Home of all Homeless

To: Douglas R. Elliott, City Manager, Oxford OH

From: ENG313 non-profit organization

Date: April 17, 2017

On behalf of the entire committee team. I am pleased to submit the attached copy of the proposal
for our new non-profit organization.

From our survey we have concluded that it would be feasible to open and operate our homeless
shelter. The survey concluded that 88% of people would be willing to donate money. Of that
percentage, 84% would be willing to donate between $1-$20. Also, a majority of people are
willing to donate 1-2 hours of service work a week. This survey helped us identify weaknesses
such as knowledge of the current homeless situation in San Francisco.
24

Executive Summary
For many years, homelessness has been a rising issue in the city of San Francisco.
Despite the many efforts from other organizations to relieve the issue, it proves to be a remaining
problem. As of 2016, it is calculated that there are approximately 10,000 people living on the
streets of the urban city. While there are programs that aim to help these people in any way they
can, it clearly shows to continue to be a problem. The goal of our nonprofit organization is to get
the homeless off of the streets and hopefully get them back on their feet. Along with shelter for
them to live in, we hope to provide them with programs that will build certain characteristics and
skill sets as a jump start for jobs or careers. Providing various programs at their disposal will
ensure that we are able to assist our residents with their unique prospects. While we, as an
organization, do not have personal experience in jump starting these types of programs, we have
done extensive research and are well prepared to begin our journey.

Introduction
Homelessness has been a pertinent issue in San Francisco for a number of years. Not only
is the homelessness issue not improving, but there are more people living on the streets than
there were five years ago. Based on a study by the Department of Public Health, there are 10,000
people living on the streets; while the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness put their
estimate at 12,000 people (Gaff). The homeless demographic is a wide spectrum, including
families, students, children, substance abusers, mentally ill, and people with disabilities.
Ultimately, the substantial need for increased homelessness resources and help organizations is
evident: 90 to 120 day shelters only provide temporary relief to a complex issue . There is a large
population of homeless people who are not receiving adequate help.
People become homeless for a number of reasons. Our organization aims to not only
provide people with temporary living arrangements, but to provide services that will give them a
foundation for making their own life in the society. After providing our services specific to the
person's need--substance abuse, lack of education, mentally ill, etc.--we will follow up with them
after their time at our shelter. Therefore, we are not simply giving a homeless person temporary
relief, only to release them back into the streets after 90-120 days. Our organization is vital to the
actual improvement of the homelessness issue in San Francisco.
Our nonprofit organization will be located on the corner of Shotwell and 18th street in the
Mission District. This location provides us with feasible access to the entire city in a centralized
location. We do have capacity limitations and will choose the homeless people based on the
chances that we can help them: some of the homeless population is hard to help based on
resource limitation (schizophrenics, severe substance abusers, etc.). The people we want to treat
must be willing and able to take the things they learn and apply them to the world after their
release.
Ultimately, there are non profit homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and food banks that are
helping the homelessness only temporarily. These nonprofits provide temporary places to sleep
and temporary meals. Our nonprofit focuses on changing the culture of homelessness non profits
in actually impacting citizens and promoting life long change: not simply providing their next
meal.

Plan
 Coming up with a plan when building a non-profit organization requires a lot of
preparation work and research. Our organization has found ways in which we plan to organize
our vision to make it a reality.
The first thought we had that was an important aspect to creating our organization was
the volunteers we would need. Our plan for this part of the organization would be to gather
various volunteers to help out in different ways. We initially need volunteers to help with meal
preparation. This volunteer work will be offered multiple days a week and sometimes more than
once in one day. We plan to offer community service hours to students who may need it. Other
types of volunteers we will need are teachers with minimal qualifications. Because this is a
volunteer job, only certain qualifications will be necessary. Lastly, we will ask for donations
from volunteers as well.
Not only will we need donations from locals near and far, we will need sponsorships and
funding. This will be our initial source when it comes to providing major resources our residents
may need, such as extra beds, bed frames, etc.

