Ryan Becker, born January 26,1997 in Haiti, was adopted by his adoptive parents, Scott and Louise Becker, in Central Ohio in 2001.  Ryan’s biological family, still in Haiti, lost their home and their livelihood during the terrible earthquake on January 12, 2010.   Through Surgance, Race for the Soul contributions will go to fund the construction of a new quality constructed home and provide travel assistance for the team of volunteers who will travel to Haiti to assist in the construction process.

Surgance President and CEO Brian Audia stated “We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to impact lives in Haiti, particularly at this particular moment in time. And we would like to thank the businesses, churches, organizations and individuals in Columbus and in Central Ohio that have stepped up to volunteer, to give or to run in RaceForTheSoul so that this home can be built.”

Race for the Soul sets out to bring awareness to, and provide for, the needs of people in Central Ohio and throughout the world.  Through the efforts of our beneficiaries, hundreds of thousands of people have been provided food, clean drinking water, medical assistance, along with a vast array of other physical and emotional needs.

The race will take place September 18, 2010 at 9:00am. See: http://raceforthesoul.com for more information or to register or contact Race Director Steve Clifton.

As part of his research he shared how Daniel Bornstein in his book “How to Change the World” defines social entrepreneurs as “people with new ideas to address major problems who are relentless in pursuit of their visions, people who will not take ‘no’ for an answer, who will not give up until they have spread their ideas as far as they possibly can.”

We have used this job description in the past from Ashoka: The “job of a social entrepreneur is to recognize when a part of society is stuck and to provide new ways to get it unstuck. He or she finds what is not working and solves the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution and persuading entire societies to take new leaps. Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry.”

Couldn’t say it better ourselves…

Thank you Dr. Rolling, Mr. Bornstein, our friends at Ashoka and all who have worked and are working to change lives for the better. We stand with you.

In the link to the video below, Seth Godin speaks at TED about joining or starting movements of your own. It is engaging, funny, inspiring and true. Enjoy, and go make a difference in your community!

http://tiny.cc/potx8

In the series, the two business academics defined and outlined three tests to be applied to determine whether something is a core competence:

First, a core competence provides potential access to a wide variety of markets.

Second, a core competence makes a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end product.

Third, a core competence is difficult for competitors to imitate because it is a complex harmonization of individual technologies and production skills.

The two academics painted a picture of the corporation as a tree whose roots are its particular competencies. Out of these roots grow the organization’s “core products” which, in turn, nourish a number of separate business units. Lastly, out of these business units come “end products.”

This is a perfect description of how Surgance is bringing innovation to the social sector. Our core competencies include the ability to:

• Assess community needs
• Develop strategies to solve problems in that community
• Mobilize individuals and organizations in the community to collaborate to provide solutions
• Provide orientation and training
• Manage the process and people
• Measure the results
• Report the results
• Reproduce the program again and/or in a new place where the need is the same

Each of these items in the bulleted list is a core competency born out of research, experience and developed skill. These core competencies allow us to help new social entrepreneurs and innovators expand our programs into their cities or birth their nonprofit idea off of our platform. Either way, we are using the core competencies multiple times over to impact lives and transform communities in multiple locations and in multiple fashions.

The end result is that more communities are transformed, and more lives are changed for the better than if everybody started from scratch with a good idea and had to develop core competencies in everything listed above.  Real value is added to the community in a way that maximizes the communities’ investment since these core competencies bring efficiency to the process of making a social impact.

That said, many of you have heard me speak of “The nonprofit starvation cycle” wherein charities become focused more on efficiency than impact in order to keep subjective “overhead” costs low (there is no industry standard for nonprofit overhead or programming costs) so that they can show donors that they are a great investment. This is nonsense. The point is impact! Critical infrastructure investments and a long term focus on growth and impact are absolutely vital to our organization and to the future of any nonprofit desiring to make a difference in the lives of millions.

The leadership at Stanford University in their Center for Social Innovation and through the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) have been on the cutting edge of bringing this issue to the forefront. Here’s a strong quote that explains the situation found in the Fall 2009 issue of the SSIR, a research based article by Ann Goggins Gregory & Don Howard: “A vicious cycle is leaving nonprofits so hungry for decent infrastructure that they can barely function as organizations—let alone serve their beneficiaries. The cycle starts with funders’ unrealistic expectations about how much running a nonprofit costs, and results in nonprofits’ misrepresenting their costs while skimping on vital systems—acts that feed funders’ skewed beliefs. To break the nonprofit starvation cycle, funders must take the lead.”

