Space and Airborne Systems

Defend a Child
Program
Daniel DeVincentis
David Larson
Harrison Lien
Hunter McWinn
Luisa Valls

November 21, 2014

Table of Contents
Executive Summary

History of Dallas Regional Chamber .

History of Raytheon

History of CASA...

Why Dallas CASA Matters.

What Our Program Will Accomplish...

How Our Volunteer Grant Program Will Attract Employees

How Our Volunteer Grant Program Works...

How the Dallas Chamber Can Help

Annual Defend a Child Dinner Event.

10

Guest Speaker.

12

Silent Auction...

13

Appendix...

14

Dinner Timeline
Silent Auction Prizes..
Expected Funds Raised from Silent Auction...
Budget
Case Study
Letters of Recommendation.
Sample Letter

14
15
16
17
18
20
22

Works Cited...

23

Executive Summary
Call to Action
There are approximately between 3,500 and 3,800 children who are currently living in
foster homes in the city of Dallas. Unfortunately, many of these children in the system
have no one to look to for regular guidance and support. We at Raytheon Space and
Airborne Systems (SAS) are proud of the history our company has of defending our
homeland and we would like to extend that to the defense of the children in desperate
need of help. The plight of these children is extensive, but we believe that through our
Defend a Child program we can offer Dallas children in need of help an advocate to
ensure each one of them dont get lost in the legal and social service system or suffer in
an unsuitable foster home.

Defend a Child Program

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) would like to help children in the city of
Dallas. The main goal of our program is to help Dallas CASA obtain much needed
volunteers for their organization. Raytheon SAS will also help Dallas CASA by raising
funds that will be used for volunteer training, staff support, and other costs. We will offer
an incentive volunteer grant through which we will make a monetary donation to Dallas
CASA for every hour one of our employees volunteers at their organization. We will
donate fifteen dollars per every hour for a maximum of 200 hours a year per employee.
An estimated 200 employees will volunteer for the program in the first year, raising an
amount of up to $600,000 that will be donated to Dallas CASA.

Regional Participation
To promote participation from local businesses, our proposal involves using funds from
Raytheon SAS as well as the Dallas Regional Chamber's support to sponsor an annual
dinner event for Dallas CASA. At the event, we will invite other Dallas Regional
Chamber business members to help Dallas CASA by starting similar programs at their
companies. This event will be hosted annually during child abuse prevention month, in
April, at The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This event will provide an
opportunity to raise an additional $43,589 for Dallas CASA.
3

History of the Dallas Regional Chamber

The Dallas Regional Chamber mission is to work together along with more than 2,000
businesses and their 450,000 employees to guide the Dallas region to economic
prosperity and to make Dallas the best region in the United States to live and work.
This has been their mission for more than one hundred years.
The Dallas Regional Chamber is dedicated to build a vibrant future for DFW children
who will eventually become the foundation for a strong economy in our region. Their
dedication is to give children in Dallas quality education and tools to become successful
adults. Unfortunately, abused and neglected children who do not have a volunteer
speaking up for their best interest are:

Less likely to pass all courses during the school year

More likely to have poor conduct in school

More likely to be expelled from school

Therefore, helping children in need of loving support gives the Chamber an opportunity
to provide all children in Dallas a bright future and assure the prosperity of the region.

Raytheon SAS is seeking support from the Dallas Regional Chamber to help us
promote and grow our program among its members. We are seeking promotion of
the program and the event through correspondence with its members, social
media, and their website. We would like to work with the Chamber to select
possible participants and known contributors to charitable functions from its
members to be invited to our annual event.

History of Raytheon

Raytheon has been a renowned world-class innovation company for over 90

years.

Raytheons reputation for technology and innovation leadership include:

transforming the radio into a must-have appliance, its contributions to the WWII
efforts, the discovery of microwave cooking, and building computers that guided
Apollo 11in its journey to the moon.

Today, Raytheon Company, with sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees
worldwide, specializes in defense, security, and civil markets throughout the
world.

In 2003, the company was split into 6 subdivisions. The Space and Airborne
Systems subdivision was relocated from California to McKinney, Texas in 2013
bringing a welcome economic development for the DFW area.

