Bridging the Gap Between Corporations and the Nonprofit World
LKLA (Lost Kids of Los Angeles Inc.) was born with the mission to end child homelessness in LA. As I began my journey of building this from idea to change-agent of the world, I started with asking myself "How can we impact as many people as possible related to LKLA's mission?"
As I started partnering with many different Fortune 500/Publicly Traded companies who wanted to do good but were using me (in a very good way) as their bridge to the rest of the nonprofits, I decided that rather than building a nonprofit the same way everyone else has, why don't I build something no one else has that everyone needs?
Sounds like Business 101 right? Every entrepreneurs dream? I am a lifelong entrepreneur but this is not a business, this is a nonprofit. Huge difference in classification, no difference in building, strategy, growth, need for funding, scaling, etc. Huge difference in impact though, that is for sure.
As I began raising funds and partnering with massive companies, I said "Well, we are less than a month old but have closed 10x the partnerships most 10-15 year old nonprofits have closed. They have the network we want to impact, we have the opportunities for these kids. Let's just give it to them and partner with them."
I started by meeting with many nonprofits and offering them to bring hundreds of kids to play basketball at STAPLES Center, on the court. "Bring 70 kids to the April 3rd Clippers-Rockets game later that evening with food vouchers, Clippers duffle bags loaded with LKLA and Clippers swag."... "How about you bring the 12 kids from your organization with the hardest lives to stand ON THE COURT next to Clippers players and sit behind the bench for the game vs the Jazz April 10." ... "I just closed a partnership with this massive shipping conglomerate and I can get you guys 40 laptops for your kids to work on, delivered, and set up by the companies IT guy for free. Around a $50k value for your organization, will it help the kids in your nonprofit?”
As I sat there and waited for a response, I witnessed a quite funny mixture of skepticism and shock/jaw-dropping. “What do you get out of this? What do you want from us?” Was the first response.
“Nothing. We want to help change the world. You guys are doing great things and we want to support that. We have no ulterior motives, no hidden agenda. It’s free for you because I have personally vetted your organization, otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here offering this to you.” I said.
“It may sound crazy but I just want to help make the biggest impact as possible. And I’ve realized, my skill set is needed in the nonprofit world. I can close 100 of these partnerships a month that everyone of you needs and in turn, give the opportunity to you which results in our impact going from hundreds to potentially millions.”
They asked: “No retainer fee? No consulting fee? Nothing?”
I responded, “No catch. Free. Fully paid for. We just want to bring some smiles to these kids faces. Nothing we do will ever cost you, or another nonprofit, anything.”
As I left the hour meeting, I thought to myself, ‘Number 1, they probably think I am bullshitting but fortunately for them and the world, I am not. Number 2, No one has ever bridged this gap. I’ve been bridging it since we started LKLA without even knowing it. Now time to take this to the big leagues.”
LKLA is building something incredible that will serve as the sort-of “free power-broker” of the nonprofit world. We will close deals that help the world and pass these opportunities on to nonprofits, free. I’ll raise the money and pay for them, they will enjoy the benefits. Isn’t a world impact the goal? I want to help as many people as possible, not just 100 a year. As much as I commend everyone that works so hard and sacrifices blood, sweat, and tears to help 100 or 1,000 people a year, I don’t want to follow that model. But I do want to support them in their honorable efforts to make the word a better place.
My model is everyone. My model is being the change-agent every nonprofit has needed that never existed. I want to partner with everyone in the business world and use these partnerships to help everyone that needs help.
This takes a group effort. LKLA can’t help 1,000,000 people on our own inside of LKLA in 2019 but by working with 500 nonprofits that help 2,000 kids a year, there’s 1,000,000.
If you or your company is interested in helping those in-need, reach out to me. If your organization needs help, reach out to me.
That's exactly what LKLA is successfully building right now.
Follow us on instagram: @lostkidsofla