A Running Start Foundation
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>View discussions about this entry País: United States
Organization: A Running Start Foundation
Sport: Running
Year the initative began (yyyy) 2004
Project URL: http://www.arunningstart.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? We are one of the first non-profits to utilize the immense running talent in East Africa to improve the lives of youngsters there.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? Several worthy non-profits in Africa use sports and games to give impoverished youngsters a chance to enjoy themselves and work together as a team. We utilize sports in a new and fundamentally different way - by identifying a smaller segment of very talented students & athletes and harnessing their gift in a way that permanently changes their lives, by securing them a U.S. university education or a career in athletics. This model is well-suited to East Africa, which has by far the greatest concentration of running talent in the world. To date, no non-profit has tried to harness this natural resource - this is the mission of A Running Start Foundation.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? There is endless demand for elite African athletes and athletic scholarship candidates, this is not the barrier. The challenge is identifying a large enough pool of talent that a central "clearing-house" can be created. We've done so, and hence sports agents & U.S. university coaches can and do reach out to us for athletes and students. The other barrier is the lack of awareness of the power of sports in very remote but talent-rich corners of Africa.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? We can do three main things to alter the life of a talented young African runner. First, we fund coaches who identify and develop the next generation of Olympic athletes. We sponsor many training camps throughout East Africa for youth/junior-level runners. We then help them secure agents and a career in athletics - one victory on the European Grand Prix circuit and a young athlete can purchase a home for their parents. Second, we sponsor local clubs that identify and assist runners who are also performing well in school. We offer them SAT prep and other assistance, and ultimately help them secure then full athletic scholarships to U.S. universities. Third, we fund the local foundations established by the athletic superstars in East Africa in order to pay secondary school fees of talented youngsters.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? There is significant demand for talented students and athletes. As our funding grows, we can bring more coaches into the organization, fund more camps and establish scholarship clubs outside of Kenya that can identify and nurture students who are eligible for U.S. scholarships.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. We fundamentally alter the lives of the talented few, and enable them to support their families, give back to their communities and inspire others.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? In terms of our first goal - developing young athletes - we are now housing, feeding or coaching about 300 youngsters (aged 14-20) in East Africa. Four of the top 10 runners in the world come out of these camps. Note that government or commercial funding for youth/junior-level athletes is effectively nil. In terms of our second goal - helping student/athletes secure scholarships - our projects in 2007 will send about 40 youngsters to the U.S. on full 4-year scholarships. On average, we can secure a young Kenyan a full U.S. scholarship for less than $500 - the demand from U.S. coaches is huge. In terms of our third goal - using sports to assist primary school kids - we recently rebuilt a rural primary school in Ethiopia and in 2008 we intend to donate to the Foundations of Kenyan running stars, with the money going to pay school fees for talented kids.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? When a talented Kenyan high school graduate secures a place at a U.S. university, we'd like to think that the university community benefits from the presence of this African in their class and on their athletic team. Back in Africa, the community celebrates not only when a "son or daughter" secures an education abroad, but the country celebrates when one of their elite athletes succeeds.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? The limited supply of talented athletes is one barrier, although the talent pool in East Africa is almost endless. The other barrier is the availability of qualified and honest African coaches. Finally, in the U.S., we are limited by the number of university coaches interested in African athletes, although with the scholarship funding so plentiful, this is not yet an issue.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? U.S. runners helping African runners - this is our fundraising goal. In early 2007 we were admitted to the charity programs of several major U.S. races, including the NYC Marathon, Chicago Marathon, etc. The races give us gauranteed race slots, which we give to runners seeking admission (often after registration has closed) in return for a minimum donation to the Foundation. The runners, in turn, seek donations from family & friends, using our online fundraising tool. In 2007, about 100 runners from across the U.S. joined our teams, and are expected to raise over $75,000. The program has been wildly popular - our slots for the Chicago Marathon sold out in less than 2 weeks.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. In 2007 we expect to raise about $75,000, all of which will be used to fund projects in 2008. In 2008, we are on target (given our success in 2007 and our inclusion in several new races) to raise over $125,000. The organization still consists of one U.S.-based individual - Karl Keirstead - who manages the Foundation, as well as several volunteer individuals based in East Africa. The use of the internet for fundraising by our charity running members greatly reduces the overhead required.