Benefits
There are many objectives that come with the initial start up of any organization. For this
non-profit, an item that may be considered an objection is the budget/ money for the initial start
up. Although a large amount of money is needed for the initial start up costs (building, supplies,
licensing, etc.), later down the timeline, the initial start up costs quickly get over looked with the
outcome of the non-profit. From the survey there was great response to people willing to donate
supplies and money each week. This will reduce the output of money and therefore the budget.
One of the biggest benefits that will come from this non-profit will be the increase in
success in the community. This organization will not only be decreasing the homeless rate in San
Francisco, but by doing so, will be potentially increasing the employment rate. There will be
counseling provided and other classes to prepare people to be successful in the workforce. The
goal is to not just help the less fortunate get by, but provide them the tools be able to eventually
be able to support themselves by entering into the workforce.

Budget
A brand new building in the San Francisco area is going to cost roughly $700,000.00.
This number was based upon an average in housing cost in San Francisco on Shotwell street. The
appliance costs will run the organization about another $200,000 in the ground. One way to cut
down the budget is to receive lots of old beds and sheets. Finding a deal on old mattresses and
sheets will work in our favor. The bedding materials if no one in the community donates could
run us about $3,000. Plus, any miscellaneous items could run the organization around $1000.
Although there are lots of costs, there are also lots of big businesses in San Francisco that
the organization can plead to help sponsor or at least make a donation to start. Also, there are
other ways to get donations like kickstarter and fundraisers. However the way, it looks as though
it could cost the organization about $900,000 to get everything set up and rolling.

Schedule
The construction of the building looks to be about 7 months. After that the building and
organization should be ready to go. The only to really wait on is the facility of which the
organization is going to do business out of. As soon as the electricity is up and running and the
fridges and freezers are installed, the organization can live out the dream.

Event Foundation Interior Electricity Decorations

Start January May June July

construction

End May July July August

Construction

Works cited
Causes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://streetsteam.org/awareness/causes/?
gclid=CL2Y1JWotdMCFZQAaQod6sQBIA

Graff, A. (2016, December 07). San Francisco homelessness by the numbers. Retrieved April 21,
2017, from http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-homelessness-by-the-numbers-
10767735.php

Sze, K. (2016, June 29). Data shows SF has 2nd highest homeless population in US. Retrieved
April 21, 2017, from http://abc7news.com/news/data-shows-sf-has-2nd-highest-homeless-
population-in-us/1407123/

Appendix
Survey
Proposal
 Feasibility of San Francisco Homeless

Nonprofit
Madeline Franchock, Monica Gomez, Andy Almquist, and Kyle Winkler
Home of all Homeless

Introduction
The nonprofit organization we plan to establish will be located in the Mission District of
San Francisco. Homelessness has been a large, continuous issue all throughout this city. For
many years, this problem has been on the rise and remains to be a prominent problem even
today.
For many years, homelessness has been a rising issue in the city of San Francisco.
Despite the many efforts from other organizations to relieve the issue, it proves to be a remaining
problem. As of 2016, it is calculated that there are approximately 10,000 people living on the
streets of the urban city (Graff). While there are programs that aim to help these people in any
way they can, it clearly shows to continue to be a problem. The goal of our nonprofit
organization is to get the homeless off of the streets and hopefully get them back on their feet.
Along with providing a place to live, we hope to provide them with programs that will build the
characteristics and skill sets that are necessary to maintain a job. Providing various programs at
their disposal will ensure that we are able to assist our residents with their unique prospects.
While we, as an organization, do not have personal experience in jump starting these types of
programs, we have done extensive research and are well prepared to begin our journey.

