I never ceased to be amazed that really busy professionals still find time to make a difference outside the office. A client of mine told me last night that he has helped run a homeless shelter for the last two years “in his spare time” (which is mind-boggling given his work responsibilities). The shelter, Moravian Open Door, focuses on helping elderly homeless (50 years old and up) get their lives back together and preparing them for living in a place of their own. With a full-time staff of three including the custodian, they house 49 people for stays of up to a year on a shoe-string budget. They don’t take city funding because they would have to open their doors to all comers which would distract them from their specialized mission. Old at fifty, elderly homeless have specialized health needs and tend to avoid city shelters where they are often preyed upon by younger guests. Raising money is always a challenge for Moravian Open Door given the small staff and the enormous competition among NYC non-profits for charitable donations.
We discussed creating an outreach program to solicit corporate sponsors. Talk about an opportunity for Marketing for Good! All these companies like Ameritrade, Pfizer, Prudential, and Carnival Cruises are trying to connect with baby boomers–a generation that really wants to leave the world a little better than they found it–what better way could there be to appeal to boomers than by helping out some less fortunate ones? And we aren’t talking huge money either–$5k provides shelter for one elderly homeless person for a year. Expect to hear more about this MFG opportunity.