Raytheon Company prides itself on a worldwide volunteer effort by its

employees, including an already established program for students of DFW called
LASER that teaches them more about the math and science fields.

We would like to continue our tradition of volunteering to help children by working with
Dallas CASA to give abused and neglected children the voice they cannot provide
themselves in court due to their age.

History of CASA
The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children was founded in 1972 and
is a network of 951 community-based programs that recruit, train, and support citizenvolunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in
courtrooms and the communities in which they live. Last year, more than 500,000
abused and neglected children were in foster care in the United States because they
could not live safely at home. More than 3,000 were Dallas County children.
Their Goal
For each of the 1,900 abused and neglected children who enter in the foster care
system daily nationwide to be safe, establish permanence, and have the opportunity to
thrive.

Their Responsibility

CASA volunteers are directly empowered by the courts.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for
abused and neglected children to ensure they dont get lost in the legal and
social service system or suffer in an unsuitable foster home.

Volunteers stay with children until they are placed in loving permanent homes.

For many abused children, a CASA volunteer is the only constant adult presence
in their lives.

Why Dallas CASA Matters

There are more than 20,000 children reported abused or neglected in Dallas
County every year.

Many well-intentioned CPS workers are assigned to help. However, there is no

single person to always be there and to consistently watch over these children.

Dallas CASA is an important cause because it helps the children who have no
voice to speak out for them by giving them a responsible adult to become
engaged in their lives, and look out for them when they need it the most.

Dallas CASA exists so that abused and neglected children in protective care in
the Dallas area have the chance to become successful adults.

There are around 3000-3500 children in the Dallas foster care system, but out of
these, only 50% or 1750 abused and neglected children have a caring Dallas
CASA volunteer speaking up for their best interest.

Dallas CASA was established in 1979 as a pilot program and now more than 750
volunteers serve about 1,750 children annually in Dallas County.

Dallas CASA recruited, trained, and supported 214 volunteers in 2013.

50% of the people that inquired about becoming a volunteer with Dallas CASA
became active volunteers. However, after the first year, the retention rate is
about 80%.

Most of the fundraising events for CASA take place in church communities, so
they do not yet have much of a corporate presence.

What Our Program Will Accomplish

The main goals of our program are:

1. Help Dallas CASA obtain much needed volunteers for their organization.
2. Raise funds that will be used by Dallas CASA for volunteer training, staff support,
and other costs. The cost to provide a CASA volunteer to help an abused child in
Dallas is $2,186 per year.
3. Have other local companies start similar programs with their employees.

Our proposal involves using funds from Raytheon SAS as well as the Dallas Regional
Chamber's support in order to promote our Defend a Child program and to sponsor an
annual event and attract volunteers from other local businesses for Dallas CASA.

How Our Volunteer Grant Program Will Attract Employees

Out of a total 8000 Raytheon SAS employees, we expect to attract about 400
workers who have the time to volunteer because of their circumstances and
home life.

CASA is an organization that warns their prospects early on, so no one's time is
wasted. There is a 50% retention rate for those who initially ask for information,
but out of those who do decide to stay for the initial period of one year, the
retention rate for these volunteers is around 80%.

This means that employees may be easily attracted for the opportunity to
volunteer for a great cause, but once they hear about how extensive the work
can be, only about half decide to commit once they've been informed of their
responsibilities.

Through yearly recruiting and the annual event we expect a round number of 200
Raytheon SAS employees to be fully invested in volunteering for Dallas CASA
once we have begun this program.
8

We believe that due to the dedicated nature of Raytheon SAS's employees, 200
volunteers will be able to use their time effectively, while continuing to work with
the company.

Many CASA advocates have full-time jobs and are able to budget their time
accordingly.

A letter will be sent out to all Raytheon SAS employees with a questionnaire that
will be used to qualify them as potential CASA volunteers.

How Our Volunteer Grant Program Works

The 200 people who volunteer will be committed to a 30 hour training process from
CASA, as well as background checks and transportation waivers. Since our employees
are responsible for working on programs involved with highly complex government
systems, they will have no problem passing these initial checks and getting started with
their volunteer work.

