For many years I have been the CEO of the Tellier Foundation.
Besides modest accounting and legal fees, we have no overhead. Our returns for our portfolio outstretch the Dow Jones Industrial Averages. We accept no requests for grants. We do not like paperwork. Every few years we visit each of the non-profits we work with to get an update. In other words, we are uncomplicated. Our objective is to see if we can effect change.
When the Tellier Foundation was started, we asked how we could make our money be most effective. The answer: We picked good partners and found areas of need.
Let me offer a few examples.
The Tellier Foundation has been a long-time supporter of the Mission of Mercy, which offers free dental work. A few years ago, one of their events was poorly attended. Why was this bad? Because volunteers don’t participate when few show up. Volunteers pay their own expenses and volunteer their time and talent. This is more important than money.
The Mission of Mercy’s unsaid challenge was to get patients to be helped. So, this year, we decided to charter a bus, reserve hotel space and provide food. We worked with the VA Rehab and a food co-op and took 17 patients with serious problems to the event.
Another example occurred when my daughter who lives in Chicago went on our Board. She suggested that we help kids who had aged out of foster care. At 18, these kids are on the streets.
One of our directors and I visited almost every organization trying to help kids (although none specifically looked at kids who had aged out of foster care.) All these groups were great, but they lived in silos. Then we spoke with these kids to figure out their needs. We were surprised that they all had cell phones.
With this information, we created a free cell phone app (GRID MKE). We enlisted the kids to help, used a program from California, and developed an app with everything these kids needed in one place- food, shelter, education, jobs, and so on. Importantly, we got organizations to work with each other.
The lessons we learned: research your market, identify a need, and get everyone to work together.
The total cost for the app was $26,000. PS- we now support the groups we interviewed.
When I returned from my service in Vietnam, I joined the Wisconsin Vietnam Vets, in part because the American Legion and the VFW were not welcoming. My group asked if I would join a committee at the VA Hospital to help homeless vets.
At our first meeting, several guys brought up an idea for a Stand Down. In military terms, this when you retired from the field for a few days of rest.
I loved the idea and asked what was holding up us doing this. Money was the response. How much I asked. About $7500 to $8000. I volunteered that I would raise the funds and if not, I’d pay for it out of my own pocket. (Actually, it was easy to raise the funds. I just needed to ask).
We agreed that we would have the vets help us. They were to participate actively.
We recognized that most of the homeless vets were alienated from the government and society. This was not surprising. We all were alienated. But we had the idea that those of us who had served in the field would talk and listen. We gave them permission to use their benefits.
We got 30 guys off of the streets and into treatment or jobs.
A last example was the domestic violence in Milwaukee County. It was a problem that was poorly addressed.
At a World Future Society meeting, I heard a talk by a Police Chief who had reduced domestic violence by 68% over five years. I studied his approach which consisted of integrating police, court and social services. I needed a partner and this took me three years. We brought together two domestic violence groups, the DA and the Police Department as well as the mayor’s office and the school district. Over five years we spent about $300,000. That is a lot of money. But is it? It is estimated that one domestic violence murder cost $1 million.
Now Milwaukee has the best domestic violence program in the nation. Importantly, no one involved cared about getting credit. They just wanted to solve a real problem.
The takeaway: Look for an unfilled need. Look for the way to solve this problem and get leaders together who want to solve the problem. The money is important, but the leadership and plan are even more important.
This is best way to shape the future.
One Response
Bob –
Appreciate you giving a shout out to the Mission of Mercy event in your August 19th blog post! And thanks for the Tellier Foundation’s support of our most recent event in July in the Wausau, WI area.
Mark Spiegelhoff
Executive Director
WDA Foundation