Los Angeles, CA — FocalPoint is pleased to announce a donation to the Water Buffalo Club, a charitable organization dedicated to fostering the well-being of underserved and at-risk children in Los Angeles through its members’ commitment of their time and financial resources.
What makes the WBC Unique?
In a sense, the Water Buffalo Club is an incubator for charities that are doing great things, but are too small to garner the attention of most donors or foundations. Its goal is to help these charities grow to the point where they no longer need the WBC’s support. Since 1989, the WBC has assisted more than 300 charities, many of which have since outgrown the WBC, having a significant impact on their community.
Not only does the WBC help fund organizations that fly under the radar due to their small size (budgets of less than $350,000), the WBC goes a step further – its members giving up their time, in addition to their funds. From its formation, this has been a core principal of the WBC: that time spent directly helping kids in Los Angeles who are in need is just as important as the funds that the WBC members provide to organizations in the community.
WBC members participate in a variety of ways, from sourcing and vetting the organizations and programs, to accompanying the kids who participate in field trips, to sorting and shelving books at the libraries the WBC refurbished in Title I elementary schools, to giving out food at Thanksgiving at selected schools and in some of Los Angeles’ most challenged neighborhoods. In doing so, WBC members, along with their families, have an impact on the Los Angeles community far greater than the funds that the organization provides.
The WBC is funded by its members, donations from private foundations, corporations, and generous individuals. However, unlike most charitable organizations that use a portion of donations to pay for administrative expenses, 100% of all donations received by the WBC go directly to the charities the WBC supports. Members pay all of the WBC’s overhead and administrative costs through their annual membership dues.