Let Me Tell You a Story.
Let me tell you a story…
Several years ago while enjoying a latte at Starbucks I came across a news item about a family who was on the verge of losing their home to foreclosure. The economy had not been kind to them. With corporate downsizing and ever increasing cost of living they could not meet their financial obligations.
Making a hard decision, they used their available financial resources to keep the lights and water on and put food on the table. Any cash left over barely covered putting gas in the car so that they could look for some type of work. The children still went to school, the parents kept up the yard, and to the neighbors everything still looked normal.
Months went by, and after a time the notice of default came in the mail… several months later, a summons to appear in court for foreclosure arrived. With no options left, the family realized that their time in this home was going to end. Deciding to make the best of their situation they determined to conduct a contest to raise the funds needed to pay off the mortgage and generate enough additional cash to give them a chance to move on into another home that was affordable.
The contest was created, and for a minimum fee and an essay, anyone could enter for a chance to win their house. When the contest was concluded, the happy couple with the winning entry received a fully paid for house for their entry fee of $250. The family that created the contest was able to pay off the mortgage and purchase with cash a smaller home. A happy ending for both families!
This story caught my attention as I started to think of how this idea could be expanded into a viable method of helping families in similar circumstances. Out of this The Dromen Group was born.
The Dromen Group was incorporated as a non-profit corporation with the goal of conducting multiple, concurrent contests that for a fee and an essay anyone who was eligible could enter. Since the idea was to help deserving individuals and families win a home, it was decided that to give the winner the best chance possible to start over, any taxes due on the winnings and any property tax due for the current year would also be paid. This way, the winner would be handed the title and keys to the home with no “out of pocket” expenses.
An important aspect of these contests would be that each contest would be limited to 2,500 entries, allowing each contest entrant a limited number of competitors. Entry fees were set at $100 so as to be affordable.
While researching the issues of homelessness and poverty the importance of having reliable transportation became clear. Without some method of getting around it is very difficult if not impossible to find and keep a job. This led to the creation of another contest which would be entry limited, require an essay and a minimal fee to enter that would award a new car to the winner. This is another step in self-reliance.
The Dromen Group continued to evolve, after much time and money invested in legal consultation and regulatory registration we were designated as a registered charity and received the 501 (c)(3) classification, allowing for tax deductible donations to our cause. Around this time we determined that in order to be successful, and fulfill our mission it was crucial to gain credibility and spread awareness of who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. Without those, why would anyone donate or enter our contests?
Lacking the “deep pockets” needed to setup and run either of these contests in an effective way, and realizing that without donations it was unlikely that we ever would. It was then that the idea of starting out with a scholarship contest was conceived. This contest would be free to enter, require an essay and be entry limited. By doing this we could spread awareness of The Dromen Group, help deserving students and build credibility. All of these benefits would work towards beginning the other contests in a phased approach. Using the same procedures for the scholarship contest as planned for the other two contests would also allow for a smoother “learning curve” for us.
After joining WA and taking advantage of the awesome training and help of the community a website was created, www.thedromengroup.com , describing what we are doing and providing an easy, online way to enter the contest, allowing us to efficiently track every entry and respond to any inquiries. Initially, the first few contests will be funded by the personal donations of our directors. As donations increase the bulk of funding will come from that source. As awareness grows, and the scope of our contest spreads throughout the United States we plan to phase in first the car contest and then the home contest, both of which will be supported by the entry fees collected, with any funds after expenses going to provide even more scholarship contests.
Today, right now our first scholarship contest is open. Go to the website for contest rules and entry information. Tell everyone you know of the opportunity we are offering. Even more important, if you believe in our mission, and our goals to provide a financial restart for deserving families, donate, make a generous donation to The Dromen Group and help us build a better future for others.
We have pledged our resources to make this happen now you can join us in this great adventure!
I can be reached with constructive comments at 1-847-987-3641 or by email at thedromengroup@gmail.com or via our website at www.thedromengroup.com , let’s do this together!
Joseph Bates CEO The Dromen Group
Recent Comments
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Good work Joseph. Thanks for the story and the ideas.