Make an Impact with A Better Chance

So, hello everyone. I am here with Francisco Tizan from Better Chance. He is the president and CEO and he's here to talk about Better Chance and the holiday Gifting Brands option that we're doing where if you select A Better Chance, the proceeds go back to help kids get an amazing education. Francisco, I'm so excited that you are on this show with us and I would love for you to share with us who you are and why A Better Chance, like what brought you to A Better Chance. Talk about your career and a little bit about you.

My pleasure. First and foremost, thank you so much for having me join Jeanne and thank you and Gifting Brands for the incredible partnership with A Better Chance. We really appreciate it. What brought me to A Better Chance is it's really a full circle moment for me. I am a native New Yorker, born and raised. My dad was an immigrant from Peru, came with his family when he was about 11 years old. My mom comes from a black rural community down south in North Carolina and they met here and decided to start a family. And for my parents, they didn't have the benefit of high quality educational experiences, but they have this profound belief in the power of the American dream. And they wanted to figure out how can they access their sense or version of the American dream and access that for their son. And it was through a organization that was inspired and founded by A Better Chance, was inspired by the A Better Chance organization and decided to work locally in New York City to help talented young students of color access some transformative educational experiences at some of the leading schools here in New York City and in New England. And it was through that experience that I earned a full scholarship to a wonderful school called the Packer Collegiate Institute here in Brooklyn. And that experience in high school changed my life. I always say I didn't have a passport until I was well into adulthood, but that educational experience was my passport to so many things. It was a passport to the incredible arts, cultural and other offerings in New York City. So I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the first time. I took my first art history class. I took my first photography class. I was engaged in all these rigorous courses and math, social sciences, humanities, English. And it really challenged me in so many productive ways that still have so much impact on my life today. Just those critical thinking skills, close reading, so many things that I practice in my day to day work professionally, but had their roots as a high school student who was embarking on this incredible transformative experience. And after I went on to college, went on to grad school, I spent the better part of 20 some odd years thinking about how do we open doors of opportunity to communities who don't have access to the resources. And so I've worked for human services organizations like New York City's, the Food bank for New York City and then I've worked for a host of educational organizations, Columbia Business School, the New School. I worked for an organization called Year Up. I was working with opportunity youth, young people who are out of school, out of work and really working with them to provide job readiness skills. Six months of formative hands on training and then having them embark on internships or Fortune 500 companies. But the through line of all of my professional experiences have its roots in my own experience and the experience of my parents and knowing what opportunity means to communities that I come from and that I represent and that certainly with access to opportunity, folks can really not only change their own lives, but change the lives of their families, change the lives of their communities. My mom saw my experience and when I graduated from college she went back and got her ged.

That's awesome.

She went back and got her bachelor's degree.

That's great.

This is a woman who didn't graduate from high school when I was growing up was a housekeeper, a home care attendant, fast forward. She now has her doctorate degree and she's an occupational therapist.

Wow.

But it's not lost on me that seeing my experience and seeing my journey gave her not only the confidence but a sense of what was possible and she pursued it.

And so think back at what did that probably cost back in the day? The amount of money, that of a donation from someone that made that impact on your life. Look at you now, you. And not only have you impacted yourself and your family, you're impacting hundreds and probably thousands of people because of all the different charities that you worked for, all the things that you've done, that's such a magnifying effect and people don't realize it. In some cases it may have cost a hundred dollars or a thousand dollars. But that one, one gesture from a few donors changed your life and changed the lives of many more people. Because the impact that you're making on those lives, that's just so amazing.

Thank you for that. And I agree. One of the things I talk to our partners and supporters about is this idea of the multiplier effect. When I think about the alums who have come through a better chance. Folks like we recently honored Marty Nesbitt, who is the co CEO of the Vistra Group, the chairman of the Obama foundation and his work through Vistra. He's impacting, they're investing in educational organizations and ed tech, and he's impacting millions of students. And when he thinks about and reflects upon what was the catalyst, he always comes back to, I got my start at a better chance. Yeah. And for me, the multiplier effect is something that is so powerful that by changing individual lives, we have the opportunity to be catalytic and to change the lives of so many people. And as you noted, individuals, families, communities, and indeed our country.