Background
Homelessness is a problem that has plagued the city of San Francisco for decades.
Currently, this problem is becoming a central focus for city planners and politicians. The city
ranks second in homelessness only to New York City. The vastness and complexity of the
homelessness problem is the biggest challenge for the city. The people who are homeless in San
Francisco come from a diverse spectrum of backgrounds--many suffer from mental illnesses.
Ultimately, this population continues to grow; thus, a new shelter focused on decreasing the
number of homeless people is important for the city.
Home of all homeless is a nonprofit organization that aims to combat the homelessness
issue. The physical facility is located on Shotwell Street and 18th street in the Mission District.
There are a variety of nonprofits located around us. Some of these organizations include the VAD
foundation, Evolve, Mission Neighborhood centers, and music centers that are focused on a
spectrum of issues such as education and community well-being.
 Because there are not many nonprofits around this area focused on homelessness, there is
an opportunity to provide homelessness services in this area. Also, having other nonprofits near
this location will allow us to work with them and collaborate to improve the San Francisco
community as a whole. For instance, the Seven Tepees Youth Program works with urban youth to
ensure they make positive choices, and set them up for success in school and life. Another
nonprofit in the area is the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco. This nonprofit also focuses on
the development of youth and help them realize their full potential. Also down the street is the
Community Music center; which makes music accessible for all people, regardless of their
financial status. They offer a variety of music classes and instruments rentals free of charge. By
visiting the nonprofits in the area, we can see what financial model they use, how they receive
funding, get volunteers, and manage their overall operations.

Method
The survey that was provided for the Oxford community was created in order to gain
information about possible volunteers and funding for our nonprofit. Participants answered
various questions that gave information and statistics on the number of volunteers that we can
expect, and the amount of funding that could potentially be received from the community.
The survey was created through google drive, and was distributed to classmates and
friends of our group. The survey generated about twenty plus responses--mostly among our
classmates. We also conducted research on the problems of homelessness in San Francisco. This
research essentially reaffirmed our initial belief of the severity of the homelessness problem.
This research was done online--our sources can be found in our work cited.
The research was done online through various websites. Home of all Homeless gathered
statistics and facts about the homelessness demographic in San Francisco--what kind of people
are homeless, what are their backgrounds, etc..
Although the survey respondents were non residents of San Francisco, we formulated our
questions to be non-specific. For instance, we asked questions that gauged who would volunteer,
donate money, or thought it was feasible for our non profit to make an impact--these questions
are not area-based. Meaning, this survey does not require participants to be from San Francisco
as questions were more broad and all encompassing.

Results
The overall positive feedback responses we received from our survey can lead us in the right
direction when it comes to making our vision a possibility. Because we will rely on a lot of
volunteer work and donations from people all over, their opinions are of the utmost important.

We began by asking a couple of non-logistical questions such as ones that reflect their opinions
and/or values about homeless shelters. Asking our surveyees if they had ever been part of an
organization such as this one will allow us to get a gauge of how important something such as
this is for the general population. If many people answer in supportive ways to these types of
questions, it creates a positive outlook for the upbringing of our organization.

