One day, a couple was walking along the shore and saw a human figure in the distance moving like a dancer. As they came closer, they saw that the figure was that of an old man and he wasn’t dancing at all. “Good morning!” the woman said. “May I ask what it is that you are doing?” The old man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.” “Why?” she asked, looking out across the beach. The old man smiled, “Because the sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they will die.” The woman looked over at her husband and then back at the old man. “But do you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!” At this, the old man bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the ocean and said “It made a difference to that one!”

-An abbreviated and adapted version of The Starfish Story by Loren Eisley

“It” for the starfish in Loren Eisley’s story was the opportunity not to die from being baked by the sun at low tide. “It” in human terms is the opportunity to live; actually, the opportunity to do more than live, to do more than survive…to thrive. Over the years, I have jokingly called this condition “thrival.” For that to happen, food and shelter must no longer be an issue. If you do not have enough food for your children, your life is about where that food will come from. If you have no place to sleep, your life is about where you or your family will rest at night. Fully one sixth of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty. While vastly improved from the 1970’s when Buckminster Fuller advanced the notion that poverty and starvation were not inevitable, there are still a billion people living in extreme poverty. As we discussed in last month’s newsletter, the pain of these conditions exist within us because it is not alright for a sixth of our family to be in dire conditions.

Enter now into The Starfish Fund idea, born initially in 2004 as a result of having completed a “What One Person Can Do” (WOPCD) conversation as part of a New Horizons Academy program in the Maine State Prison.

In December of 2005, Bill M., one of the participants of that program, was released and had a very difficult time finding work other than day labor. When he would explain to prospective customers that his skills in carpentry were learned in the woodworking shop at the prison, they decided to hire other people.

It was then that The Starfish Fund moved from an idea, into reality. A space was rented, tools provided and the first prototypes of his custom furniture are now ready for sale.

What seems a simple issue had some complicating factors. Bill M. had no credit rating and the landlord wouldn’t rent the space without a co-signor. The fire department wanted commercial fire alarms. Forty-eight hundred dollars later, the system works perfectly. The system requires a phone. Think credit and deposit. The power company required a hefty deposit for a commercial account. Independent living for the family required a new apartment lease. Oh, yes, then there was the matter of food and a little furniture. A leg up. An opportunity to create a business of his own. A second chance. Not complicated, really.

The Starfish Fund is a source. A source of revenue for investors. A source of “leg up” funds for people looking to claim or reclaim their lives and then contribute the same to others. It gives Bill M. the means to make a fresh start and in return, like any other participant chosen for The Starfish Fund, he agrees to some simple agreements; have participated in or agree to participate in WOPCD, create a budget with support from S.C.O.R.E. (Service Corps of Retired Executives), keep records and a monthly profit and loss statement, get whatever support is needed, coaching, counseling and contribute back to The Starfish Fund (ten percent of earnings, more if they like) and eventually become an investor, when able.

So how can we make this, The Starfish Fund, work? Bill M’s intentions are excellent. He has some ideas for chairs that might make him the next Herman Miller (think Eames Chair). He has a “football” chair in solid oak. Look forward to an open house in October in Portland, Maine. And, I think Bill M. is more excited about the idea of being able to create this possibility for others than he is about his own store and the roof over his head. Why? Because everyone wants to know that they can make a difference in the lives of people. To be in good enough shape to be able to be of use to others.

And, we cannot count on the Herman Miller successor possibility. If he is fortunate, Bill M. and his family will create a living wage and a new chapter in their lives as a function of this experience. If they are exceptionally successful, we will all cheer.

It is possible that this business may not work. Even the best businesses take time to get up and running.