And it just takes $50 here there, a hundred dollars here there really does make a difference. So a little bit about how we. I came to know you was Theo Killian, who is actually your chairman of the board right now. Correct. Theo led the program. I'm not sure how many years ago it was, but I know it was in the early days of A Better Chance. And Theo went on to be to go to Tufts University. He went on to get into the Macy's training program and then worked his way up in the career to where I knew Theo. I Met Theo almost 30 years ago when he was the head of human resources for limited brands when I was a buyer, many years ago. And then he hired me at Zales as part of his executive team when he was CEO. And so Theo went through that program and look what happened to him. And the one thing that he always said is, you change one child's life, you change a generation. But Theo has changed so many people's lives just like you. He was so well loved at Zales and he's actually on our advisory board and he's one of my closest mentors. But I just look to that and I think a better chance for that because I, who knows? I probably never would have met Theo because my life would have been different. I'm sure, I'm sure of it. I wouldn't have been at Zales for sure. And retired now and working on gifting brands.

Absolutely. I am so honored to have Theo be a partner in this work. And talk about full circle. Growing up in a coal mining town in West Virginia and to go on to then become the CEO of Zales Corp. And what you mentioned about mentoring and coaching and supporting a new generation of leaders. One of our current board members who is our chair elect, Sheila Marmon, who is running a marketing and communications firm. Her first internship was made possible by Theo Killian.

Wow.

And talk about a mentor and someone who has been with her along that journey. And now for him to pass on the torch to Sheila to chair the board beginning in 2024 is a testament to Theo, testament to his leadership, and again, a testament to this idea of the multiplier effect.

Yeah, totally. It's amazing. And that's why I just really. People don't realize the impact that they can make. Maybe they can't afford to donate this Christmas. It's going to be really tough. They. The economy's tough, inflation is tough, people are losing their jobs. But most people still want to buy great gifts. And what's nice about what we're part of, what we're talking about is our holiday auction. So we're doing a holiday charity auction. A Better Chance is one of the beneficiaries, which I'm thrilled about. And we support you year round. But what's great about it is we have amazing brands that have donated products, gift cards, et cetera. And they're all in great prices. So low, they're lower prices than you're going to find if you go out and shop yourself. And it all goes back to these charities. It really does make a big difference. And think about if you're giving a gift. So, for example, we've got this Dior beauty set behind me. That's amazing. Somebody that would receive that or the jewelry. We have a lot of amazing jewelry from Baccarat, from Kay jewelers, from many brands. And when you give that gift of, let's say, a piece of jewelry, you can tell that person that you're giving it to the loved one, that not only is it a gift for you, but when you wear this, you'll be reminded that this is helping a Better chance. And it's giving a quality education to a child who may not have that opportunity. Who knows, they may become CEO of a nonprofit or CEO, like Theo did with Zales. So. So it really can make a difference. And it just takes one step at a time. You don't need to give thousands, obviously, that would be great, too. And you can, by the way, at our auction, you can donate directly to A Better Chance. And a hundred percent of it all goes back to A Better Chance, if you would like to do that. And you can also buy items to donate. But it's such a fun way to give back this Christmas because not only can you fill your Christmas list up or for yourself as well, and make a wish list, you're giving back to charity. So we're really thrilled to do this and we're thrilled that you're one of our partners.

Thank you for all that you do. And I really love this idea of just different ways in which people can do a little good this holiday season and impact the lives of others, which for us, every gift is deeply appreciated, every dollar really helps us to advance our work and our mission. And we're really cognizant and want to be and strive to be good financial stewards of the support that we receive. Over three quarters, everything that comes in is going directly be invested into our programs, into our services to the young people that we serve. And the impact is enormous. We are engaging with young people as early as when they're in the fourth grade. Imagine a young person who is intellectually curious, academically gifted, but perhaps they're not in the strongest educational setting of the strongest school, or maybe they're not being challenged in the ways in which they're able to reach their full potential and they encounter a better chance. And we're working around the country, we're engaging with upwards of 2,000 scholars who are attending one of the 200 plus schools that we partner with and having the kinds of transformative educational experiences that I know I benefited from all those years ago. And so we are meeting young people and their families as early as the fourth grade, working with them for about 18 months to help them prepare to apply to some of the nation's best college preparatory schools.

