The "Day After" the event

Nearly all the Board of Directors for Fanatical Change met at 9AM on Friday, March 27th to begin working on helping the 3 families located who suffered a tragedy within 5 days of our event held the night before on March 26th. We raised nearly $13,000 at that event from Houstonians like you and me who want to fanatically change the way Houstonians donate money and what real impact that money has on the lives of people who are just like you and me.

The challenge of figuring out what assistance could solve each families most acute needs was no easy task. With nearly a dozen volunteers, we drove around Houston and Galveston in a "motorcade of change" issuing what we affectionately labeled "change warrants" wherever we went that eventually ended with huge success at around 10PM that night. It's was nearly 12.5 hours of assistance to families who really needed it from money raised less than 24 hours before at our Thursday night event. The day was filled with emotion as these 3 families suffered the greatest tragedy of all by losing a loved one in the past few days. The pain was real. The emotion was real. And, the help was real.

The Timeline of Events:

November 18, 2008 - Created a new concept for donating money where there is an immediate local impact with the funds raised and called it Fanatical Change.

December 4, 2008 - Held our first Board Meeting to start planning our first event. We had no idea who the families would be that we would help until the week of the event nearly 4 months later.

March 25, 2009 - Located 3 families who suffered a life altering tragedy within the past 5 days.

March 26, 2009 - We held a fundraising event in the honor of the 3 families who we identified that week. The event raised nearly $13,000.

March 27, 2009 - Nearly a dozen volunteers gathered at 9am to spend the next 12.5 hours helping the 3 families by providing assistance to solve their most acute needs.

March 30, 2009 - The Fanatical Change Foundation becomes the fastest growing non-profit organization in Houston.

Recap of our March 26th 2009 Event

On Thursday, March 26th, 2009, between the hours of 6pm to 9pm, over 300 guests attended the Fanatical Change Foundation’s premier "Keep the Change" event in Houston, Texas to christen the mission of our charitable organization. Throughout the evening, guests were able to enjoy a silent auction of art provided by The Art Institute of Houston, jewelry designed by Alan Cable and students at The Art Institute, weekend hotel getaways from the Westin Hotel in the Galleria and from the Houstonian Hotel and Resort, Nordstrom Spa Massage Package, Houston Rockets sports memorabilia, Houston Aeros hockey tickets and memorabilia, Houston International Festival tickets and memorabilia, clothes from Silversmith Boutique, gift cards from Niko-Niko's and RA Sushi, hors d’oeuvres provided by Frenchy's and Benjy's Restaurant and the company of individuals and local captains of business like yourself who desire to see a change in Houston and how charity works. This event raised nearly $13,000 for Houston families who suffered a life altering tragedy within 5 days of our event.

Here is a small glimpse of the volunteers getting things setup (thank you and we couldn't do it without you):

Here is a small glimpse of the line that started gathering outside.

You can see the Admissions Table getting lots of action!

A little Fanatical Change humor?

We definitely took time to thank our Sponsors!

This site is updated regularly so check back frequently to see how Houstonians, like you and me, are fanatically changing the world.

Be sure to RVSP to our next event and see why Fanatical Change is Houston's fastest growing non-profit organization. -Steven Kaufman, President of The Fanatical Change Foundation

StubDog.com Honored to Support Fanatical Change!

We are so very excited to have the opportunity to promote such a fantastic event. StubDog.com has always been interested in working with people that strive to better the lives of others. We are in the midst of an exciting time in which people are looking for ways to make a difference in their community for the betterment of all. Our hope is to build a lasting relationship with Fanatical Change that helps to let others know about what you are doing. This is extremely inspiring. Keep up the great work and let us know what else we can do to help.

From all of us at StubDog.com

Houston is Changing the World!

Thank you for including me. I want you to know that I think this is a wonderful plan. I love the "Immediate Local Assistance" what a quick ROI, (return of my investment eg. $15.00) I wish I could commit to helping as a Volunteer . I will do everything I can to promote this Project and encourage others to participate. My Best Wishes for a successful event and continued success in your endeavors.

Sincerely, (a Wanna Be World Changer & Supporter of FCF)

Mary E. Parker
General Manager
Century 21 Premier Gold Properties

The "Hispanic Business Network" Speaks Out!

I am honored to be a part of the "Fanatical Change" mission to support the changing of lives and making a difference in the city of Houston. We are in a season where our world is facing many uncertainties. Families are losing hope, dreams are being shattered, and this is a time when we need each other. I believe that when others see the community coming together it will inspire everyone to lend a helping hand. We have all seen the impact of a community coming together after a devastating natural disaster. But there are devastating acts occurring everyday of our lives that we never hear about. I hope we can make a statement for others and give back hope one family at a time. Anything is possible!

Christine Jaques
President
Hispanic Business Network
http://www.hispanicbiznetwork.com/

What is a V.I.G.?

A/k/a Very Important Giver.

Do you want to be a V.I.G.? FCF will ask you this question when you arrive at the Keep the Change event on Thursday, March 26th. FCF will ask all guests for a minimum donation of $15.00 to enter the doors of the event, but you also will have the choice—and we will remind you of that sacred freedom of choice—to become a V.I.G.

V.I.G.s will be allowed into, well,…the V.I.G. room where their cups will runneth over with free wine and spirits and their hands will cramp with chopstick fatigue from eating free sushi—all donated by Club 2610. Additionally, all V.I.G.s will receive a lapel pin to wear so they may display proudly their designation to the public.

To be a V.I.G. at our event, tell the FCF volunteers when you enter the doors that you want to up the ante. All it takes is a $100.00 minimum donation.

Why Fanatical Change?

Myself and several of my peers have wanted to do something to “save the world” but felt like if we gave money to the windshield washer the money might be misdirected and if we donated to an international non-profit that our money didn’t really make an impact. So, we wanted to find a way to donate to families who just suffered a major tragedy where people who donate with us can see the impact of the donation immediately following the event. No delayed gratification for the donation and complete transparency. We created The Fanatical Change Foundation to fanatically change how Houstonians donate money and what they get in return (i.e., see the impact almost immediately). -Steven Kaufman, President of Fanatical Change

What to Expect at Our First Event?

Thursday, March 26 from 6 to 9P we expect 400 to 700 people to attend our first event. We expect, through our Selection Committee, to locate 3 families via local news outlets who suffered a life altering tragedy the Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday the week of our Thursday event. We will provide the attendees at the event a write-up/summary of each family’s particular tragedy so they know who’s getting their money. Friday, March 27, we will spend the day providing assistance to the families by solving their most acute needs based on the funds we’ve raised. We expect to record the various events so that we can post the “families receiving the assistance” on our website so donors can go there to see the impact of their donation. In short, identify them on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…. Raise money for them on Thursday night…. Help them on Friday.

Examples of families who’d get our assistance include: Families where a young child was killed by a drunk driver and can’t afford a funeral or apartment fire victims who lost their worldly possessions. -Steven Kaufman, President of Fanatical Change