Raytheon SAS has decided by looking at previous volunteer grant programs to

dedicate fifteen dollars per every hour an employee volunteers at Dallas CASA.

The maximum amount Raytheon SAS will donate to Dallas CASA will be 200
hours a year per employee.

Upon completion of the 30 hours of training, Raytheon SAS will donate $450 per
employee to Dallas CASA.

For the remaining 170 hours our employees can volunteer their time depending
on their ability to commit.

First Annual Raytheon SAS Defend a Child for CASA

Dinner, and How the Dallas Chamber Can Help
Through this annual event, the people and businesses of DFW will become aware of the
Raytheon SAS volunteers and more likely to become involved with Dallas CASA.

The main focus of this event is to increase volunteerism for Dallas CASA. We will
invite other Dallas Regional Chamber business members to help Dallas CASA by
starting similar programs at their companies.

The event will also raise additional funds for Dallas CASA.

If the Dallas Regional Chamber agrees to support and help sponsor this event,
the recognition and momentum will become a driving force in their five-year
strategic goal to developing a strong regional workforce that supports economic
prosperity. We hope that all the children of Dallas are a part of this future
economic prosperity, and will hold this event annually to continue to help abused
and neglected children.

A list of possible invitees and known contributors to charitable functions is

therefore the key helpful material the Dallas Regional Chamber can provide
us.

The Chamber can also help by promoting the event on their social media
pages and their website.

10

Annual Defend a Child Dinner Event

Host this event annually on the first Saturday of every April, beginning next year
on April 4, 2015.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will serve as the location.

Begin with cocktails at 4 PM, the dinner at 6 PM, and have the silent auction run
from 5 to 8. The event will end at 9 PM.

The prices will be $250 per plate, and a corporate table for ten people will be
$2000.

The maximum amount of people who will be able to attend is 200.

Our estimate has 80 people paying $250 per plate. This will raise $20,000
dollars.

We have allowed the fact that the corporate tables will probably take up the most
space, and have estimated featuring twelve of these for a total of $24,000.

Estimated Funds Raised From Dinner Plates

Plate Quantity

Price

Estimated Quantity

Funds Raised

Individual Plate

$250

80

$20,000

$2,000

12

$24,000

200 people

$44,000

Corporate Table
for 10 People

Total

11

The Dallas Arboretum

Our dinner event will:

Promote such an important program whose purpose is to help abused and

neglected children in the city of Dallas.

Invite other Dallas Regional Chamber members to participate in helping Dallas

CASA by starting similar programs in their companies.

Raise a combined total of $43,589 for Dallas CASA.

These monies will be used at their discretion.

Our hope is to eventually have a CASA advocate for 100% of the children in Dallas'
foster care system.

12

GUEST SPEAKER

Guest Speaker: Ryan Dollinger

Program: CASA of Southeast Texas
Location: Beaumont, TX

Ryan Dollinger says, I can never pay CASA back for everything they have done
for me.

Ryan was part of the foster system while growing up. Ryans former foster father
once told him and other foster children in his care: I dont know why Im wasting
my time with you foster kids. All of you will either end up homeless or on the
streets within a year anyway. Why am I wasting my time? Ryan recalls.

Since that day, Ryans mission was to reject the labels that were given to him
and instead, write his own definition of himself.

Fortunately, Ryan had a CASA volunteer supporting him. He made the honor roll
in high school and he was included on the deans list or presidents list in college.
Ryan co-founded the Texas chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America, with
which he spent six years advocating for foster care reform on the local, state and
national levels.

Ryan says that his success would not have been possible without the support of
his CASA volunteer and the CASA program staff in Beaumont.

CASA is my lifesaver. I would have been lost in foster care. There are so many
kids, and not so many social workers. There were times that I didnt hear from my
social worker for three or more months. But I always heard from CASA.

13

Silent Auction
1.

A silent auction will be run during the event. For our first annual dinner, 5

items will be auctioned off.

2.

Our auction committee volunteers are in charge of soliciting items from

Dallas Chamber of Commerce members to auction off at our event through letters, emails, and phone calls.
3.

A spreadsheet for each item will be created when a donated item is

received. Bid-sheets will be created for the auction that includes the item name,
description, value, donor, and starting bid.
4.

