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PART A: Organization Overview

Homelessness is a massive issue within the US. As aligned to Van Dam (2019), the number of homeless individuals across the United States is more significant than the population of some rural states. Some places, like California and New York City, hold about 25% of the homeless, with one-third of its citizens living on the streets. Although the government implemented numerous policies and programs that promptly reduced homelessness in certain states, New York and California defy all the plans, and the issue of homelessness keeps rising significantly (Van Dam, 2019). Nevertheless, Back on My Feet, a non-profit organization, has been working tirelessly to ensure that the issue of homelessness issue is reduced or completely resolved in the US. Besides offering employment and housing to such people, their program builds self-confidence through sports and community, generating a solid foundation for reinserting homeless individuals into a productive part of society. 

Back on my Feet was founded in 2007 in Philadelphia. As of October 2019, it has developed 13 chapters in various cities and an operating budget of about $7.5 million, utilizing only private funding. The attribute that makes this non-profit organization unique is its model, which considers that restoring strength, confidence, and self-esteem gives people a better equipped to change their circumstances. The process offers a long-term structure to the non-profit’s beneficiaries, practical and effective training, and employment resources for attaining individuality, an environ that facilitates responsibility, and a society that provides hope and empathy (“Mission & Vision – Back on My Feet,” n.d.). The shared objective of the volunteers, donors, leadership, corporate partners, and community is to empower people to attain their goals of independence and self-reliance. The effect of the non-profit organization has two different spheres, the first one being the health measured in the miles run. This is attached to the notion that running would enhance the participant’s physical health and assist in tackling certain mental issues, like depression. The second sphere would evaluate the success by the number of people that attain employment, education, or housing. 

PART B

Back on My Feet organization is privately funded. Its strategy encompasses two principles, diversification and creative engagement practices to attract donors. Diversification implies that every donor covers less than 50% of the sources of capital for any of the 13 chapters alongside the US. The second principle means possessing creative and innovative practices to engage people, corporations, and foundations to offer the funding necessary for the execution of certain company activities. Its funding composition is 42% from people, 47% from corporations, and 11% from foundations. 

Figure 1: Net Income (Back on My Feet, 2019)

Using diversified funding and sustainability development, the Back on My Feet company had a 6% growth in 2017/2018. While showing steady growth for the last years, 2019 curbed the trend and reduced some of the numbers. The change in the net assets was merely 10% of the 2018 amount, reaching only $36,148. According to Back on My Feet (2020), two of the principles attributed to the encountered reduction in the company’s net income include the reduction in event revenue and contributed goods and services during 2019. However, the company maintained the numbers in the positive through fundraising events that consisted of galas and breakfasts fundraising, which entailed running in various marathons to attain funding for the company, and proprietary races and treadmill challenges around the nation. Irrespective of the drop in revenues, the firm has $3,281,950 of the financial assets availed in 2019, encompassing $1,250,830 in cash and $2,031,120 contributions receivables. Additionally, the company maintains a line of credit of $200,000 in case of unexpected or unavoidable expenditures. 

PART C

The organization’s leadership team consists of an exclusive mix of business and non-profit experience, making the group mission-driven, fast-paced, and impact-oriented people (“Leadership – Back on My Feet,” n.d.). Further, they are substantially different from the traditional non-profit leadership team. However, they are often focused on reaching the maximum number of people and communities with their services and programs. The salaries of the firm’s generals and managers are approximately $516,964, which is around one-eighth of the average wage expenses, not including taxes and benefits (Back on My Feet, 2020). The company’s CEO, Katy Sherrat, is an award-winning social innovation leader, which has allowed her to effectively manage the firm since it was established in 2007, keeping it sustainable by integrating novel holistic measures and strategies, like a double-digit financial, and geographic expansion of its operations across the country, and programmatic growth YOY. Despite the drop in revenue, the salaries of the management have increased, almost three times the number in 2018, which has motivated the employees and ensured their loyalty to the company. 

The board of directors comprises various experts in diverse fields who are considered integral to the firm’s success. Also, they are involved with the company right from participating in the firm’s runs, engaging their organizations, sharing its networks, and believing in the power of personal change via running (“Leadership – Back on My Feet,” n.d.). Some of the board members include David Guilmette, President of Global Health, AON, who is the Board Chairman; Anne Berkowitch, Co-Founder, Bionic, one of the Board Vice Chairman, Peter B. Cole, CEO, Design Hotels, the other Board Vice Chairman, and Charlie Constable, Partner, Brown Advisory as of the Board Treasurer, among others.

PART D

The company’s culture is based on serving homeless people and communities. Back on My Feet considers that running together would aid in strengthening people, building communities, and changing lives for the better. While the members presently participating in the programs offered are homeless or considered at risk of becoming homeless, they share some components and differences with others. The member’s age ranges from 18 to over 65, of which 25% are veterans, 53% are African-Americans, 31% Non-Hispanic Whites, and 14% are Hispanic (Back on My Feet, 2019). A smaller percentage of the members are educated to college level, while most have families, though 60% of the population are children. The company’s main objective is to give homeless people and helpless communities back their independence and self-reliance (“How It Works – Back on My Feet,” n.d.). Running is perceived as the beginning of the help, with the company assisting the newly recruited members after a month of running to enhance their skills to get jobs, assist with their tuition for children, offer financial aid to eliminate any barrier to housing or employment, which is offered through giving the members work supplies, security deposits, and transportation.

PART E

I think the company has made various strategic decisions that have enabled it to remain effective. While the approach is sound and has promptly worked during various years of its operations, the increment in the management salaries and the decrease of the revenues encountered in 2019 following the pandemic and the sanitary measures that restricted the social gatherings and sports training like group running, which significantly altered the functioning of the company. Regardless of the difficulties faced during the two complicated years, the organization continues to be successful in fundraising resources for its programs and projects and helping reduce homelessness in the US. 

References

Back on My Feet. (2019). BACK ON MY FEET 2018 Annual Report. Retrieved from: https://backonmyfeet.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/BoMF-AnnualReport2018_Final-1.pdf

Back on My Feet. (2020). Back on My Feet: Financial Statements December 31, 2019, and 2018. Retrieved from: https://backonmyfeet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Back-on-My-Feet-Audited-Financial-Statements-12-31-19-FINAL-4-21-2020.pdf

How It Works – Back on My Feet. (n.d.). How It Works. Retrieved from: https://backonmyfeet.org/how-it-works/

Leadership – Back on My Feet. (n.d.). Leadership. Retrieved from: https://backonmyfeet.org/about-us/leadership/

Mission & Vision – Back on My Feet. (n.d.). Mission & vision. Retrieved from: https://backonmyfeet.org/about-us/mission-vision/

Van Dam, A. (2019). How big is America’s homelessness problem? The data needs to catch up to Trump’s agenda. The Washington Post. Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/18/surprising-holes-our-knowledge-americas-homeless-population/