After asking more reflective questions, we moved on to asking more logistical questions. We
asked our surveyees if they would even be willing to volunteer and/or donate to our shelter,
knowing our mission statement. If they were willing to donate, what would they be able to easily
donate (clothing, bed sheets, old mattresses, etc.). We asked our participants if they would be
willing to donate money to our organization, how much, and how often. If one decides they
would definitely like to volunteer for our organization, how much time would they like to put
into their work. Giving the participants multiple options when answering these questions, the
results showed that most people were in favor of either donating or volunteering, on the more
convenient or low end of the spectrum; meaning they would only donate the minimal amount of
dollars or minimum amount of hours of volunteering.
Discussion
Overall the results from the survey were fine. They weren't necessarily bad, but definitely
not overwhelmingly positive. There were 25 participants take the 10 question survey about the
non-profit organization. The results showed that over half of the participants (60%) agreed with
the organization's plan and beliefs. The non-profits goal is to not only help the homeless and less
fortunate citizens in San Francisco but by doing so it will help the overall residence. As a group,
a higher percentage of people showing interest in helping the less fortunate and believing in our
goal would have liked to be seen.
From the people who did hold the same beliefs as this organization, 96% would
potentially be willing to volunteer their time. Of that 96% only 40% surveyors voted yes they
would be willing to volunteer their time. This means 56% voted they may volunteer. As a group
this was a positive result for this question. It shows people are interested in helping this
organization and want to see more people succeed in society. Another aspect that concluded a
positive response was the donation of supplies. There were 88% of people who voted they would
be willing to donate some amount of money. Of the 88%, 84% of voters selected they would be
willing to donate from $1-$20. Along with donations, a majority of people are willing to donate
at least once a month. If enough volunteers work, this may be feasible for donations once a
month. Overtime this number should increased to maybe two or three times a month.
The number of hours people would be willing to work per week was as expected. It was
predicted on average, people would be comfortable working 1-2 hours a week. This would be
plenty of volunteer hours to run the organization. Having the volunteers work only 1-2 hours
would be sufficient. As the organization grows, the number of volunteer hours increase should
increase.
An area the organization needs to work on is informing people about the non-profit. From
the polls of the survey, slightly over 50% or people would want to know more about the
organization. It is the group's job to show people the importance of the non-profit and get them
excited. Within the organization, the same enthusiasm is shared about the goals and expectations.
As a non-profit, there is great passion held for wanting to see people succeed and help the less
fortunate. Within the next few months, this organization hopes to to gain people's interests and
show them the importance of it. Along with gaining people's interest, the polls stated low number
of people recommending this non-profit to their family or friends if they were unable to
volunteer. This also needs to increase within the next couple months.
From the survey, 72% of people have not been part of an organization like ours, this was
positive. Shelters are a more common non-profit organization. To see a vast majority of
surveyors vote they have not helped with one relatively close to this organization means there
must be something different about it. Indeed there is, this non profit not only wants to help the
less fortunate and homeless by supplying them a safe shelter, but further help them. This will be
done by getting these citizens back on their feet and seeing them succeed in society .
 Overall, it seem to be that more people are willing to donate money/ supplies. Less
people showed interest in coming in and donating their time. It is understood it is easier to send a
check with a donation rather than donating actual time out of ones day. Appreciation is always
shown to all the help received from the community and others. In order to be a successful non-
profit shelter, there needs to be an increase in the interest of the organization. Showing people the
importance of the goals will come from providing knowledge about the problem.

Limitations
This homeless shelter study is limited due to the fact that we have only sent out one
survey. There have been no follow up surveys or anything of the sort. Also, the number of people
who took the survey is a small amount. 25 people have taken our survey. There is not enough
statistical data here to know that our project would for sure be a success.
Another thing about the study is that the surveys and data about conducting this nonprofit
are found in Ohio. The homeless shelter that we are planning to build is in San Francisco. More
data would need to be found to get a real idea if people would really be on board or not. Also, the
survey needs to include people of other demographics rather than just 18-25 year-old college
students. Although they are a good start, solving the homeless problem needs to be a community
issue. All demographics need to be represented.
There are also some problems with the start up. The success of this nonprofit organization
depends entirely on donations of time and money. There is potential to have an enormous start up
cost with building and appliance costs. Volunteering time as big as money and supplies because
of what the organization wants to do. The organization wants to give homeless people the whole
package of resume workshops and even some rehab if needed. This is definitely a big project to
create, but with hard work and help from the community, it can be a success.

Conclusion
This project is feasible. A survey conducted shows that this homeless shelter has a good
support base that are willing to donate time and resources to the cause. An overwhelming 84% of
people would gladly donate things such as articles of clothing along with bed sheets and
mattresses while over 50% of people would be willing to volunteer at our shelter.
The surrounding area where the location of the shelter is has little organizations like ours.
It is in a good location that could attract a multitude of different types of donors and sponsors.
Overall this project has the opportunity to be a very successful nonprofit organization.
Work Cited
Causes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://streetsteam.org/awareness/causes/?
gclid=CL2Y1JWotdMCFZQAaQod6sQBIA

Graff, A. (2016, December 07). San Francisco homelessness by the numbers. Retrieved April 21,
2017, from http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-homelessness-by-the-numbers-
10767735.php

Sze, K. (2016, June 29). Data shows SF has 2nd highest homeless population in US. Retrieved
April 21, 2017, from http://abc7news.com/news/data-shows-sf-has-2nd-highest-homeless-
population-in-us/1407123/

Appendix
Survey:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WdI1OOM9DHMKaJ3jiQ8hmsS1g0v40kxBoPISDtV3W
OY/edit

Proposal