Giving the Basics, Inc.
General Information
Contact Information
Nonprofit
Giving the Basics, Inc.
Address
3150 Mercier
Suite 270-D2
Kansas City, MO 64111
Phone
(913) 964-3300
Fax
888 822-2383
Website
www.givingthebasics.org
Facebook
facebook.comgivingthebasics
Twitter
twitter.com/givingthebasics
Email
[email protected]
At A Glance
How to donate, support, and volunteer
We need financial donations to meet the need in
Kansas City. Please send a check to 3150 Mercier,
Suite 270 D-2, Kansas City, MO 64108. Financial
donations can also be made on our website at
www.givingthebasics.org. We need in-kind donations
for all human dignity products, razors, deodorant, soap,
shampoo, toothpaste/brushes/floss, laundry detergent,
toilet paper, cleaning solution are some examples. To
see a full list click on our website under give the basics.
This can be done with a product drive at place of
worship, school, or business. need volunteer help with
advertising, print, sorting, and counting at the
warehouse.
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Mission & Areas Served
Statements
Mission Statement
We established Giving the Basics, Kansas City's hygiene hub to assure the adults and children in Kansas City
would always have access to personal care hygiene products that are not covered by any government
assistance programs. We created this hub so people could get clean, have hope, pride and have dignity.
Giving the Basics tracks the need for products like soap, shampoo, deodorant and toilet paper, and then
provides those products on a monthly basis to 65 registered pantries and 15+ school districts totaling 179
schools. (We supply several individual local charter schools.)
Our mission is to put products in the hands of the people!
At Giving the Basics, we believe that no one should have to live in filth or shame or with the fear of being bullied
due to being dirty. The testimonials from all of our pantries location, school districts and individuals prove that
our products immediately change lives.
Background Statement
Giving the Basics began when a small group of concerned people in the Kansas City area came together to
help a family in need. The family, a single mother with six children relying on government assistance, was
struggling to make ends meet. They were requesting food donations from the local pantry but their basic
necessities were not available. The pantry was only able to offer this family of seven one roll of toilet paper. For
10 months, our small group helped her get what she needed and when she got a job that supported her family,
we felt a calling to help others. So, Giving the Basics was started to bring awareness that these items are not
covered by food stamps. We launched with 6 pantries and have grown in a few short years to where we are
now.
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Impact Statement
Accomplishments for 2016:
We have testimonials to prove that the attitudes are changing, children are socializing more and grades are
improving. Adults are now able to get clean and gain employment because they receive our products. We have
educated thousands of people in our city and beyond about the critical need for hygiene products.
When you are clean, you become a candidate for a job and you have personal pride. When you are clean you
can go to school, and learn. Girls no longer have to stay home because they don't have feminine hygiene
products. Students can raise their hands without the shame of having pit stains or smelling badly and being
bullied.
We are successfully strengthening the KC Metro area at the core of human dignity needs. We are proud to be
the leader in this country with our targeting, tracking and our distribution for human dignity products.
• We are currently leading the country with our program to target, track and meet the personal care hygiene
needs in KC.
• We have 256 distribution sites throughout the KC Metro area for our products.
• We received proclamations from the Missouri and Kansas Governors.
• We received a resolution from Mayor Sly James.
• We provided our products to 65 local pantry on a monthly basis.
• We provided our hygiene products to 15+ school districts, (90,000 kids)
• We have made the basics accessible to 123,000 people in KC monthly.
• We provided over 1,500,000 hygiene products to the KC Metro area in 2016.
• We increased our warehouse space to close to 25,000 feet.
• We had had our second annual fundraising event.
• We had our first end of the year campaign
• We increased our product drive totals.
• We increased our donor base.
• We increased our bulk donations and procurement forces.
• We added online giving sources to our portfolio of online tools.
Goals for 2017:
• Supply 4 additional major school districts with free personal care hygiene items.
• Add the pantries on our wait list.
• Increase public awareness of the need in the city with increased advertising/marketing and spokesperson.
• Add additional employee to manage warehouse (in process now)
• Develop additional collaborations with non for profits and funders for greater impact in the city.
• Develop relationships with manufacturers.
• Increase our warehouse space.
Needs Statement
• We need a building above ground with 25,000 feet of warehouse space and 1,000 square feet of office
space.
• Our primary need is human dignity product donations or financial to purchase products.
• We need to hire a warehouse manager, and a grant writer.
• Funding is needed to cover operational costs. This would include updating a room to conduct lessons for
refugees and other low income students on what it means to be clean in the United States.
• We want corporations schools and individuals to sponsor and have product drives so that we can use the
product to help the people.
• We are looking for a major sponsor/sponsors to help wipe this need out of the KC area.
• We are asking for people/corporations to coordinate fundraising events for us.