Finally, an auction preview book listing items up for auction will be

presented to event registrants. Thank you letters will be sent to donors.

Items to be donated
Generous members of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce will donate goods and
services for the silent auction. In return, each donated item will be featured in the event
program along with a prominent mention of each donor.

Potential auction items include:

Exquisite Jaquet-Droz Grande Seconde Quantienne Ivory Enamel Watch
$5,000 Neiman Marcus Gift Card
Full Course Dinner for Four at The Palm Restaurant
Four Adult 2014-2015 Season Tickets to Dallas Summer Musicals
New York City Getaway : all-inclusive three nights and four days at the
Hilton Times Square and two round trip business class airline tickets to
New York City

These items retail for $28,800 overall, but most silent auction items earn around 60 to
75% of their full retail value. We can therefore expect to raise around 68% of the retail
price from the items above which total $19,584.

14

Appendix

Dinner Timeline
4:00 PM

Guest arrival

Cocktails and hors doeuvres served

Arrange seating with regards to who buys tickets, how many corporate tables.

5:00 PM

Announce silent auction to assembled crowd

Speaker displays each of the five items

Bidding allowed to begin

6:00 PM

Buffet course is served

Guests mingle while getting their food, wrap up in about an hour

7:00 PM

Speaker from Dallas CASA presents idea for Defend a Child program

Raytheon speaker outlines how the program will be implemented in their own
company, encourage others attending to do the same

Last of the silent auction bids are taken

8:00 PM

Silent auction closes

Winners of each item announced

Final speaker outlines thankfulness for support from all who attended,
encourages participation in the program, and to come back next year

Guests wrap up their conversations and leave

9:00 PM

Event is completed

Guests depart

Cleanup
15

Silent Auction Prizes

Exquisite Jaquet-Droz Grande Seconde

Quantienne Ivory Enamel Watch.

Donated by Tourbillon Boutique

Valued at $16,600

$5,000 Neiman Marcus Gift Card

Donated by Neiman Marcus
Valued at $5,000

Full Course Dinner for Four at The Palm

Restaurant
Donated by The Palm
Restaurant
Valued at $400

Four Adult 2014-2015 Season Tickets to

Dallas Summer Musicals
Donated by Dallas Summer
Musicals
Valued at $1,600

New York City Getaway : all-inclusive

three nights and four days at the Hilton
Times Square and two round trip
business class airline tickets to New
York City

Donated by Southwest Airlines

and Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Valued at $5,200

16

Expected Funds Raised From Silent Auction

Retail Value

Jaquet-Droz Ivory Enamel Watch.

Estimated Selling Price at 68% of Retail

Value
$11,288

Valued at $16,600

$5,000 Neiman Marcus Gift Card

Valued at $5,000

Dinner at The Palm Restaurant

$3,400

$272

Valued at $400

Tickets to Dallas Summer Musicals

$1,088

Valued at $1,600

New York City Getaway

$3,536

Valued at $5,200

Total:

$28,800

$19,584

17

BUDGET
CASA Event Estimated Funds Raised (Max)
Qty

Description

Unit Cost

Total

40,000

Volunteer Grant (200 Hrs. for 200 Employees )(Per Hour)

15.00

600,000.00

80

Individual Plate Dinner

250.00

20,000.00

12

Corporate Dinner Table for 10

$ 2,000.00

24,000.00

Silent Auction (estimated at 68% of retail value of $28,400)

$ 19,584.00

19,584.00

Total

663,584.00

CASA 5 Hour Event Estimated Costs

Qty

Description
5

Unit Cost

Total

Musician Hours

100.00

500.00

200

Buffet Dinner

20.00

4,000.00

200

Hors doeuvres /person

Open Bar (includes: Sodas, Bottled Water, Champagne, Wine,
Beer, and Call Liquor)
The Dallas Arboretum (includes: China, Glassware, Silverware
and Linen napkins / person)
Table Linens / Table

15.00

3,000.00

19.00

3,800.00

16.00

3,200.00

15.00

300.00

Service Director

250.00

250.00

Server (1 per 30 guests)