What is the potential demand for your innovation? There are over 50 road races in the U.S. that have charity programs. We'll raise over $75,000 in our first year as charity program participants in just 4 races. There are hundreds of thousands of runners in the U.S. - this fundraising tool could raise over $500,000 within a few years.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? We must continue to appeal to the race directors to include us in their charity programs, and we must offer good service to the individuals who join our event teams.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. I am a former marathon runner myself, running 4 marathons between the ages of 12 and 14. At the time, I idolized the great distance runners, many of whom were impoverished East Africans, and I never lost this fascination. In 2004, at the age of 39, I decided to take a few years off to establish a non-profit that would focus on Africa, and that would offer a unique model based on assisting the very talented, not necessarily the most impoverished or sick. I was watching the 2004 Athens Olympics on television and vividly recall the track races, which were dominated by East Africans. I decided that there must be a way to better harness this extraordinary athletic talent in East Africa. So, I traveled to East Africa in late 2004 and spent a month meeting with everyone involved in the sport - agents, athletes, coaches, government officials, etc. A Running Start Foundation was formed soon after.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. I am a Canadian, growing up in Toronto. After finishing my MBA in 1994, I was recruited by one of the large Wall Street investment banks, Lehman Brothers, and moved to NYC. I spent 9 years there, becoming a senior vice-president and equity analyst covering technology stocks. I left in 2003 to pursue other interests and formed A Running Start Foundation in 2004.
Contact Information:
Karl Keirstead
Director A Running Start Foundation (NGO. ) karl@arunningstart.org A Running Start Foundation 315 Bleeker Street, Suite 291 New York, NY 10014 United States Tel: 917-912-0024 Fax: 212-242-6033 Website: www.arunningstart.org Discussions about this entry |
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Dear Karl:
Thank you for participating in this collaborative competition. We value the time and effort you’ve put forth and we would like to offer you feedback and some thought provoking questions from our Evaluation Team.
The concept of identifying scholastically and athletically successful East African children for full-tuition US education or career in international athletics in a way that gives back to communities is innovative. Despite relatively low impact numbers, indirect impact on communities has been substantial, and the scalability of the project has been proven. Furthermore, the project has been able to operate without a reliance on government or commercial funding, although there were some concerns as to the project’s potential to drain talent from the country in which it operates.
Please use this input as both potential insights into your innovations, as well as constructive ideas for how to improve or grow your organization.
Warm regards,
The Changemakers Team
Hi Karl
sorry to say, but i can hardly understand your program as something that will improve the conditions on the community in Africa. This sounds to me more like a scouting program in where brain drain it's the obvious and negative result of it, and US universities using talent from abroad.
You have no process to secure what the 'african-talented-athlete' would give back to his/her community IF he/she suceeds and win some races and money. You mentioned one sending money back to his family, but I dont think that is community development and the family is not being able to support itself, but depending on the results this family member get.
I don't like neither to think that the talent (or not) of an african kid will determinate his destiny. I think the concept needs to improve and help the African people in THEIR county, improver THEIR conditions, make them sustanaible in the long term, and more important: give them the tools to have SELF FINANCED programs that can improve their lifes.