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Board Chair Statement
Giving the Basics has one goal: Putting human dignity products into the hands of the people in Kansas City.
We know that if Kansas City wants to be a stronger city, we will have to help the people here get what they
really need so they can fully participate in the community. We can do that so easily by helping every individual
to be able to get clean.
Studies show a child can not learn with out their basics needs met. You can develop elaborate programs and
give books to children, but they can't learn without having their basics needs met. They have to be able to raise
their hand without fear of smelling bad or having pit stains. They have to be able to move to the front of the
classroom without feeling ashamed. Can you imagine going without shampoo, bar soap, tampons, or deodorant
and toilet paper??
When adults cannot get clean, they are not candidates for jobs. We cannot say get a job if we haven't provided
a path to success for them. Giving the Basics is changing all of that.
Your donations will immediately impact over hundreds of thousands of people in Kansas City a month, giving
them a pathway to success. It will bring hope, reduce humility and bring human dignity to those who often go
without. Please come visit us any time to see how you can help.
Service Categories
Health Support
Elementary & Secondary Schools
Family Services
Areas of Service
Areas Served
Areas
KS - Johnson County
KS - Wyandotte County
MO - Jackson County
MO - Jackson County Urban Core
MO - Cass County
MO - Clay County
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Programs
Programs
Pantry Product Distribution
Description
Giving the Basics is here to put human dignity products on the shelves of
Kansas City area shelters, homeless locations, veterans and senior
centers, battered women's locations, childcare outlets, and transitional
housing. We currently provide our free hygiene products to 65 local
pantries on a monthly basis. The best way to accomplish this goal is
through product drives and financial donations. We are working with local
businesses, as well as local private and public school districts to organize
drives. Many companies encourage their employees to spend time
volunteering in their community and they do this at our warehouse. The
private schools in our area require their students earn service hours each
quarter so this is a good way to accomplish that task. After completing a
product drive, groups can take on the task of counting, sorting and
packaging items. We then distribute our products to our locations
monthly.
Category
Human Services, General/Other Household Goods Provision
Population Served
People/Families with People of Developmental Disabilities, ,
Short-Term Success
Immediately people will have a better quality of life and a better sense of
self. People will be able to be productive citizens and be better leaders for
their families. People in Kansas City will be able to stay healthier.
Imagine having to use your clothing or bread as toilet paper. Imagine not
leaving home because you are dirty and have no way to get soap,
deodorant, shampoo or laundry soap. Imagine not having feminine
hygiene products. For many of us, it is unimaginable. Keeping clean is
the first line of defense in preventing common illnesses and maintaining
pride as a human being. For thousands of people in Kansas City, it is a
daily reality.
Because we provide our products free of charge to the pantries, the
vulnerable in our community do not have to choose between paying their
rent and keeping themselves and their home clean. Our donations help to
lift up the downtrodden by supporting their sense of self-worth. When a
person is confident, they are hopeful. We bring hope and a sense of
purpose with our products. Kansas City will be a stronger city as people
rise out of the shame of going without.
Long- Term Success
We will see a sense of pride and dignity begin to arise as people are not
stuck living in filth and shame. People will be able to gain employment as
they are able to be clean and not smell badly for interviews. People will
be able to clean their clothes, bodies and Kansas City will become
stronger. We have already been told of the change in attitudes, and our
hundreds of testimonials from all of our locations and the people using our
products tell the story of how people now have hope and dignity. We
currently serve over 30,000 people monthly with this pantry program. We
will see some leaders emerge as the products continue to blanket the city.
That is exciting!
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Program Success Monitored By
Our system is effective and efficient. Pantries and shelters are given the
products the way they need to receive them – by the case and free of
charge. We measure our success by the amount of products we put into
the community. Last year it was over one million products. We can look
to the amazing letters and testimonials we have received from individuals
and organizations. They boldly state that our program works and is
changing lives. We currently have 179 distribution sites for our products.
Examples of Program Success
“With your donation, reStart is able to provide essential support for
residents.” “On behalf of City Union Mission, I would like to thank Giving
the Basics for making a difference in the lives of Kansas City’s poor and
homeless!” “Your organization is helping to fill the gap relating to a great
unmet need in the Kansas City area, that of personal care items.” These
are just a sample of the comments we here from our registered charities.
Possibly more important are the comments we receive from the
individuals these organizations serve: “Dear Donor, when I came to the
mission [City Union Mission] five months ago, I had nothing but what I was
wearing. One of my biggest fears was staying clean, etc. How to do that?
Thank you so much for your kind help.” We have many more testimonials
and great videos on our website.
KC Metro School Intiatives
Description
We offer free personal care hygiene products to 11+ school districts on a
monthly basis. We have 179 schools that receive our products each
month. The need is determined by the teacher, social worker, or nurse
and the products are then chosen by the student in need to maximize
product usage.