Surgance is an innovative, cutting edge nonprofit that is about IMPACT. We are catalysts for transformation and life change in communities all over the country, but we are also working to bring about change in the nonprofit industry by stopping new nonprofit leaders from recreating the wheel with our business model. This is efficient for the donor AND it increases impact. We need catalytic donors that recognize this fact, see the fundamental challenge that Stanford speaks of above, and also realize that Surgance is an investment that is even helping to usher in transformation for an entire industry.

Gregory and Howard go on to say, “Organizations that build robust infrastructure—which includes sturdy information technology systems, financial systems, skills training, fundraising processes, and other essential overhead—are more likely to succeed than those that do not. This is not news, and nonprofits are no exception to the rule.”

What’s the bottom line? The Surgance business model is built on efficiency, but our leadership understands that the point of our work is impact. We will continue to invest in infrastructure and training that allows us to thrive as a global force for good bringing innovative programs for the good of society to the market. If that resonates with you, we invite you to join the movement.

Brian D. Audia
President and CEO

The article quoted above can be read here: http://tiny.cc/62amt

“I am so excited and grateful for the support this organization is giving Valley Elementary,” said Principal Debbie Scarbrough. “I am thrilled about the improvements that are planned because it will mean so much to our students and teachers. It has been very exciting to see the community coming together to make this a reality.”

Surgance is a national nonprofit organization that helps to promote community transformation projects by bringing uncommon partners together to work on common goals. Their strategy is to mobilize leaders in the community from local churches, businesses and organizations to work together to accomplish the mission of transforming lives and communities. The organization has coordinated similar efforts in more than 40 schools in 15 cities across the country, painting more than 2.5 million square feet of wall space. The organization’s President and CEO, Brian Audia, has just been recognized as one of the Top 40 Alumni from Auburn University at Montgomery.

Valley Elementary currently has 15 new classrooms under construction as part of the Shelby County Board of Education’s Five Year Capital Improvement Plan. The addition of these classrooms, which are slated to be complete by the start of the school year in August, will allow the Board of Education to remove several portable classrooms currently being used.

The Surgance project was planned with the idea of giving classrooms in the existing building a fresh new coat of paint to match the new classrooms under construction. Volunteers have already completed painting a section of the school’s cafeteria. The project also includes landscaping a courtyard area in the back of the school to make it more accessible for special needs children.

Surgance volunteers also plan to help teachers who are moving into the new wing and within the building due to a complete reorganization of the classrooms. Volunteers have already assisted teachers with moving classrooms last week at the close of the school year and will continue to assist once the new classroom addition is completed and ready to be occupied.

Volunteers of all ages are still needed to assist with this endeavor. For safety reasons, younger children will not be permitted to help with the painting or landscaping projects. They will be assigned duties such as helping to prep rooms for painting and cleaning areas of the school. Those interested can contact Project Leader Mark Warner at mark.warner@surgance.com or at 492-5904 or simply come to the school on any Saturday during the month of June. For more information on Surgance visit their website at www.surgance.com .

For further information regarding this press release, please contact:
Cindy Warner
Public Relations Supervisor
Shelby County Schools
682-7084 or 288-2150

Surgance President and CEO Brian D. Audia has been honored by Auburn University at Montgomery as one of its top 40 alumni.

Formal recognition was given to the 40 by Chancellor Dr. John Veres III at the spring graduation ceremony May 15, 2010. The group included doctors, attorneys, authors, educators, social crusaders, businessmen, war heroes, three generals, two former Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff and architects of the war on terror, and one prince; His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdulazz of Saudi Arabia. Prince Khaled is the grandson of the nation’s founder and was the commander of joint forces during the first Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait. All were rewarded for a lifetime of personal achievement displaying the value of a degree from the university and the ability of its graduates to leave a mark on the world.

Tens of thousands of graduates and over two years of nominations and voting led to the 40 being chosen by the university.

“To receive this honor is incredibly humbling,” said Audia. “When I look at the list of 40 and their achievements I am in absolute awe. My mission in life is to help others be successful. So, if I am being recognized then it only stands to reason that this is an award that is shared with all of those that I have worked with around the world that are truly making a difference. This is recognition for OUR work.”

Additionally, Mr. Audia had some advice for the next generation of graduates. “Surround yourself with great people. That is a practice that started for me at Auburn University at Montgomery and continues to this day, with my wife Melissa and the great company I work for, Surgance.”

Surgance is a multinational nonprofit organization based in Boston, MA that unites uncommon partners on common ground social issues in order to change lives and transform communities. More information can be found at the company’s website, www.surgance.com.

The building where the Surgance corporate offices reside in Boston, MA

The Surgance movement has a new corporate address and phone number:

225 Franklin Street
26th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Phone 617.217.2184

Office hours are from 8:30am until 5:00pm Monday through Friday, Eastern time.