Cheers
Mario
thanks for the very honest feedback Mario, always helpful to hear. Despite our wishes, "sport" cannot build a factory, educate a child or eradicate disease. What it CAN do is empower individuals. The sponsor of this competition, Nike, has helped to create and market individual athletes such as Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, who have in turn inspired millions and contributed to community development. What is wrong with taking the same approach in East Africa? "Community development" is a useless textbook term until ONE INDIVIDUAL is inspired to change the status quo and equip themselves with the money or the skills to improve things. Our Foundation helps hundreds of outstanding youngsters who, through sport, enrich themselves, see the world, earn a US university education, which then equips them to help others. We may differ, but in our view the destiny of every African child is VERY MUCH determined by his/her individual talent, and we make no apologies about focusing on these kids who have a particular sporting talent that can, with some help, dramatically alter their lives and those of others. In 2007 we sent 45 impoverished Kenyan kids to the US to secure a free US university education...many will return to Kenya. I challenge you to ask any one of them how this creates a negative result. I also encourage you to visit Eldoret, Kenya, home to thousands of elite runners, and ask how the prize money that they're plowing back into the community (into real estate, local businesses, charitable giving) is a negative and doesn't contribute to community development. And while it's easy to criticize the "brain drain", I am writing this email from China, where tens of thousands of smart youngsters secured a US education and have since returned home to become CEO's, doctors and engineers. Ask them how doing so has been a negative for community development in China. Again, I appreciate the feedback Mario...all the best.
Karl Keirstead
President - A Running Start Foundation
Hey Karl,
One quick observation....I do think that many entries in this competition have demonstrated the possibility that sport may offer to address issues like education, disease prevention, etc., so not sure I agree with you on that point! :-)
But I am with you that the power of educating one individual with a college degree is hugely important, especially if that individual is a woman - that is what all the evidence says. I can't tell you how many athletes that I know went to college on DII, or tier 2 Division I schools (my sisters is one) scholarships whose parents were blue collar and the education is what gave them a stepping stone to a better future as well as the social networks that sport creates which we know so well can lead to opportunities and future success.
On another note - are you based in China? I would love to connect you with our CR Manager there, she is looking for sport for development organizations to highlight at an upcoming forum on the topic in CHina. let me know!
Ziba
Hey Karl
thanks for your answer, you made good points but I just think your project could be improved. Sure that the the kids you touched and secured an US education, etc, etc will be impacted positively. My question goes in how you make sure that the knowledge come back to the home country. This is something that concers me a lot and maybe the cherry on the top would be to get those US universities -once the student has his/her bachelor degree- to sponsor them to come back to their home country so they can help their own community. Then your program would be just perfect to me.
Community development can be very simple actually, it just making people be able to stand in their own feet.
I apologize if I misscommunicated and offended you, english is not my native language and sometimes I write and it looks 'harder' than I meant. I believe your intentions are the bests without doubt and I respect that deeply. I raise my concerns because I come from Argentina and I see things from the 'other side' of the coin, if you know what i mean. We have plenty of poverty and issues there too, and i've seen brain drain and other bad consequences from programs that were suppose to be helping the people and they didn't in the long term.
All the best to you too and good luck with your projects!
Mario
Hi Everyone,
I also think there is value in "role models" that can create an incentive for behavior among other young people that may include just doing sport in the promise of opportunity or a path out of individual poverty. In the process, many kids may not reach that pinnacle level of success (in this case a college education or a professional career) but they may be distracted from negative influences or gain positive behaviors (discipline, perseverence, self esteem, etc.)
That said, I do think Mario raises important points and there may be examples that you could learn from to prevent teh "brain drain" or ensure a broader multiplier effect. The example that comes to mind is the fullbright scholarship program that is operated out of most US Embassies for foreign students - they have a contract of sorts that offers a quid pro quo, i.e. the prospect student gets the investment in exchange for a certain # of years service post graduation. It might be something to look into....