Category
Education, General/Other Education, General/Other
Population Served
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years), ,
Short-Term Success
We expect instant relief for each child given personal care hygiene items.
The nurses, teachers, and social workers will also find instant relief from
not using their own money to help the children!
Long- Term Success
Our goal is to help each child feel confident and secure in their classroom
to enable learning and build self estteem. This will eleiminate learning
issues and bullying.
Program Success Monitored By
We have an IT program set set up to track each item going to the school
district. In return each school district is giving us a report on what items
were needed by school. This allows us to track the needs and plan
accordingly.
Examples of Program Success
We are just now starting the program so we don't have firm data back,
yet. We do have testimonals from each school district that are pleading
for us to provide these items for their students. Our testimonials are from
teachers, nurses, and social workers. We have also, produced a video
with actual students and administrators explaining the need for personal
care hygiene items.
CEO Comments
Although we have a tremendous system for tracking, managing and meeting the need in Kansas City, we are in
need of monetary donations to purchase personal care hygiene items at wholesale costs, (we can triple the
dollar donated). We do not want any child to go without our products, so we want to bring on ALL KC metro
school districts that need personal care hygiene items for their students. Currently we are serving 15+ school
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districts and 3 charter schools. We have 5 districts on the waiting list.
We also need funding to continue to consistently meet the needs of our local registered pantries. We currently
have a long list of pantries on our waiting list that desperately need our products. We want to bring those
pantries into our system for the sake of human dignity and pride.
You cannot go to school and make friends and get good grades when you do not have products to get clean.
You cannot gain employment if you are not clean. The basics provide for the most important needs to be met
first. Thank you for donating to us.
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Leadership & Staff
Executive Director/CEO
Executive Director
Mrs Teresa Hamilton
Term Start
Sept 2011
Email
[email protected]
Experience
My experience is in starting a family business, Bob Hamilton Plumbing, creating all the systems, marketing, and
growing that company to where it is currently today. As a co-owner starting from the ground up I learned
everything I can use today. My experience in the non-profit world is now vast. I have learned this on my feet
too and have been able to apply my business knowledge to help this charity grow to where it is today for the
sake of Kansas City.
Staff
Paid Full-Time Staff
5
Paid Part- Time Staff
1
Volunteers
4600
Retention Rate
100%
Paid Contractors
1
Plans & Policies
Organization Has a Fundraising Plan
Yes
Organization Has a Strategic Plan
Yes
Management Succession Plan
Yes
Organization Policy and Procedures
Yes
Nondiscrimination Policy
No
Whistleblower Policy
Yes
Document Destruction Policy
No
Collaborations
We collaborate with a number of agencies including local manufacturers, distributors and other 501
organizations, including but not limited to, the Downs Syndrome Guild and the locations we serve,
encompassing veterans centers, senior centers, homeless, mental health, child care outlets, transitional housing
outlets, schools.
Awards
Awards
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Award/Recognition
Organization
Year
Compassion for the Poor
City Union Mission
2015
Proclamation for Giving the Basics Governor of Kansas
Human Dignity efforts
2016
Proclamation for Giving the Basics Governor of Missouri
Human Dignity efforts
2016
Resolution for Giving the Basics
Human Dignity Efforts in Kansas
City
2015
Kansas City Mayor Sly James
Government Licenses
Is your organization licensed by the government?
No
CEO Comments
Giving the Basics is Kansas City's new hygiene hub.
Can you imagine going without laundry soap, shampoo toilet paper, deodorant or shampoo or other hygiene
products for one day? We need your help!
When we started Giving the Basics, we had no idea how powerful the program would be. We knew that girls
were forced to stay home from school because they could not afford feminine hygiene products, and that
thousands of people in Kansas City were living in shame and filth, without hope or dignity. We knew that our
seniors were suffering the humiliation of going without personal hygiene products, but we had no idea the
impact we would make.
We are currently providing products on a monthly basis, to 179 local schools and 65 registered pantries;
products that people cannot buy on any government assistance program; products that change lives!
Our hygiene products make an immediate impact on the homeless, the unemployed, the working poor,
veterans, mental health patients, battered women, children, and our senior citizens.
We often point fingers at people and say, "Get a job", but we do not provide them a way to get clean. If we want
a truly strong city, we will need to help people get what they really need so that they may be successful in
feeling good about themselves, have the hope, and possibly change their lives.
Please help us.
Teresa Hamilton
Executive Director
Giving the Basics
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Board & Governance
Board Chair
Board Chair
Teresa Hamilton
Company Affiliation
Bob Hamilton Plumbing
Term
Sept 2011 to Sept 2017
Email
[email protected]
Board Members
Name
Affiliation
Mr. Scott Fillmore
Lockton Insurance
Teresa Hamilton
Giving the Basics
Mr. Peter Hardy
American Century Investments
Scott Hutchings
SFS intec, Inc.