In recognition of the grand opening, company President and CEO Brian Audia said, “Surgance is growing every single day as a nonprofit entity. Our mission of aligning uncommon partners on common ground social issues to change lives and transform communities in measurable ways is something people everywhere are recognizing, appreciating and investing in. Our unique strategy and core competencies to equip world changers to change the world have proven themselves with our programs and in the places where we work. Volunteerism and impact have never been at higher levels and we believe that Surgance is poised for explosive impact in the lives of tens of thousands in the coming months. We need access to world class business and university partners. An address like Franklin street in Boston exemplifies the commitment of the national Surgance leadership to invest in the tools we need to support the movement including sensible and scalable office space and infrastructure. Additionally, the establishment of an office in Boston was the next logical step because our corporate strategy is focused on expanding the movement into New England even as we speak. Our next executive will be hired from the region and he has spent a lifetime investing in it and the next generation. We are looking forward to building relationships here and making an impact for years to come.”

Surgance addresses non divisive issues in communities such as youth athletics, education, foster care, chronic and severe malnourishment, as well as things like clothing the cold and serving refugees and immigrants in a time of need. Because the strategies are driven by issues locally and led by community minded individuals at the grassroots level, Surgance works on many different issues in many different places—but always with uncommon partners on common ground issues changing lives in the process.

“We like to talk about ‘face to face’ work where our volunteers and partners are focused on helping provide assistance to those that simply need a helping hand from their neighbor,” said Audia. “But we have found that ‘shoulder to shoulder’ work in communities among individuals and entities that do not usually work together provides opportunities for dialogue and understanding that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. We are literally watching communities be transformed by the community, in community. That is what we are all about.”

Additionally, Mr. Audia thought it important to note that Surgance is not a geographically centered strategy. “Surgance works to change as many lives as we possibly can in as many places as we possibly can. One day, we will have 10,000 programs in 10,000 places.”

“Where our corporate headquarters resides is a combination of many factors. We are happy to be in Boston but we are completely committed everywhere we work. And that includes Las Vegas, NV where the Surgance corporate offices are moving from. As a matter of fact, we have more activity planned there over the next year than we ever have.”

In a final related note, Audia wanted to give credit to the church he attended in Las Vegas. “Though we work with many churches and other faith-based entities in communities everywhere, Surgance is not a religious organization. Surgance volunteers and partners simply ‘do good’ no matter what they believe or where their motivation resides. However, Hope Baptist Church led by Pastor Vance Pitman gave our nonprofit phones, office space and tens of thousands of dollars to help us get started when few others understood our unique strategy to usher in community transformation. They were one of those ‘uncommon partners.’ And though it was an out of the box investment for them in their community and the world, they believed in us and invested in us as a force for good. I would like to personally and formally thank them on behalf of the Surgance movement.”

The individuals behind the Surgance movement have a long track record of success catalyzing and managing humanitarian and social service projects across the country and around the world. We have mobilized and managed nearly 100,000 volunteers in over 50 nations working on issues as complex as severe, acute malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa to those as simple as providing a warm coat to a homeless teenager on the streets of an American urban center.

Our mission is to channel uncommon partners toward common ground social issues in order to change lives and transform communities for the better.

Our strategy to achieve that mission is to empower and train the grassroots social entrepreneur and innovator to use our name, legitimacy and leverage to accomplish far more than they ever could alone. Typically, our directors focus on either programs (issues), or places (geography or populations), with a goal and a desire to transform communities and change lives. Surgance works only on common ground, nondivisive issues within communities.

In my experience, once it’s clear you’re willing (not just willing, but itching, moving, and yes, implementing) without them, things start to happen. People are rarely willing to step up and stop you, and often just waiting to follow someone crazy enough to actually do something.

I’m going. Come along if you like.

This spirit is a part of the Surgance culture. Our mission is to transform communities and change lives. Our strategy to achieve that mission is to empower social entrepreneurs and innovators at the grassroots level. We do this by helping them take new ideas to help people and turning them into impact locally, nationally or internationally as a part of the Surgance movement.

Once their new program or place is official, we bring uncommon partners together on their common ground issue to change lives. By utilizing the Surgance platform, these social innovators have immediate leverage, legitimacy, a distribution network, a national and corporate board, centralized operations and the track record of an organization and/or leaders that have run social programming in over 50 nations and from coast to coast in America. “They” become “us” when they get on the bus.

Our bus is headed to community transformation and life change for those in need. We will get there by bringing uncommon partners together to work collaboratively on common ground, nondivisive issues. We’re looking for people who have the spirit to get that done without having to have everybody on board or everything in place before moving forward with a new idea. Together, we’ll find a way to make a difference.
brian AUDIA
President and CEO