Best,
ziba
thanks again Mario. We're always open to good suggestions - I guess that's one of the benefits of this open forum. To date, we've felt it's enough of an achievement to help these kids get access to a free American university education. Once they're in, I must admit it's tough to "force" them to give back in some way...we just trust that most will, eventually. We can't force the university to send them home. If you have any practical ideas, I'd love to hear them, we're very open to improving things if we can and I totally understand your issue. Thanks again for your input,
Karl Keirstead
Hi Karl,
Im gonna quote Mr. Jagdish Bhagwati, a well known economist, I think it's interesting what he says on this topic:
"Absorptive capacity is far less of a problem if increased aid for Africa is spent outside the country. Since much of Africa suffers from huge skills shortages for virtually every developmental problem, education and training of African students in western universities could be vastly increased. They will mostly stay abroad. But then the west should develop and pay handsomely for programmes where they can contribute in other ways, such as short-term visits to train others, for instance. Until these shortages ease years from now (as they did in the 1990s in India; the “brain drain” was a big issue there in the 1950s) as more nationals are trained and find return attractive, surely we could send out more of our own."
I think as I said its a good idea to sponsor your guys once they get their bachelor to go back to Africa and help out there, train others, pass the knowledge, keep in contact with their reality, etc. You will need more funds for doing this, or if you can't get them you could reduce your costs and scale for a while. Maybe you can interest the universities to sponsor your guys and make them do their final tesis on a practical project in their own country, or a internship...maybe they can put that in their education program for this group.
I think this way your impact on the community will be higher in the long term. Its great for individuals right now, but its missing the community part I think.
Cheers
Mario
Dear Changemakers & Voters,
As you consider each of these wonderful charities, I thought I'd take a moment to assure you that the horrific violence in Kenya, one of the key countries in which we operate, has thankfully not had a material affect on the youngsters we help. We fund four camps in Kenya, for about 200 youngsters. Two are for youngsters with dreams of becoming elite athletes, and are held during school holidays in December and April. The December camps were very successful, and we're hoping the violence will subside by April. The other two full-time camps are for youngsters with dreams of securing full athletic scholarships to US universities. One of these camps is fully running, while we've temporarily closed the other and sent the kids home for security reasons. The rest of the organization in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda is firing on all cylinders. Tragically, however, a Board member for one of our scholarship camps in Kenya, Lucas Sang, a 1988 Olympian, was killed during the violence. We plan to honor his commitment to athletics and helping young Kenyans by doubling our efforts in his home country.
Karl Keirstead
President
A Running Start Foundation
www.arunningstart.org
Dear Karl
Thanks for telling us about your running programme. I am still trying to imagine my 12 to 14 year old self running marathons. I thought I was pretty tough on my Vancouver cross country team running up and down the west coast mountains! We (Boxgirls Roadwork http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/2279) are leading fitness running and self defense courses for girls and young women in the Eastlands of Nairobi. It would be wonderful if we could join forces for some public awareness events like a mixed elite/fun run or other outreach activities to show the value of a life dedicated to sport and personal growth.
In my capacity at the Free University I am also interested in how one would compare approaches of "helping the very talented" rather than helping "the impoverished or sick" in terms of greater sustainable social transformation. Can you say something more about your goals for the programme as a whole, as compared to goals for individual athletes, and how you measure your investment against return?
All the best from a fellow Canadian now in Berlin.
Heather Cameron
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Thanks for the posting Heather, and great question. The way I see it, many organizations touch a lot of needy individuals, but touch them superficially...in a way that doesn't fundamentally alter their life trajectory and create anything sustainable once the dust settles. To really alter lives in Africa, I believe an organization needs either a very large budget (which we don't have), or needs to target fewer but "high-impact" individuals...individuals who by putting a bit of wind in their sail, can take off. This is our approach, and in East Africa the best high-impact targets if you will are the young runners. They are in such demand, that our clubs can secure them a 4-year U.S. university education for less than $300. Compared to just the value of four years of US university tuition fees, etc , say $100,000...this is a HUGE return on investment, without even considering the impact that these kids will subsequently have on their families, communities and workplaces. In 2007 our clubs sent 45 young Kenyans to US universities. They go from a Kenyan village to a US college campus and their lives are permanently changed. To be frank, I'd rather do this for 100 student/athletes than "touch" 10,000 but not really change a thing. Turning to the youngsters we help develop into elite athletes, the impact is tougher to measure. In Uganda, for instance, about 60 kids are training at our camps. About 5-6 of them will represent Uganda at the Beijing Olympics and inspire a nation. The other 55 will not, but will learn many life lessons through sport. Still a good investment I think. So, all in, you ask a critical question about how best to have an impact and about measuring results. I'd love to hear your own perspective and would love to partner at some point...your organization sounds wonderful. All the best and hoping you & your girls stay safe in these trying times in Kenya.
