[Note: Beacon of Honor, as of March 1, 2018, has been re-branded as Flag Steward]
Our Nonprofit's Overall Mission:
GivingVue's mission is to enable digital apps and services that increase
the GIVING acts of EDUCATION, FAITH, and CHARITY.
GivingVue (incorporated as GivingVu.org, Inc.), dba FLAG STEWARD, is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit founded in April 2013 and based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. [Tax ID / EIN: 46-2457373]
GivingVue currently has two programs underway: Flag Steward (formerly known as Beacon of Honor) and FaithVue.
Read and experience the Flag Steward (formerly known as Beacon of Honor) program by perusing the majority of this website.
And, go here to learn about our FaithVue - Your Personal Prayer Place app.
The first app powered by GivingVue, ‘FaithVue’, available for iPhones and iPads, provided a visually captivating personal prayer place app that brings folks closer to God. The app helped people experience the ‘Power of Prayer’ - that by giving prayerful support to each other, users can become enlightened, inspired, and empowered to do more good.
Our Vision:
GivingVue's vision is to someday have more than 1 million people positively impacted each day by the GIVING acts of EDUCATION, FAITH, and CHARITY that its app and services help enable.
Our Team:
Our team is a lean, mean purposeful development machine :) We are dedicated dads, moms, and teens intent on delivering immersive, inspiring digital apps that help folks experience the benefits of being more educated, faithful, and charitable.
Flag Steward (formerly GivingVue) Staff members
Sean Sweeney, Chief Steward (President) & Founder of GivingVue
Bio teaser- Top 3 things very few know about me...
Personal Motto: "Carpe Diem" / "Seize the Day" has been my motto since my life-saving surgery in 2007; prior to that, and perhaps a contributor to what landed me on the operating table, my personal motto was "Work Hard, Play Hard"
Most impressionable teen experience: Attending Resurrection Catholic School, where I was the only white kid in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, I learned to eat real southern food (fried chitlins, okra, etc.), understand and respect African-Americans better, and teach Baptists how to altar serve at our school's Friday Catholic mass ;)
Working on improving now: I never really read scriptures from the Bible until my first church retreat in 2008. And since then, I still have had difficulty opening an actual book-bound Bible. But, now, thanks to the YouVersion Bible app and the FaithND app, I get daily reminders and readings to do on my smartphone. It's empowering me to live, lead, laugh, and love better!
Contact = Sean@FlagSteward.org
GivingVue's Board of Directors
Reed Thompson, Chairman of the Board
Bio to be posted soon.
See Reed's LinkedIn profile for now
Colonel Kenneth McRostie (USMC Reserve), Director for GivingVue
Bio teaser...
Favorite Scripture: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Childhood: Born and raised in Morocoo. Parents were career missionaries.
High School: Attended Rabat American School through my Junior year. Graduated from the International School of Brussels where my family had moved in between 11th and 12th grade.
College: Attended the University of Colorado, Boulder on a four-year NROTC scholarship and graduated with a B.A. in English.
Work Life: Served about four and a half years on active duty in the Marine Corps as a Motor Transport and Logistics officer. I transitioned to the Marine Corps Reserves and started and operated a painting business in Colorado for eight years. In 2003, I was recalled to active duty and deployed to Iraq. Upon returning, I volunteered to remain on active duty in North Carolina where I served for the next 8 years, including two more deployments overseas. I am currently doing government contract work and active in the Marine Corps Reserves.
Brendan Casey, Director for GivingVue
Bio to be posted soon.
See Brendan's LinkedIn profile for now
GivingVue teammate backgrounds
Staff members (detailed bios)
Sean Sweeney, Chief Steward (President) & Founder of GivingVue... Volunteer
Bio-
Personal Motto: "Carpe Diem" / "Seize the Day" has been my motto since my life-saving surgery in 2007; prior to that, and perhaps a contributor to what landed me on the operating table, my personal motto was "Work Hard, Play Hard"
Family Life: Married 24 years to my wonder-woman wife, Julie; Have 3 fun, responsible, loving kids
Most eye-opening childhood experience: Experiencing the highs (jaw-dropping views and awe-inspiring glacier powder ski runs) and lows (frost-biting winds and icy slopes) of skiing in the Alps with school friends from 1977-1981. Although, that wasn't as truly "eye-opening" as the sights found during my first visit, as an unassuming 12 year old, to the beaches of the Italian Riviera in 1981 ;)
Most impressionable teen experience: Attending Resurrection Catholic School in Montgomery, Alabama, where I was the only white kid in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, I learned to eat real southern food (fried chitlins, okra, etc.), understand and respect African-Americans better, and teach Baptists how to altar serve at our school's Friday Catholic mass.
GivingVue's mission is to enable digital apps and services that increase
the GIVING acts of EDUCATION, FAITH, and CHARITY.