We could have chosen a non-profit format for The Starfish Fund where funds are raised from donors to generate the funds to offer to the next participant and we did not. The problem as we see it is that we must always be about the raising of money. Non-profit organizations (NPO) have done terrific work over the years. I think the reduction in the number of those suffering from poverty is in large measure due to NPOs. Jeffrey Sachs, author of The End of Poverty, says that right now, developed countries contribute three tenths of one percent (.003) of their gross national product (GNP) to humanitarian aid. He also suggests that it will only take seventh tenths of one percent (.007) of the GNP of these countries to end poverty, as we know it on the planet. He is one of the economists of record in the countries of Bolivia, Poland, India and China. Take a look at where your holiday presents were made and listen carefully to the voice at the other end of your Hewlett-Packard computer customer service call. Save The Children has known that poverty could be ended for twenty years and they wait for contributions to finish the job. Actually, they are not waiting, they are aggressively seeking contributions. They and many others are seeking contributions and twenty-five thousand children will die today, needlessly, of chronic hunger and starvation.

The best example of an incredibly successful for profit company is The Grameen Trust (see grameen-info.org), a micro-lender, which is owned by its customers, nine-six percent (96%) of which are women. It does have not-for-profit partners and the one hundred and twenty-three million dollars ($123,000,000) on its balance sheets came from making loans to people in the third world, with no credit to get a leg up. We do not want to be a bank and we do believe that when it is in everyone’s enlightened self interest, financially, the possibility for growth increases and has no limit. Perhaps more importantly, just as with the Grameen Bank, our participants will ultimately have the opportunity to be investors. And for these reasons and more, we have chosen to operate The Starfish Fund as a for profit company.

In the interim, we will be taking the investments received in The Starfish Fund and paying a ten percent (10%) return on those dollars and investing them within a real estate/mortgage investment fund. It is our intention to find ways of meeting the needs of investors. Payment options will be designed on an individual basis. As these funds grow, we will be making leg up investments as it seems prudent.

Last and not least is the decision to require those who receive “leg up” funds from The Starfish Fund to participate in the WOPCD conversation. At the outset, I was leery of making this a requirement, feeling that it might be perceived as self-serving until I had the opportunity to discuss the idea with Hammie Ward. Hammie participated in the WOPCD conversation when he was a Senior Youth Director with Houston Works, a Department of Labor demonstration program for youth at risk. Upon completion of the WOPCD program, Hammie decided that he could better serve his life goals around creating possibility for youngsters from tough backgrounds by being highly successful in business and letting them know the same was possible for them. “You have to make WOPCD part of The Starfish Fund process.” Hammie insisted. “There is something about it that cuts to the heart of the matter. I’ve participated in lots of ‘motivational’ programs and this one is very different.” Having been a Harlem Globetrotter in 1997 and 1998, I felt his experience with “motivational theory” was much wider than mine, and so, in addition to several other requirements and a very rigorous application process, participation in the WOPCD conversations is a requirement.

As in any project, I have undertaken, there have been a number of advisory voices along the way, like Hammie, and the following individuals have graciously agreed to lend their voices to The Starfish Fund:

· Paula Benoit, owner of Magnolia and a candidate for the State Senate in Maine;

· Quin Frazer, Partner of Gardner, Carton & Douglas;

· Sally Hennessey, retired Director of Program for the Easter United States operations of The March of Dimes;

· Richard Malley, Headmaster Emeritus Wilbraham & Monson Academy;

· Michael Neill, author and coach;

· Matt Schuller, MS, RHIA, Project Manager;

· Senator Ethan Strimling, Executive Director, Portland West; Senator, State of Maine;

· Hammie Ward, Regional Director of Aflac for all of Eastern Texas; and

· Kelly Williams, CEO of Access.

The Starfish Fund will rely on advisory voices to provide expertise in their discipline and act as a sounding board for new ideas and any challenges we may encounter. At present, we are actively seeking additional voices with expertise in the areas of investment and finance, along with anyone who is interested in assisting the development and growth of The Starfish Fund.

With all that said, we are thrilled to announce the creation of The Starfish Fund (thestarfishfund.com)! Please go to the website, ask questions, invest millions, encourage participants to apply after the first of the year. We need some breakthrough investors and that is the primary focus of our work at present. Our results will only be limited by our collective vision.

Everyone counts!