75.00

750.00

TABC Bartenders (1 per 100 guests)

175.00

350.00

Chefs

175.00

525.00

200

T-Shirts

15.00

3,000.00

400

Invitations with Envelopes 5 X 8

0.80

320.00

19,995.00

200
200
20
1
10

Total

Estimated Funds Raised

643,589.00

18

Case Study
The following case study provides information regarding the MathMovesU Initiative, a
nationwide program funded entirely by Raytheon to foster and encourage STEM learning for
children

Introduction
In July of 2009, Raytheon began a program to help students, especially those in middle
school. Entitled MathMovesU, we decided to focus our program on addressing STEM,
which we refer to as the Science, Technological, Engineering, and Mathematics, involved in
the education of children across the country. Since then we have provided scholarships,
educational lessons, and most importantly, volunteers to aid Americas schoolchildren.

Challenges
When we started this program, we were focused on one thing: the math literacy rates of
kids across the U.S. We see this as a math education crisis, because our country is
ranked 24 out of 29 countries, and just 32% of eighth grade students were proficient in
math, and unready to handle the pressures of high school math education. This ranking
actually drops to the bottom once the kids reach 12 grade, so we believe it is necessary to
th

intervene at the middle school level, so these children can have a chance at succeeding in
math if they wish to do so.

Actions

Our MathAlive! Exhibit offers students hands on experience with mathematical

concepts that correspond to everyday life. We currently are displaying in Dallas,
2theXtreme: MathAlive! in Dallas Perot Museum of Nature and Science

In addition, our Sum of All Thrills contest encourages students to design their own
amusement park ride, showcasing the math, science, physics, and engineering
fields to bright young minds.

Every year MathMovesU donates $1,000 scholarships to 150 students, to be used

at summer camp programs or saved for college, and we offer grants as well.

Our insistence on bringing the STEM model of education to everywhere our

organization has a foothold is central to our belief that for the U.S. to be successful,
its children must be educated properly with regards to all subjects, and prepare for
careers in math and science.
19

Case Study Outcome

Our program continues today to bring education to children in schools across the country.
And because our company is devoted to childrens educations, we believe this example will
highlight our successes and help us gain your acknowledgement and support for our
Defend a Child for Dallas CASA program. Our goal is to ensure that kids have the
opportunities to learn applicable uses for math and science, and now we would like to
provide the students who are in the foster care system a chance to gain advocates who will
ensure firsthand that they have stable lives and can attend their school and learn from our
programs.

20

Letters of Recommendation
Will.i.am
Reign Deer Entertainment
Talent Management Company
9220 Sunset Blvd Suite 210
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Phone: (310) 288-1777

Dallas Regional Chamber

500 N. Akard St.
Suite 2600
Dallas, TX, 75201
To Whom It May Concern,
I have been extremely fortunate enough through the success my music career has brought
me, and the help it allows me to bring to others. In 2009 I started the i.am.angel Foundation
to help transform the lives of children across the country. We are able to administer
scholarships, an understanding of finance, and assistance with home mortgages, to those
children who need money to continue their education.
Our organization currently helps the Los Angeles area, and we recently had a chance to
work with Raytheon firsthand. Together, my organization and their initiative, STEM,
sponsored a high school team from Los Angeles to build a robot as part of the nationwide
FIRST robotics program. I was able to see firsthand how Raytheons engineers volunteer
their hours to help.
It has come to my attention that Raytheon SAS, in McKinney, TX, is planning on beginning
a volunteer program for Dallas CASA, to volunteer their time for children in foster care. I
write this letter with the highest recommendation for Raytheon and its employees, and with
the hope that I may help sway you to consider working with them. Since my experience with
Raytheon and volunteer work was successful in the past, I encourage you sincerely to
assist them with the names and contact information of possible donors throughout the
Dallas area.
Sincerely Yours,
Will.i.am
Musician, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
i.am.angel Foundation
21

Project Bread
The Walk for Hunger
145 Border Street
East Boston, MA
02128-1903
Phone Number (617-723-500)