Hello Karl,
Could you expand on your response to "How do you plan to grow your innovation?" What are some of the step by step plans you have? What connections are you making? What are your goals for the next 5 years?
Do you have any plans for engaging the non-college demographic and perhaps creating more of a industry of sport that starts with younger generations?
Do you have any methods of fund-raising and revenue generation? Have you considered hosting a marathon for a good cause?
You mention the story of Erich Too sending money home to his community. In addition to this, are there other examples of runners giving back to their communities? Is there any social conscience aspect to the program that requires that runners give back? Is it an unspoken hope that runners will give back or an explicit expectation of the program?
Great work. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dana Frasz
Changemakers
Dana
Changemakers
Good morning Dana.
In terms of growth, there are many avenues. Most African countries offer NO support for youth/junior-level sports, so there is ample opportunity to fund more clubs/camps for 15-20 year olds, to introduce them to the merits of sport and if we do it well, to identify youngsters that can use their talents to secure U.S. athletic scholarships or a career as an athlete. In December we are setting up month-long camps in remote regions of Tanzania and Uganda. We'll house, feed and coach about 30-50 runners at each camp. There are countless programs such as this that we could establish in the next five years. Moreover, once funding is in place, we'd like to move into Rwanda, then Eritrea, possibly Sudan. We'd like to have 1,000 elite kids training at our camps within five years and be sending 200 kids per year to U.S. universities. In terms of fundraising, we're entering charity running (i.e. fundraising) teams in 6-8 U.S. races in 2008, up from 4 in 2007, and we could easily be in 25 races per year within 5 years. Organizing a dedicated race is a great idea.
In terms of a non-college demographic, most of the 250-300 or so "elite" youngsters training at our existing camps are already under 20 years of age. Right now the opportunity to groom them for U.S. university scholarships is just so big but in 2008, we plan to expand into paying high school tuition fees for impoverished but very talented athletes, so in this way we are at least helping the non-college-bound kids stay in school. In terms of giving back, most of our camps have strict policies in place - 10-15% of any prize money earned goes back to the camp. There are countless examples I could provide of the successful runners giving back...the superstars such as Haile Gebreselassie & Paul Tergat give generously and a culture of giving back is (slowly) taking root.
Thanks, Karl
Dear Karl,
We found this to be a fabulous identification and capitalization of this resource pool, it's the open economy of talent in the works. Some of us were concerned that this shift of talent out of the region may lead to an effect similar to the brain drain, have you thought beyond what the athletes can achieve once recruited to Universities, perhaps a way that the athletes can contribute their successes back to East Africa? Perhaps an innovative mechanism to make these athletes aware of the athletes to be socially minded once they attain an elite level of success and how they may leverage their successes to bring their talents back to their homes? Or do you find that many athletes are already in a place where they want to do this for their families and their communities?
Also, have you heard of Nike Plus and how it works to create a community of runners? The entry by Boxgirls Roadworks is a great demonstration of how the product can work to create runners across the globe.
Thank you for your response!