GivingVue (incorporated as GivingVu.org, Inc.), dba FLAG STEWARD, is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit founded in April 2013 and based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. [Tax ID / EIN: 46-2457373]
GivingVue currently has two programs underway: Flag Steward (formerly known as Beacon of Honor) and FaithVue.
Read and experience the Flag Steward (formerly known as Beacon of Honor) program by perusing the majority of this website.
And, go here to learn about our FaithVue - Your Personal Prayer Place app.
The first app powered by GivingVue, ‘FaithVue’, available for iPhones and iPads, provided a visually captivating personal prayer place app that brings folks closer to God. The app helped people experience the ‘Power of Prayer’ - that by giving prayerful support to each other, users can become enlightened, inspired, and empowered to do more good.
Our Vision:
GivingVue's vision is to someday have more than 1 million people positively impacted each day by the GIVING acts of EDUCATION, FAITH, and CHARITY that its app and services help enable.
Our Team:
Our team is a lean, mean purposeful development machine :) We are dedicated dads, moms, and teens intent on delivering immersive, inspiring digital apps that help folks experience the benefits of being more educated, faithful, and charitable.
Flag Steward (formerly GivingVue) Staff members
Sean Sweeney, Chief Steward (President) & Founder of GivingVue
Bio teaser- Top 3 things very few know about me...
Personal Motto: "Carpe Diem" / "Seize the Day" has been my motto since my life-saving surgery in 2007; prior to that, and perhaps a contributor to what landed me on the operating table, my personal motto was "Work Hard, Play Hard"
Most impressionable teen experience: Attending Resurrection Catholic School, where I was the only white kid in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, I learned to eat real southern food (fried chitlins, okra, etc.), understand and respect African-Americans better, and teach Baptists how to altar serve at our school's Friday Catholic mass ;)
Working on improving now: I never really read scriptures from the Bible until my first church retreat in 2008. And since then, I still have had difficulty opening an actual book-bound Bible. But, now, thanks to the YouVersion Bible app and the FaithND app, I get daily reminders and readings to do on my smartphone. It's empowering me to live, lead, laugh, and love better!
Contact = Sean@FlagSteward.org
GivingVue's Board of Directors
Reed Thompson, Chairman of the Board
Bio to be posted soon.
See Reed's LinkedIn profile for now
Colonel Kenneth McRostie (USMC Reserve), Director for GivingVue
Bio teaser...
Favorite Scripture: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Childhood: Born and raised in Morocoo. Parents were career missionaries.
High School: Attended Rabat American School through my Junior year. Graduated from the International School of Brussels where my family had moved in between 11th and 12th grade.
College: Attended the University of Colorado, Boulder on a four-year NROTC scholarship and graduated with a B.A. in English.
Work Life: Served about four and a half years on active duty in the Marine Corps as a Motor Transport and Logistics officer. I transitioned to the Marine Corps Reserves and started and operated a painting business in Colorado for eight years. In 2003, I was recalled to active duty and deployed to Iraq. Upon returning, I volunteered to remain on active duty in North Carolina where I served for the next 8 years, including two more deployments overseas. I am currently doing government contract work and active in the Marine Corps Reserves.
Brendan Casey, Director for GivingVue
Bio to be posted soon.
See Brendan's LinkedIn profile for now
GivingVue teammate backgrounds
Staff members (detailed bios)
Sean Sweeney, Chief Steward (President) & Founder of GivingVue... Volunteer
Bio-
Personal Motto: "Carpe Diem" / "Seize the Day" has been my motto since my life-saving surgery in 2007; prior to that, and perhaps a contributor to what landed me on the operating table, my personal motto was "Work Hard, Play Hard"
Family Life: Married 24 years to my wonder-woman wife, Julie; Have 3 fun, responsible, loving kids
Most eye-opening childhood experience: Experiencing the highs (jaw-dropping views and awe-inspiring glacier powder ski runs) and lows (frost-biting winds and icy slopes) of skiing in the Alps with school friends from 1977-1981. Although, that wasn't as truly "eye-opening" as the sights found during my first visit, as an unassuming 12 year old, to the beaches of the Italian Riviera in 1981 ;)
Most impressionable teen experience: Attending Resurrection Catholic School in Montgomery, Alabama, where I was the only white kid in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, I learned to eat real southern food (fried chitlins, okra, etc.), understand and respect African-Americans better, and teach Baptists how to altar serve at our school's Friday Catholic mass.
Most humbling adult experience: Living with ulcerative colitis for four years (the first two years of which the docs thought I had Crohn's Disease) and enduring the pain, hassle, embarassment, and difficulties of having to crap 8-15 times per day - especially when I didn't make it to the bathroom in-time :( I learned a hard lesson that some things, like ulcerative colitis for me, could not be beat with my 'mind over matter' attitude. Regrettably, during the worst flare-up times, I should have prayed more for strength and guidance to endure, but I did not. God woke me up to his presence and power to intercede during my life-saving surgery and 3 months of post-op recovery in 2007.