Dallas Regional Chamber

500 N. Akard St.
Suite 2600
Dallas, TX, 75201
To Whom It May Concern,
The goals of Project Bread are to promote sustainable and reliable access to healthy
food for all, to invest in strength and resiliency of local communities, and to collaborate with
others in building a robust regional food system. We are located in Massachusetts where
11.4% of households or 700,000 children and adults dont always know where their next
meal will come from. The rate of food insecurity in Massachusetts rose almost 40% during
the great recession, and we are the only state wide anti-hunger organization.
One of our huge events is The Walk for Hunger. With the support of our partners, donors,
corporate sponsors, individuals, and thousands of walkers, we work to break the cycle of
hunger and poverty by devising, funding, advocating for, and facilitating solutions that can
change lives. We have held the Walk for Hunger for over 45 years now, and we have
generated more than a hundred million dollars.
Raytheon has gratefully participated in The Walk for Hunger for 31 years now, making the
company the longest-running sponsor we have. Raytheon contributes more than 150
employees each year for this walk, and they were the top organization this year raising
around $62,500 for Project Bread and is expected to raise more than $80,000 in 2015.
Thanks to the generous amount of donations and volunteering hours by Raytheon
employees, we are able to implement new and effective community solutions to aid the
700,000 children and adults. We are thankful for all the support Raytheon has given us the
past 31 years, and we look forward to working with them in the future.
Regards,
Ellen Parker
Executive Director
Project Bread
22

Sample Letter
Raytheon SAS:
Defend a Child Program

Greetings from HR,

Every day we design products that defend the nation from obvious threats, but we are
missing a great tragedy right in front of our eyes. Children are abused and neglected by
the parents or legal guardians and they have no voice in the legal system to ask for
help.
Raytheon SAS is proud to give these children a voice by launching an exciting initiative
that addresses the troubling issue of child abuse in the greater Dallas area. We are
partnering with the Dallas office of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to begin
our Defend a Child program, which brings our employees into contact with local
children, to serve as their mentor and representative.
YOU have the opportunity to begin making a difference in YOUR community. BE THE
FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE and AIM SKYHIGH to end child abuse in Dallas.
1. Are you interested in helping abused and neglected children in Dallas?
2. Are you able to commit at least 15 hours a month to working with CASA?
3. Will you complete all mandatory training to be enrolled in CASA?
4. Will you invest yourself mentally and emotionally in your childs life?
5. Are you ready to SEARCH AND DESTROY child abuse?
If you answered yes to these questions, then you are ready to begin working with
Raytheon SASs Defend a Child program.
Drop this questionnaire by my office ASAP. I look forward to working with you all!
Gwendolyn Brooks
HR Manager, Raytheon SAS
Email: defendachild@raytheon.net
THIS COMMUNICATION FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

23

Works Cited
Nunn, Brittany. Dallas CASA on Gaston in desperate need of volunteers. Lakewood
Advocate. 10/9/2013. Retrieved from
http://lakewood.advocatemag.com/2013/10/09/dallas-casa-gaston-desperate-needvolunteers
100 Years of Excellence. The Chamber History. Dallas Regional Chamber. Retrieved
from https://www.dallaschamber.org/the-chamber/drc-facts/the-chamber-history/
City of McKinney News Release. McKinney Welcomes Headquarters Location of
Raytheons Space and Airborne Systems Business. McKinney Online. Retrieved
from http://www.mckinneyonline.com/May-2013/McKinney-welcomes-headquarterslocation-of-Raytheons-Space-and-Airborne-Systems-business/

Volunteerism. Raytheon Corporate Social Responsibility. Retrieved from

http://www.raytheon.com/responsibility/overview/index.html#volunteerism
Forhan, Christy. Auctions: Make them Fun and Festive. PTO Today. Retrieved
from http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/802-auctions-make-them-funand-festive
Black Eyed Peas Frontman Will.i.am Partners with Raytheon Volunteers to Help Local High
School Build Robots. Raytheons MathMovesU. Retrieved from
http://www.mathmovesu.com/news-and-events/black-eyed-peas-frontman-williampartners-raytheon-volunteers-help-local-high-school
Initiatives. MathMovesU. Raytheon. Retrieved from http://www.mathmovesu.com/aboutmathmovesu/initiatives

24

Defend a Child
Program
25