Table of Contents
I. Abstract
II. CJ Spiller Bio
III. Charities
a. Buffalo Urban League
b. YMCA
c. Roswell Park Alliance
d. The United Way
IV. The Decision
Abstract
CJ Spiller is looking to find a charity to spend some time and money on. I was hired by Spiller to research different charities and report back to him with the best match. The four charities I have researched are Buffalo Urban League, the YMCA, Roswell Park Alliance, and The United Way. I found that Spiller would be best matched with the Roswell Park Alliance.
CJ Spiller
This short bio covers some of the things that will help match CJ Spiller with a suitable charity. He is looking for a charity that his time and money will help greatly and he will feel great personal satisfaction working with. Spiller is a 23 year old running back in his rookie season for the Buffalo Bills. He grew up in Lake Butler, a rural community in Florida. CJ was raised by his mother, Patricia Watkins, without his father, Clifford Spiller. CJ Spiller has contacted his father and they have cultivated a good relationship. Spiller became a Christian after his grandmother, Nettie, died of cancer. CJ has a four year old daughter, Shania.
Charities
Buffalo Urban League
Mission Statement – To empower African Americans, other minorities and disadvantaged individuals to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.
Use a 5 Point Empowerment Strategy
1) Education and Youth Empowerment ensures the education of all children by providing access to early childhood literacy, after-care programs and college scholarships.
2) Economic Empowerment invests in the financial literacy and employability of adults through job training, home ownership and entrepreneurship.
3) Health and Quality of Life Empowerment promotes community wellness through a focus on prevention, including fitness, healthy eating and access to affordable healthcare.
4) Civic Engagement and Leadership Empowerment encourages all people to take an active role to improve quality of life through participation in community service projects and public policy initiatives.
5) Civil Rights and Racial Justice Empowerment guarantees equal participation in all facets of American society through proactive public policies and community-based programs.
Expenses
Personnel: 51%
Other: 33%
Fringe Benefits: 14%
Depreciation: 2%
Summary:
The Buffalo Urban League helps a wide variety of people. Areas that the Buffalo Urban League help in are: foster care and adoption, health and wellness, employment training, family preservation and support, senior services, youth services, college scholarships, ex-offender and re-entry of people coming out of jail, housing and community development, and stopping violence. A majority of their revenue goes to hiring personnel.
http://buffalourbanleague.org/
YMCA
Mission Statement – YMCA Buffalo Niagara is an inclusive association of people committed to a common effort to help individuals and families reach their fullest potential in terms of Spirit, Mind and Body.
Program Goals
1) Health - To improve the emotional and physical well-being of individuals through programs that teach skills and attitudes that enhance life-long fitness.
2) Family - To improve the quality of family relationships through programs that support family life and individual growth.
3) Leadership and Volunteerism - To develop leadership through programs and experiences that teach the knowledge, attitudes and skills required of leaders; and to provide opportunities for personal enrichment through volunteering service.
4) Values - To provide values education components throughout its programs that will help individuals and groups examine and apply their own values in today’s pluralistic society.
5) International - To provide programs and experiences that develop a sense of international understanding work for world peace.
6) Youth Development - To provide programs and service that promote positive self-image among young people, and increase their access to meaningful social roles.
Expenses
Program Services: $10.7 million
Administration: $1.5 million
Fundraising: $500k
Summary:
The YMCA plays a role in the development of the children they reach. This includes sports, camps, day cares, and education. Adults and seniors are also active members of the YMCA, participating in a wide variety of activities. Access to memberships is not denied because one may not have the money to pay, the YMCA gives financial aid to those in need. The majority of the YMCA’s revenue goes into its Programs.
http://www.ymcabuffaloniagara.org/
Roswell Park Alliance Foundation
Mission Statement – To understand, prevent and cure cancer.
Core Values
1) Innovation – Roswell Park is driven to provide care that cures and comforts, research that informs the world, and education that enlightens and enables future generations. They proudly stand on our rich history and use it as a platform from which to embrace discovery and change.
2) Integrity – Roswell Park is committed to making each decision, whether related to patient care, research, education or administration, based on standards that are thoughtful, informed, honest, transparent when appropriate and always respectful of privacy.
3) Teamwork – Roswell Park values and encourages the viewpoints and constructive opinions of all people and disciplines. It also recognizes that all the contributions its team adds strengthen the results they achieve, the value they provide, the actions they take and the team they strive to be.
4) Commitment – Roswell Park is devoted to achieving extraordinary progress on behalf of those they serve. This group includes patients and families who come during times of great need, scientists and clinicians who come to collaborate, students seeking education, the science of cancer that awaits a business to push its frontiers, and the community that deserves strong stewardship and economic leadership.
5) Compassion and Respect – Roswell Park is enriched by the diverse cultures, needs, and expectations of their coworkers and of the communities they serve. It is important to appreciate these differences as research goals are met, care plans are developed, and while people interact with one another.
Expenses
Program Services: 62%
Fundraising: 25.5%
Administration: 12.5%
Summary:
Roswell Park has been around for a very long time. It is a leader in cancer research, care, and education. They are looking for not only cures for cancer, but ways to make cancer patients feel more comfortable. Roswell Park aims provide high-quality, cost-effective patient care, while preserving and enhancing the dignity, humanity, and knowledge of the patients served. A majority of their revenue goes toward Programs.
http://www.roswellpark.org/
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County
Mission Statement - United Way brings people, organizations and resources together to improve community well being.
Main Areas of Involvement
1) Education – United Way’s education work targets children who live in poverty, who have unsafe family or community circumstances, or who are at high risk for academic failure. These are the community’s most vulnerable children; facing these challenges in the child’s earliest years makes it much harder to succeed later in life. The United Way wants to help children who are most at risk levels the playing field, so every child has a chance.
2) Income – United Way’s emphasis in Income is on helping families reach greater financial stability and ensuring that everyone in Erie County has the education and tools needed to build a stable financial future, whether by increasing their savings and assets or finding a satisfying career path that will enable a lifetime of financial independence.
3) Wellness - United Way’s goal in Wellness is to help children and adults achieve and maintain good health. Good health and wellness are essential to truly enjoy the benefits of a good education and a stable, sustainable income.
Expenses
Program Services: 86.5%
Fundraising: 9%
Administration: 4.5%
Summary:
The NFL is associated with United Way. It would be very easy to find the appropriate channels in. They would focus Spiller’s attention on the wellness area and education area. United way sponsors different programs to help achieve success in their different area of involvement. CASH, Closing the Gap, and Success By 6 are examples of these programs. A majority of their revenue goes toward Programs.
http://www.uwbec.org/
The Decision
This would be a somewhat difficult decision, but the Buffalo Urban League is eliminated first because more money is spent on personnel than on its programs. The money is not being used most effectively. The United Way would be a decent choice, but there is no real connection to his personal life. It would be a good charity to choose if Spiller was just looking for a quick and easy charity to get into, he would be a great fit in the wellness portion of their program. The choice is now between Roswell Park and the YMCA. The YMCA has excellent core values. It also pushes to help a wide variety and large number of people. They are a great value to the community. The YMCA spends their money efficiently, using most of it on the programs they run. But I believe Roswell Park would be the best fit for CJ Spiller. His grandmother was a big part of his life and she died of cancer. Spiller would connect most to this charity. Some of its core values emulate some of the values on the football field as well; teamwork, integrity, and commitment. Spiller will get the most satisfaction from working with Roswell Park.
