REDF's Partnership with St. Vincent de Paul Results in Profitability

The low-slung, nondescript buildings at the gritty corner of San Pablo and 23rd streets in Oakland, California are, at a glance, worlds apart from the tree-lined suburban landscape 22 miles south in the city of Fremont. But for St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County (SVdP), both of these San Francisco Bay Area communities are vital to the success of the organization's mission to serve the needs of the poor.

 

REDF welcomed SVdP into its portfolio in early 2007 to assist with the start-up of a business venture that would employ SVdP's clients receiving services at the charity's San Pablo Avenue campus. After a careful assessment of the organization's capacity, REDF moved quickly to address concerns about SVdP's four thrift stores - including its Fremont outlet - which had been unprofitable since 1999 (with the exception of a break-even year in 2005). Since the thrift store receipts represented almost 30% of the organization's total revenue, REDF and SVdP wanted to understand whether they could be profitable, what it would take to turn them around, or if they should be closed.   more »

 

Closing "The Charity Gap"

Despite the recent downturn in the U.S. economy, the news from the philanthropic sector in the first quarter of 2008 hasn't been entirely bleak. Recent headlines have included the establishment of The Peter G. Peterson Foundation named after The Blackstone Group co-founder; Oprah's "Big Give"; the Case Foundation's partnership with Parade Magazine to sponsor "America's Giving Challenge"; and NBC's announcement that its Winter 2008-09 primetime lineup will include "The Philanthropist" - a one-hour drama about "a rebel with a cause...a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections, and power to help people in need."

But how will this new wave of mega-gifts, high-profile social network campaigns, and a television series translate into systemic social change? More pointedly, how will all of this charity change the lives and circumstances of the 38 million Americans living in poverty today?    more »

 

Advancing Social Enterprise Through National Gatherings

There was clear evidence of growing national interest in social enterprise during the first quarter of 2008 as REDF led lively discussions with hundreds of the participants at four national conferences that attracted diverse participants from almost every state in the US. Culminating in REDF's co-sponsorship of the National Transitional Jobs Network's 2008 conference held in Oakland, California, in early April, REDF's calendar has been full of opportunities to advance the knowledge and practice of social enterprise and other, market-oriented strategies that move people with the greatest barriers to work into jobs.   more »

 

Harris Barton Joins REDF's Board

REDF is pleased to announce that Harris Barton, Managing Partner and Founder of HRJ Capital in Woodside, California, has joined REDF's Board of Directors.

Harris' appointment is timely as REDF embarks on an ambitious strategy to put 1,000 people in jobs by 2010. An established equity investor, Harris understands REDF's unique approach to move those with the greatest barriers to work into jobs by providing financial and business assistance to a well-run portfolio of nonprofit business ventures.   more »

 

Mary Ann Essman (1953-2008)

It's just a miracle to see a client come in the first time...not so sure and a little lost and to see them come back anywhere from six months to a year dressed for a job, a smile on their face, successful in their appearance, and with confidence. It makes a big difference.

Mary Ann Essman
December 16, 1953 - March 15, 2008

It is with great sadness that REDF announces the passing of Mary Ann Essman, an employee of alumni portfolio member CVE, Inc.

Mary Ann became a CVE, Inc. client in 2003 and was promoted to the position of Office Manager in 2005. As she shared with REDF in an October 2007 interview, she overcame her challenges to employment by believing she could work again and by applying the clerical skills she had learned when she first entered the workforce at age 15.   more »