Everybody needs business development help at one time or another and certainly charities are no different. I used to think that business development was really an “enterprise” thing because that’s where my roots are from. But, driving business and creating awareness really is an “everything” thing.

I was extremely touched yesterday when I visited a very special house in San Leandro, CA. The house is really not a house, but a haven, a sanctuary where angels go to heaven. The George Mark Children’s House is the only place of its kind in the United States. Its mission is to provide comprehensive and compassionate medical care and services to families of and children with life-threatening illnesses. The house provides respite and “end-of-life” care for children who essentially are preparing to die.

George Mark Children’s House serves more than 200 families per year from around the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. However, they’ve also accepted children outside of California, as well. There are no eligibility standards, as they welcome families of all race, religion, and national origin … truly a “one of a kind” facility.

How does business development work in this particular circumstance? The recession has hit everyone hard. George Mark depended on charitable donations from several large donors. These donors have significantly cut back over the last year or two, significantly impacting the facility’s budget. That said, all of the employees from the cooking staff to the nurses to the administration have voluntarily cut back their wages AND worked more hours so that the quality of service would not be impacted.

Read more articles from David Chan
Then, the community outreach team went into motion. An all-out awareness campaign was launched to garner support and donations. Local press, radio stations and TV channels have started to run campaigns for their cause. A local sports team has donated equipment and money to the house. And, a number of celebrities have agreed to run their own campaigns to drive even more awareness and support. The resident computer support / chef / “do it all” person created a Facebook account to encourage individual donors.

But, more is needed if the facility is going to stay open. It’s a grass roots business development effort to drive awareness broadly across the nation. And, how best to make that happen than through the velocity of the Internet? The small local team within George Mark can only do so much with local coverage. More charitable donations, cause-awareness campaigns and support from a broad-reaching group will need to rise to the occasion.

There is nothing more precious in life than the life of a child. If we can all make a child’s life a little better while he or she is on this planet, we will all have made a difference that transcends any “business” business development.