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How Much Can One Person Do?
On Monday, August 25, Lee Kimball Kitchens, Boston MA was MIA. Aberjona Kitchen Center was strangely out of action as well. If you had called their offices that day, there would have been a message…Everyone was golfing! Was this a fun outing to raise company morale?
Certainly it was…but it was also a lot more. Let me get to that in a moment. Both companies are owned by Bruce and Gregg Johnson. Talk to these brothers for a few minutes and you will be mesmerized by their sense of family. They are brothers who bought the company from their grandfather and still follow many of his precepts today. They are brothers who get along with and enjoy each other … so much so that they live amicably next door to one another. They are smart and savvy but definitely fun-loving as well. It is a classic case of 1 plus 1 equals 3.
This family closeness was tested in 1999 when their beloved mother, Susan died. Bruce and Gregg and their sister, Laurel, now had care of their father, David, who had been diagnosed with a progressive dementia. They had no idea just how much care their mother had been giving. For the next two months the three had dedicated much of their time to piecing together care while David remained in his home. It was not working and was wearing the three siblings to exhaustion. That led them to Sanborn Home Care, a local non-profit who could house and partially care for their Dad while the three siblings and their families provided some of the care.
That might have been the end of the story but not with this dynamic duo. Having experienced the overwhelming nightmare of trying to care for a family member with Alzheimer's, they were ready to help other caregivers. Bruce became a member of the Board of Directors for Sanborn and both became caught up in the vision - and challenge - of helping overwhelmed caregivers of Alzheimer's and dementia patients.
For many, that would have been contribution enough. But not for the Johnson brothers. They began a non-profit foundation in their father's name and organized an annual golf tourney to benefit Sanborn Home Care and The Alzheimer's Association. This past August 25th was the third tournament and is expected to clear more than $14,000 in contributions to the two charities.
How did two energetic and impassioned remodelers leverage their interest into a major charitable outreach? And how could you or I do the same? Here are Bruce Johnson's recommendations:
First, find a cause you are passionate about. There will be a substantial time commitment and some financial backing especially when you get started. Bruce found that the first golf tourney, because of the learning curve, was the hardest. Now the brothers find they can delegate more of the organizational work and spend their time on marketing and networking to draw more participation.
Secondly, define your mission and key values. For the Johnsons' it was "To promote awareness and support for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's disease and other progressive demntia." They also wanted to incorporate the "life lessons" they had learned from their parents:
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To help and support others.
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to recognize that love, support and faith are the foundation of family,
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and, to include having fun as part of every endeavor.
Thirdly, obtain your non-profit status from the IRS. The Johnsons' had an accountant who had done this before and who did much of the legwork. They had been warned that the application almost never goes through without additional questions being raised and the application being resubmitted. This approval process took nine months but during that time they moved ahead with their first event.
Decide how you want to raise funds. Gregg and Bruce felt the golf tourney would deliver fun and funds and fit their potential contributor constituency. However, they may add or change their fundraiser(s) in the future. They are committed long term to the Foundation -- the golf tournament is their current vehicle. Bruce Johnson recommends focusing on one type of fundraising until you master it.
Develop a database of contacts. The Johnsons' included their business contacts, personal friends, their parents' contacts and friends. Sanborn Home Care added their database and a colleague company, Jack's Custom Woodworking, also was willing to market to their database. It added up to about 500 names and was enough to sell out their first tournament in 2001.
Set up a governing committee. The Johnson's have 12 volunteers on their committee who meet monthly from March to August. Make meetings fun to attend by changing the site, having special outings, good fellowship and food. The committee spreads the work and adds contacts and brainpower to the events.
Be prepared for company involvement and expense. The Johnsons' absorb many costs as well as staff time to make the Foundation a success. They recommend that you appoint a willing employee to be the point person for communication and organization. They absorb the cost of work done during working hours at the company and now pay a fee for that person to attend committee meetings.
If this tweaks your interest, here's what you can do. If you have a cause you want to help, consider how much one person can do. Get involved. Or you can help Bruce and Gregg Johnson's foundation with funds, participation in their next golf tourney or contributions of items for prizes. The Foundation website is www.dkjfoundation.org or call Bruce Johnson at 617-227-0250.
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Official Charity of 2008
Remodelers Advantage Inc.
535 Main Street, Suite 211
Laurel, MD 20707
ofc: 301-490-5620
fax: 301-498-6869
Info@RemodelersAdvantage.com