Company:Funds2Orgs

From HandWiki
Funds2Orgs
TypePrivate
IndustrySocial Enterprise
FounderWayne Elsey
Headquarters
Orlando, Florida
,
United States
Websitewww.funds2orgs.com

Funds2Orgs is a Orlando, Florida based social enterprise company.[1] Founded in 2013, Funds2Orgs works with organizations to help them raise money collecting used and new shoes that are distributed to microentrepreneurs in developing nations.[2]

History

Funds2Orgs was founded by executive and philanthropist Wayne Elsey.[3] While president at Kodiak-Terra USA, Elsey organized the shipment of 250,000 pairs of shoes to countries that were affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.[4] The following year nearly one million pairs of shoes were delivered to the Gulf Coast States hit by Hurricane Katrina.[5] After these two disasters Elsey decided to establish a nonprofit called Soles4Souls[6] and in 2007 left Kodiak-Terra to become CEO.[7] In 2012 Elsey left Soles4Souls and founded Funds2Orgs the following year.

Since inception, fundraising campaigns Funds2Orgs have worked on include "Feet for Francis" sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore,[8] "Million Pair Initiative" organized by cancer nonprofit The Half Fund,[9] and "Shoe Me The Love", a fundraiser to purchase a wheelchair accessible van for a man afflicted with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.[10]

Business Model

A micro-enterprise business, the aim of Funds2Orgs is to enable people to create their own self-sustaining economic path.[3][11] Funds2Orgs purchases the shoes that their shoe drive fundraising partners collect in North America and sells them for a nominal fee to microentrepreneurs in developing nations who repair, clean, and re-sell the shoes in their local communities for a profit.[12][13]

Company Portfolio

In January 2016 Funds2Orgs acquired Shoes With Heart, Southern California's leading shoe drive fundraising business.[14] The same month Funds2Orgs announced the launch of subsidiary brand Sneakers4Funds focusing on organizations and athletic teams who are looking to raise funds by exclusively collecting athletic shoes.[15]

References

  1. "Crowdfunding watch: Funds2Orgs". Corporate Knights. http://www.corporateknights.com/channels/social-enterprise/crowdfunding-watch-funds2orgs-14259750/. 
  2. "If the Shoe Fits - Funds2Orgs". http://forwardflorida.com/florida-education/shoe-fits-funds2orgs/. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Citi (24 March 2014). "Citi'sVoice: How A Former Shoe Salesman Supports Microbusiness In The Developing World". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/citi/2014/03/24/how-a-former-shoe-salesman-supports-microbusiness-in-the-developing-world/#477bcdaf3916. 
  4. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/dedicated-helping-poor-foot-time-article-1.267249
  5. "'Soles4Souls' Helps Poor Walk a Better Path". http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/september/soles4souls-helps-poor-walk-a-better-path/?mobile=false. 
  6. "How One Small Act of Kindness Sent Millions of Shoes Around the World". Cardboard Magazine. https://cardboardmagazine.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/how-one-small-act-of-kindness-sent-millions-of-shoes-around-the-world/. 
  7. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2007/04/16/daily5.html
  8. "The Catholic Review > Home > Feet for Francis brings $12K in scholarships to Baltimore archdiocese". http://www.catholicreview.org/article/home/feet-for-francis-brings-12k-in-scholarships-to-baltimore-archdiocese. 
  9. "News". http://creoco.com/newsDetail.php?CREO-Teams-up-with-The-Half-Fund-in-the-Million-Pair-Initiative-6. 
  10. "Athens Man asks community to "Shoe" him some love". WHNT.com. http://whnt.com/2015/09/12/athens-man-asks-community-to-shoe-him-some-love/. 
  11. "Shoe Drive Fundraisers can Help Micro-Enterprises". Funds2Orgs. http://funds2orgs.com/why-shoes/. 
  12. "New crowdfunding platform uses shoes as currency". World Footwear. http://www.worldfootwear.com/news.asp?id=742&link=New-crowdfunding-platform-uses-shoes-as-currency. 
  13. http://www.heartreachalaska.com/media/What%20is%20Micro%20Enterprise.pdf
  14. http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2016/01/13/elsey-enterprises-acquires-california-firm.html
  15. Barbara Schneider-Levy. "Shoe-Drive Group Funds2Orgs Debuts Sneakers4Funds - Footwear News". Footwear News. http://footwearnews.com/2016/focus/athletic-outdoor/funds2orgs-shoe-drive-fundraising-company-launch-sneakers4funds-185422/. 

External links