Examples of Impact
Jóvenes Adelante
The brightest under-resourced youths yearned to go to college, so a team formed a nonprofit that pieced together donations to help a few go the distance. Their entire mailing list had only 250 names on it after 15 years, and they were considering disbanding.
Seeing the potential and feeling the need, we amplified the mailing list to 5,000 and began a sustainability campaign. Within two years, scholarships rose from 10 to 25 per year, a year’s operating capital was raised and earning interest in the bank; and funders introduced us to other funders.
The graduation rate rose to 85%, yielding the program a reputation as best in the nation, and corporations were hiring graduates.
The best result, though, was that highly capable students moved from under-resourced to middle class citizens in only 5 years, the length of a college education in Mexico!
Keep Austin Beautiful
The City was spending inordinate amounts of money cleaning up needless waste which was deterring tourism and harming the environment.
We built a campaign that motivated hundreds of volunteers throughout the year that reduced litter by 72%, winning a state award worth $1 million as a result!
The City got to cut solid waste management costs, tourism increased, the environment improved, and citizens had the pride that they had done all of this via volunteer power!
The City was spending inordinate amounts of money cleaning up needless waste which was deterring tourism and harming the environment.
We built a campaign that motivated hundreds of volunteers throughout the year that reduced litter by 72%, winning a state award worth $1 million as a result!
The City got to cut solid waste management costs, tourism increased, the environment improved, and citizens had the pride that they had done all of this via volunteer power!
Santa Julia
The dirty, scruffy, sad little girls trudged through the town square daily, begging for something to sustain them. Sewage bubbled up from the floors of their home, and roofs were caving in, allowing all sorts of weather to undermine the girls' health.
Lack was the rule rather than the exception in their lives. The scores of girls were children from precarious family circumstances -- children who had no better place to go.
But, there was love: “You can do it,” we told them. “All it takes is education, and if you make A’s, there is one local university scholarship waiting for a student like you!”
We created a campaign with appeals for everything that was needed. The community responded and we created nonprofits in three countries to help.
The campaign raised $1 million USD and untold amounts of in-kind goods and services to completely restore and expand the girls’ home, provide healthy meals, and obtain all the medical and psychological services needed.
We bought vehicles and the girls went to good schools in clean, well-mended clothes.
As a result, the girls grew up, many went to college, and some became contributing citizens in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
One of those girls -- on her own -- got that special scholarship, graduated from a five-year university program in three, and went to work at another children’s home! Another became a doctor!
And they are not the only victors. The community has the pride that they did this, with their love.
The dirty, scruffy, sad little girls trudged through the town square daily, begging for something to sustain them. Sewage bubbled up from the floors of their home, and roofs were caving in, allowing all sorts of weather to undermine the girls' health.
Lack was the rule rather than the exception in their lives. The scores of girls were children from precarious family circumstances -- children who had no better place to go.
But, there was love: “You can do it,” we told them. “All it takes is education, and if you make A’s, there is one local university scholarship waiting for a student like you!”
We created a campaign with appeals for everything that was needed. The community responded and we created nonprofits in three countries to help.
The campaign raised $1 million USD and untold amounts of in-kind goods and services to completely restore and expand the girls’ home, provide healthy meals, and obtain all the medical and psychological services needed.
We bought vehicles and the girls went to good schools in clean, well-mended clothes.
As a result, the girls grew up, many went to college, and some became contributing citizens in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
One of those girls -- on her own -- got that special scholarship, graduated from a five-year university program in three, and went to work at another children’s home! Another became a doctor!
And they are not the only victors. The community has the pride that they did this, with their love.