Mr. Joseph Lally
Bank of the West
Mr. Brian Leitner
Mariner Wealth Advisors
Ms. Jana Meyers
American Century Finance
Kimberly Newton
VP Hallmark
Michele Orpin
Giving the Basics
Kelley Scharosch
CPA
Anna Marie Vogel
community volunteer
Mr. Nick Warren
Commerce Bank
Sean Wheeler M.D.
College Park Family Care Center
Hedi Whitehill
Two West Communications
Board Demographics - Ethnicity
African American/Black
1
Asian American/Pacific Islander
0
Caucasian
13
Hispanic/Latino
0
Native American/American Indian
0
Other
0
Board Demographics - Gender
Male
7
Female
7
Unspecified
0
Governance
Board Term Lengths
10
3
Board Term Limits
3
Board Meeting Attendance %
90%
Written Board Selection Criteria?
Under Development
Written Conflict of Interest Policy?
Yes
Percentage Making Monetary Contributions
100%
Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions
100%
Number of Full Board Meetings Annually
4
CEO Comments
Our biggest challenge is securing financial donations to purchase product for shelters, pantries, and schools in
need. We need product donations as well. Our next challenge is educating potential donors that these items
are not covered by food stamps. Everyone talks about food, but they do not talk about this issue.
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Financials
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year Start
Jan 01, 2017
Fiscal Year End
Dec 31, 2017
Projected Revenue
$1,900,000.00
Projected Expenses
$1,893,000.00
Endowment Value
$0.00
Percentage
0%
Detailed Financials
Revenue and Expenses
Fiscal Year
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
Revenue Sources
Fiscal Year
Foundation and Corporation
Contributions
Government Contributions
Federal
State
Local
Unspecified
Individual Contributions
Indirect Public Support
Earned Revenue
Investment Income, Net of Losses
Membership Dues
Special Events
Revenue In-Kind
Other
2015
$600,903
$454,988
2014
$479,537
$432,228
2013
$147,745
$122,767
2015
$188,187
2014
$119,046
2013
$147,745
$0
---$0
-$0
$0
$0
$0
$62,327
$350,389
$0
$0
---$0
-$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$360,491
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
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Expense Allocation
Fiscal Year
Program Expense
Administration Expense
Fundraising Expense
Payments to Affiliates
Total Revenue/Total Expenses
Program Expense/Total Expenses
Fundraising Expense/Contributed
Revenue
2015
$403,241
$23,437
$28,310
-1.32
89%
11%
2014
$399,191
$27,775
$5,262
-1.11
92%
4%
2013
$102,948
$19,819
$0
$0
1.20
84%
0%
2015
$269,865
$107,831
$2,787
$18,152
$248,926
2014
$97,360
$38,968
$0
$8,367
$88,993
2013
$41,684
$41,684
$0
$0
$41,684
2015
5.94
2014
4.66
2013
--
Long Term Solvency
Fiscal Year
Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets
2015
1%
2014
0%
2013
0%
Top Funding Sources
Fiscal Year
Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount
2015
2014
Anonymous $40,000 KC Can $43,550
Assets and Liabilities
Fiscal Year
Total Assets
Current Assets
Long-Term Liabilities
Current Liabilities
Total Net Assets
Short Term Solvency
Fiscal Year
Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current
Liabilities
Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Anonymous $25,000 Bob Hamilton
Amount
Plumbing, Inc.
$11,200
Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar
Anonymous $25,000 National Christian
Amount
Foundation $10,000
2013
Bob Hamilton
Plumbing $10,000
Wilks Broadcasting
Group $10,000
Centralized Services
$50,000
Capital Campaign
Currently in a Capital Campaign?
No
Goal
$0.00
Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years?
Yes
Organization Comments
Currently waiting on the results of an audit from Mize Houser PA.
Giving the Basics relies on both donated product and purchased product to fulfill the needs of the Pantry
Program and the Schools Program. The total cost of running the two programs for 2016 is projected to be
$1,232,900 which includes estimated donated product of $900,000. The Management and Fundraising budgets
for 2016 total $76,160 which is 6% of the total projected expenditures. Capital expenditures budget for needed
improvements to our warehouse is $20,000. Giving the Basics currently employs two individuals. Their time
and payroll expense is allocated between program, management and fundraising based on time spent on each
of the categories.
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Foundation Comments
• FY 2015, 2014, 2013: Financial data reported using IRS form 990.
• Foundation/corporate giving line item may include contributions from individuals.
Created 06.18.2017.
Copyright © 2017 Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
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