition. It’s about doing meaningful work, the right way, for the right reasons — and making sure the people and communities we serve feel seen, supported, and empowered.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that often surprises people is just how much of the work I do personally. As a grassroots leader, I get asked all the time, “Who handles your marketing? Who builds your website? Who designs the flyers, manages the programming, writes the newsletters?” And the truth is — about 99% of what people see actually comes directly from me.
There’s the visible impact work that happens in the community, but there’s also the administrative and operational side that people rarely see. The planning, the writing, the budgeting, the outreach, the designing — those pieces can take even more time than the actual events or programs. In the early stages of a nonprofit, you often are the team, and I embraced that.
Of course there are firms that can manage these things for a fee, and many organizations use them — but when you’re building from the ground up, every dollar matters. I’ve always believed in expanding your own skill set so more of the budget can go toward the mission instead of outsourcing every task.
There are definitely services worth paying for, but with tools like Canva, YouTube, and a willingness to learn, you can become surprisingly proficient in areas you never expected. That mindset has saved countless dollars for our programs and allowed us to create a bigger impact with the resources we have.
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