Biggest Triumph: Regaining a strong mind, body, and soul, thanks to God's wake-up call to me, after losing 40 pounds (weighing-in at 107 pounds) and surviving life-saving emergency surgery to remove my 18 hole-riddled colon and the resultant infections from "nasty stuff" (crap ;) dumping into my cavity.
Working on improving now: I never really read scriptures from the Bible until my first church retreat in 2008. And since then, I still have had difficulty opening an actual book-bound Bible. But, now, thanks to the YouVersion Bible app and FaithND emails, I get daily reminders and readings to do on my smartphone. It's empowering me to live, lead, laugh, and love better!
Church Life: Currently, parishioner at Pax Christi Catholic Church since moving here in 2005. Member of parish's Knights of Columbus (a fraternal service organization). Life-long Christian raised in the Catholic faith.
Favorite Prayer Places:
1)at the bedside of my kids each evening before they go to sleep - yes, even my teenagers still :);
2)at the cliffs of Daniels Park in Castle Pines North, Colorado; and
3)at my dad's memorial flagpole in our backyard with Mt Evans and the continental divide as an inspiring backdrop
Favorite Scripture: "fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." - from the book of Isiah
[ Sweeney family pic while living in Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany in 1978 ]
Childhood: Born at Ft. Bragg, NC in 1968. Moved 14 times in 18 years, mostly in the southeast of USA, as a son of an Army officer
High School: Freshman & Sophmore year at East Greenwich HS in Rhode Island, Junior & part of Senior year at Walton HS in Marietta, GA, and rest of Senior year at Huron HS in Ann Arbor, MI
College: University of Colorado at Boulder (87-91) on a full Naval ROTC scholarship to become a US Marine Corps officer
Work Life: US Marine officer (91-96), Pfizer pharma sales (96-98), and then 20+ years in new media / internet businesses big (Yahoo) and small (Sine Wave Company)
Current Volunteer work: Junior Achievement instructor, Elementary school fitness club leader, Knights of Columbus charity work, and, of course, working on the Beacon of Honor - Awakens Our Flag project at schools.
Hobbies: running, mountain biking, coaching, being a dance and theatre troupe dad :), playing with and attending my kids activities and events, volunteering, and... tagging along to help my wife with all her volunteer projects ;)
My Hero: My dad, Ed Sweeney Jr., who showed me how to be a good leader by taking care of others first - helping them to succeed, and always showing respect and appreciation for those working on his team. Thanks to his will power and the protection of God and his fellow US Army troops in Vietnam, he survived being shot down 3 times, so I could have a father and sister to grow up with.
Contact me via Sean@FlagSteward.org
Financials
As you can tell from the nothing-to-brag-about financial results shown below, our focus is on our mission and not $. At many start-ups and corporations I worked for, the driving force became $ and not the mission. I firmly believe that if some of the start-ups I was part of stuck to following their mission and not the greed of their board and other leaders, they would still be in business and propering today. At some point, sticking to our mission will dictate and result in a growth of revenues to match the improved results and better fulfillment of our mission. Mission first, and the rest will follow (God will fulfill at the right time).
Non-profit Financial Reports per IRS instructions for tax-exempt organizations (shown below):
GivingVue [incorporated as GivingVu.org, Inc. - a Colorado tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit] has filed 990-N electronic notices for its 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 tax returns.
Copies of our submitted 990-N forms for 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 are below.
The 990-N form for 2015 was not copied at its time of submission. So, the image below is a screen capture showing that the IRS accepted it.
Our board and staff members are all volunteers, so the donations raised to support our programs each year (which have not exceeded more than $9,200 in any one of our years), have been used to pay third party companies for their app development and program development and hardware-making work.
IRS Instructions: Form 990-N. If an organization normally has gross receipts of $50,000 or less, it must submit Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations Not Required To File Form 990 or 990-EZ
2016 Year-end Financial Statement filed with Colorado Secretary of State:
Income of $1,838.74 / Expenses of $1,381.73
EOY Assets = $457.01 / EOY Liabilities = $0.00
2017 Year-end Financial Statement filed with Colorado Secretary of State:
Income of $1,330.84 / Expenses of $1,535.59
EOY Assets = $252.26 / EOY Liabilities = $0.00
Colorado Secretary of State accepted 2017 filings = in "Good Standing."
Here's a snapshot of our records with CO SoS:
2018 Year-end Financial Statement filed with Colorado Secretary of State:
Revenues = $3,240.73 / Expenses = $3,480.18
Assets = $12.81 / Liabilities = $0.00
Colorado Secretary of State accepted 2018 filings = in "Good Standing."
Here's a snapshot of our records with CO SoS (below 2018 990-N Tax Filing with IRS):
Revenues = $3,240.73 / Expenses = $3,480.18
Assets = $12.81 / Liabilities = $0.00
Colorado Secretary of State accepted 2018 filings = in "Good Standing."
Here's a snapshot of our records with CO SoS (below 2018 990-N Tax Filing with IRS):