Tyler Ahn
Changemakers
thanks Tyler, great questions. Our goal is clearly to have these kids eventually contribute to their home countries...this is exactly where you get leverage by assisting very talented youngsters. Unfortunately, the creation of "change agents" can often be best achieved by having the youngster secure a U.S. education; most schools in East Africa are weak and don't create graduates that have the skills & perspective & means to give back. In our programs, this can either be achieved when the student/athletes return home after graduating, or by securing employment in the U.S. and remitting funds back to their families & friends. One small example...Erich Too secured a full scholarship to Farleigh Dickenson University, studying accounting. After classes, he got a job selling running shoes in the local New Balance store. His scholarship covered all his living expenses in the U.S., so he sent his part-time earnings home...and was supporting 25 family members in his Kenyan village. We're happy with even this kind of contribution. In terms of the elite athletes, most already give back...they don't forget where they came from & the struggles they overcame. We do, however, require that they contribute a portion of their winnings to the camp, to meet the costs of assisting the younger athletes. This creates a culture of giving...one that has not taken hold in East Africa yet, but if it starts with the sports stars, it can grow. I have not heard of Nike Plus but will check it out. Thanks again for the thoughts...Karl
I think that you've certainly come up with an effective model to serve developing runners in East Africa, Karl. Not only have you selected a sport which speaks to so many of the African continent's people, and of which they can justifiably be proud, but also one where others' impact in the form of coaching or monetary subsidization can be most effectively realized.
Distance running is simultaneously ancient as well as completely topical. Not many sports can boast a legacy that goes back two-and-a-half millennia, and that's just in the West. Today's runners in Africa tread pathways that both literally and figuratively have carried their forebears for countless years.
Steve Byars
Thanks Steve. I certainly hope it's a pathway that can now carry them to a U.S. university or at least a measure of financial independence. One of the kids that we developed at our camp in eastern Uganda, Moses Kipsiro, just returned home after a summer in Europe, where he won the Bronze at the World Champs 5,000M. With his prize money, he just bought a new 4x4, is renovating & expanding his family's home and is investing in local businesses. This is EXACTLY what we hope for...use an inherent skill base and generate more opportunity that they can on their own. Thanks for your support!
Thank you for sharing your program. How does your program manage the cross-cultural shifts and transitions of the student-athletes as they go to the United States and return to East Africa? Also, how will the alumni of your program benefit your overall business strategy? Thank you again, and look forward to your reply.
Kindest regards, Eli
Eli A. Wolff
Manager, Research & Advocacy
Center for the Study of Sport in Society
Northeastern University
e.wolff@neu.edu
Thanks for the comment Eli. In general, we are too small a charity to also manage the student/athletes when they arrive in the US - we leave that to the university coaches who've recruited them. However, they do retain email access to their clubs back in Kenya and before leaving, their clubs offer cultural lessons to reduce the shock. In a few cases, some student/athletes haven't adjusted well...and we've helped put them up with a Kenyan family for a few weeks to help them adjust. But in general, this hasn't been a big problem. Enough Kenyans have gone to the US on athletic scholarships that the awareness of the cultural challenges is high; the US coaches are familiar with overseas athletes and are in a good position to help; and the student/athletes, being runners, mix very well with the American runners on their track and XC teams - in effect, there is a natural support group. Great question though.
Karl Keirstead
A Running Start Foundation
Fantastic! I am a distance runner too and have always been amazed by the extreme running talent that comes from Kenya and other East African nations. I like how you've described this talent as a natural resource and it is exciting that you are working to harness that resource!
How are you marketing your idea to the East African community? What kind of outreach are you doing to find the right athletes and coaches? You've mentioned that it is difficult to find qualified and honest African coaches. Have you considered including a coaches training program into your project?
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Dana Frasz
Changemakers
thanks Dana. In terms of marketing, not much is required, as we now know most of the agents & coaches in East Africa and have a good pipeline to athletes. There are many more camps, athletes & students than our budget allows us to help, so marketing is not an issue yet. We'd love to add a coaches training program...this would help a lot. However, for now, the cost of implementing such an effort would be too high...we'd rather use the B-level coaches that are there to help with the many talented youngsters who can benefit from our programs. Quite frankly, the athletes are SO talented that a B-level coach is good enough to train them to the point that they can secure an agent or a U.S. scholarship. Thanks again for your thoughts!!
Karl Keirstead
A Running Start Foundation