The Children Are Us Foundation:A New Recipe for the Mentally Challenged

Established by its predecessor the Palette Association in Kaohsiung City in 1995, the Children Are Us Foundation was expanded into a nationwide organization in 2001. Its catchy name has helped it win the recognition it enjoys today.

"Charitable enterprises" must also think about the market in order to last. Children Are Us' Western-style desserts and pastries are displayed for maximum appeal to consumers.

Loving the disadvantaged

Driven by its mission statement "Love and bring joy to the developmentally disadvantaged," Children Are Us provides mentally disadvantaged young people above the age of 16 with such services as job training, supported employment, and sheltered employment.

Executive CEO Tina Wu explains, "Most career guidance for mentally or physically handicapped individuals focuses on more strenuous labor like washing clothes, washing cars, and recycling. Children Are Us wanted to do something a little different, find some way to help them that didn't make parents' hearts ache so much." In the early days, chairman Su Kuo-chen and his wife Hsiao Shu-chen, parents of a child with cerebral palsy, went to Japan to learn from similar organizations. They saw mentally disabled individuals working in bakeries in a sheltered community and they thought that it would be an excellent idea to bring back with them. They decided that baking would be a superb starting point for realizing their vision of "Care for life, education for life" for the developmentally disadvantaged.

After obtaining the necessary skills and recipes from the Le Petit Prince Bakery, a prominent business in Kaohsiung, the organization established its first Children Are Us bakery in Kaohsiung City in 1997 to train physically and mentally disabled young people to make and sell cakes and pastries. The local community initially had a difficult time accepting the concept, but by communicating, reaching out, and letting people try their baked goods, the bakery gradually won acceptance.

A helping hand

Not long after the first bakery was established, Children Are Us was fortunate enough to win patronage from Citibank Taiwan. In 1997, the Citibank Group had a sum of money earmarked to sponsor a charity organization in Taiwan. Mr. Paul Ostergard, CEO of the Citibank Foundation, traveled all the way from New York to visit the Children Are Us bakery in Kaohsiung. He was impressed by Children Are Us' innovative approach. In addition to a US$100,000 donation, he authorized an NT$5 million interest-free loan and the issuing of a Children Are Us VIP card which sets aside 0.35% of each purchase for Children Are Us. The nearly NT$10 million in donations that this brings in every year coupled with assistance from Citibank in advertising and sales have been a tremendous boost for them.

Of course, government funds have also been instrumental in the organization's success. The Kaohsiung City Government has agreed to set aside unused government buildings to be used by Children Are Us as storefronts for its branches. The Taipei City Government rented 270 square meters of space in its south wing to Children Are Us for selling bread, Western-style baked goods, meals, and coffee. The first floor of the Council of Labor Affairs building was also rented to Children Are Us to set up shop. With government agencies providing support in the form of premises and funds, the foundation has continued to grow steadily and currently has 20 bakeries and restaurants.

Because bakeries and restaurants are "high-profile" and Children Are Us' cause is an attention-grabber, when customers think about donating to charity, they naturally think of Children Are Us first.

The success of their business has made it easy for Children Are Us to depend less on others and more on its own earnings. Of the NT$169.27 million in outlays last year, 54.2% came from Children Are Us' own nonprofit business. Of the rest, 28.1% consisted of government subsidies, while 17.7% came from business and private donations. After deducting expenses, Children Are Us saw a NT$1.56 million surplus.

Balancing charity and the market

Some other charity groups have raised suspicions that the food and baked goods offered at Children Are Us restaurants and bakeries are not prepared exclusively by disabled individuals and that the foundation uses them to win sympathy.

"Charities are not restricted from making profits, but they have different objectives for making money. You need to look after both the charity and market sides of your business, if you want to stay in business over the long run," explains executive director Tina Wu. The moment you enter the competitive market, human nature comes into the picture. Perhaps you can rely on kindness to attract customers the first time around. For follow-up business, however, you need a good reputation, so Children Are Us still uses professionals in their quality control and R&D work. They currently employ 150 full-time specialists, including administrative personnel, chefs, and pastry chefs.

Wu explains, "It's a matter of being pragmatic." As long as Children Are Us doesn't stray from its objective, these expedient measures can guarantee the group's continued existence.

Although its purpose is to serve the mentally disadvantaged, not all applicants meet Children Are Us' standards. Wu points out that potential employees must first be evaluated by social workers and then undergo a three-day trial employment period. Individuals who are severely retarded, have no concept of danger, cannot concentrate, or are likely to wander off are not suitable for employment. After the adjustment period, candidates are observed for a month before they are officially hired. Presently 60-some disadvantaged persons are receiving training.

When they are receiving their year-long training, the foundation gives them NT$3-5,000 in incentive bonuses each month, depending on their performance. Upon completion of training, some graduates are referred to other businesses in the food industry for employment (i.e., supported employment). Fast food chains, like Mos Burger and Pizza Hut, come to Children Are Us for employees. Others continue to work in Children Are Us restaurants and bakeries (i.e., sheltered employment).

Each year, Children Are Us helps train and finds employment for an average of 200 disabled individuals. Their own twenty shops currently employ almost 30 developmentally disadvantaged persons full time. The hourly wage is 70% of the minimum wage, a discount permitted by the law for protection of the disabled. A monthly income of NT$10,000-plus may not seem like much, but it helps ease the burden on the family, while giving the individual a sense of accomplishment and direction.

In ten short years, Children Are Us has grown into a prominent NPO, such that the very words "Children Are Us" have come to represent assisting the mentally disabled. The group has had its share of plain luck, but the fact that it has received such a good scorecard also testifies to the importance of creativity in an NPO.