The Doe Fund
Encyclopedia
The Doe Fund is a non-profit organization
that provides job training and work opportunities, housing assistance, advocacy and support for homeless and unemployed people in New York City
. The Doe Fund's mission is to help homeless individuals obtain housing and employment.
, paid work and personal responsibility became the core elements of their projects.
In 1990 the McDonalds won two separate contracts from the city: one, a work contract to renovate low-income housing; the second, a contract to purchase and renovate an abandoned building on Gates Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn
where program participants would live. To attract participants the McDonalds canvassed Grand Central Terminal
, inviting homeless men who were willing to stop using drugs
and alcohol
and willing to work to the Church of St. Agnes the following Saturday morning. Hundreds of men showed up.
The work project was called Ready, Willing & Able (RWA), and it outperformed the requirements of the city contract. By 1994 RWA had helped 90 men get full-time private-sector jobs and move into their own apartments. That same year, however, a change in city housing policy slashed the Doe Fund's work contract by more than 60%.
RWA redirected the efforts of its workforce of trainees to address the proliferating problem of litter
in New York City streets. The men were given uniforms with American flags
sewn on the sleeves and started working on East 86th Street. Neighborhood residents, as a result, helped the group find financial support in the form of private donations. RWA subsequently expanded its operation to cover more than 150 miles of city streets and has graduated more than 3,600 formerly homeless and incarcerated individuals from its program.
In December 2006 The Doe Fund launched an initiative to collect waste cooking oil and grease from New York City restaurants for conversion into biodiesel. The venture, called RWA Resource Recovery, makes NYC greener at the same time it provides training and job opportunities for the homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals enrolled in RWA.
In 2008 The Doe Fund expanded its self-sustaining initiatives to include a catering program. Men and women staying at The Doe Fund facilities participate in a Culinary Arts program and have the opportunity upon graduation to practice their newly acquired skills by catering events throughout the NYC region. The goal of the program is to enable successful graduates to learn how to own and operate their own businesses.
. A 2010 report by the New York Times questioned whether donations by Bloomberg or his charities were an attempt to influence Doe Fund testimony on term limit
s for his mayoral position. The charity has been criticized by the New York Post for paying an unusually high salary to the McDonalds. The New York Daily News reported in 2010 that George McDonald had personally kept $100,000 in prize money that had been given to the charity by the Manhattan Institute.
A September 2006 contract audit by the US Department of Labor, however, found that while John McDonald was CFO, The Doe Fund did not properly manage the funds of a $5 million Welfare to Work (WtW) grant. The audit stated:
In addition to its projects in New York, the Doe Fund has inspired or partnered with similar work projects in other cities.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that provides job training and work opportunities, housing assistance, advocacy and support for homeless and unemployed people in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The Doe Fund's mission is to help homeless individuals obtain housing and employment.
History
The Doe Fund was founded in 1985 by George McDonald when homelessness was at crisis levels in New York City. McDonald began by feeding homeless people on the floor of Grand Central Terminal. McDonald and his wife Harriet Karr-McDonald later developed programs based on their belief that most homeless men and women will seize the opportunity to change their lives if given the opportunity. SobrietySobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels, or effects from, alcohol or other drugs that alter ones mood or behaviors. According to WHO "Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms..." sobriety is continued abstinence from alcohol and psychoactive drug use...
, paid work and personal responsibility became the core elements of their projects.
In 1990 the McDonalds won two separate contracts from the city: one, a work contract to renovate low-income housing; the second, a contract to purchase and renovate an abandoned building on Gates Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
where program participants would live. To attract participants the McDonalds canvassed Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
, inviting homeless men who were willing to stop using drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and willing to work to the Church of St. Agnes the following Saturday morning. Hundreds of men showed up.
The work project was called Ready, Willing & Able (RWA), and it outperformed the requirements of the city contract. By 1994 RWA had helped 90 men get full-time private-sector jobs and move into their own apartments. That same year, however, a change in city housing policy slashed the Doe Fund's work contract by more than 60%.
RWA redirected the efforts of its workforce of trainees to address the proliferating problem of litter
Litter
Litter consists of waste products such as containers, papers, wrappers or faeces which have been disposed of without consent. Litter can also be used as a verb...
in New York City streets. The men were given uniforms with American flags
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
sewn on the sleeves and started working on East 86th Street. Neighborhood residents, as a result, helped the group find financial support in the form of private donations. RWA subsequently expanded its operation to cover more than 150 miles of city streets and has graduated more than 3,600 formerly homeless and incarcerated individuals from its program.
In December 2006 The Doe Fund launched an initiative to collect waste cooking oil and grease from New York City restaurants for conversion into biodiesel. The venture, called RWA Resource Recovery, makes NYC greener at the same time it provides training and job opportunities for the homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals enrolled in RWA.
In 2008 The Doe Fund expanded its self-sustaining initiatives to include a catering program. Men and women staying at The Doe Fund facilities participate in a Culinary Arts program and have the opportunity upon graduation to practice their newly acquired skills by catering events throughout the NYC region. The goal of the program is to enable successful graduates to learn how to own and operate their own businesses.
Funding
While some projects of the Doe Fund's projects are self-sustaining, the organization also receives funding from numerous public and private organizations and individuals. It has received multiple grants from the Carnegie Corporation which has supported more than 550 New York City arts and social service institutions since its inception in 2002 and was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael BloombergMichael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
. A 2010 report by the New York Times questioned whether donations by Bloomberg or his charities were an attempt to influence Doe Fund testimony on term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s for his mayoral position. The charity has been criticized by the New York Post for paying an unusually high salary to the McDonalds. The New York Daily News reported in 2010 that George McDonald had personally kept $100,000 in prize money that had been given to the charity by the Manhattan Institute.
Financial Management
John McDonald (son of George McDonald) served as the organization's Chief Financial Officer from 1990 until 2011, when he was made Chief Operating Officer. An organization press release announcing the change included a quote from George McDonald that explained the rationale behind the move.- "Based on his excellent track record of managing The Doe Fund's finances – and maintaining the highest standard of excellence while doing so – he has earned the post of Chief Operating Officer. I am pleased to say that, under his leadership, we have not been subject to any negative inquiries into our business and financial practices."
A September 2006 contract audit by the US Department of Labor, however, found that while John McDonald was CFO, The Doe Fund did not properly manage the funds of a $5 million Welfare to Work (WtW) grant. The audit stated:
- "Costs were not reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the WtW grant, resulting in questioned costs of $1,599,323. The questioned amount was the result of unallowable fundraising, improperly allocated costs, and unsupported costs."
Awards and partnerships
The Doe Fund has won awards for its successful work and innovative approaches. Its most recent accolade comes from the Manhattan Institute in the form of the William E. Simon Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed upon founder George McDonald for his innovative, work-based approach to ending homelessness.In addition to its projects in New York, the Doe Fund has inspired or partnered with similar work projects in other cities.