Wow.

And we're helping them on their interview skills. We're helping raise their awareness of the different school choices and possibilities, whether it be boarding school, day school, and really understanding the full breadth of their choices and then working with them every step of the way on the application process. Things like the essay, things like interviews, things like advocating for them with the admissions officers at our different member schools.

That's amazing. Yes. That's such hard, all of that is so hard for parents and kids these days. And to have an organization like yours that helps them all the way through it is just transformative for them.

It is. And as someone, one parent told me one day as she was going through the process, and she said for a long time, I was like, is this going to be worth it? There's so much work, so much energy, so much time, and I never would have thought about a private school for my child. She said, yeah. And when it came down to decision time, she called and said, now I know what those parents in the NBA draft feel like, where you get the letter, you get the email, and you just have that moment to say, hey, this is going to be a transformative moment in my child's life. And the elation that she felt and Go fast forward. I think it was his first two weeks at this boarding school happens to be where the grandchildren of our current president, Ohio Biden, goes to school. And he happened to meet President Biden during his first month at school.

That's amazing.

For this mom or just the idea. Just that, okay, my child is now attending this institution that's had this transformative fact. And look at the potential networks, look at the potential reap that I could not have even imagined. And then for me, there is a sense of sadness in this idea. Because we know the NBA draft, that's rarefied air, right? Like less than 1% of college athletes are being able to go in and get drafted. And that feel like educational opportunity is that kind of rarefied chance is what we're trying to change. And that's. We want more young people to be able to access these kinds of experiences so they can reach their full potential.

It's just hearing you talk it, it also you're building amazing human beings. They have compassion. They want to give back because they were given the chance. And they're changing lives as well. And I'm sure you have a lot of stories about kids who have gone through the program. I know you went through a program like this. Theo went through it. We talked about. But think about that again, is a multiplier effect because they're touching so many people who've gone through the program. So I know that you just had your 60th anniversary. So tell me, tell us what that means to you and some of the impact that. That I'm sure you have statistics. You just had your huge gala. Talk a little bit about the 60th anniversary, what that means to the organization and any news or anything that you have to share about the future.

Absolutely. Happy to share. So 60 years of a better chance. It's incredibly humbling. We were founded, and by no accident, within the context of the Civil Rights act and the Civil Rights movement and really thinking about ways in which, as a nation, we can live up to and realize the ideals of opportunity in our country. And it's humbling to think about reflecting on the work of luminaries like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And his march for Jobs and Freedom, and to recognize that we are part of the reverberations of that movement and the degree to which it's still relevant and resonates today in our world. And for me, one of the biggest pieces of impact is the fact that there are 18,000 alumni who have come through this organization during that 60 years. And to your Point. Yes. They've changed their lives, they've changed their families lives, they're changing communities and they are indeed changing our nation. I think about public servants like Governor Deval Patrick. He's in a better chance alone. Former governor of Massachusetts gone on to do incredible work. The new president of Harvard University, Dr. Claudine Gay isn't a better chance Alumna.

That's amazing.

Artists, creatives. Tracy Chapman, singer, songwriter, who's had a very incredible 2020 with fast car being celebrated and in some cases rediscovered by a new generation isn't a better chance Alumna. And there are 18,000 of these stories of impact and reach across sectors and fields. Public service, education, finance, business. And so we're so deeply proud. And at the same time we know that there's so many more young people in need of these kinds of opportunities. And we think about our model. Nearly a hundred percent of our students are going on to college immediately after high school. Many of them are.

I don't know if anyone has statistics like that. Honestly, that's amazing.

It's incredible. They're attending some of the most selective institutions in our country. When we look at our alums, based on our last alumni survey, nearly half have gone on to earn advanced degrees. They are completing college. The vast majority, over 85% are completing college within four years and on time and then embarking on some incredible trajectories. Certainly some of the luminaries I've shared who are more household names, but so many others who are doing incredible work in their sectors and their fields. And so part of the joy of the 60th anniversary has been to tell as many of these stories as possible and to continue that work going forward into the future to really provide an example of what opportunity, what an investment of time, energy and resources can really yield and how it can really be amplified and have outsized and panic that goes beyond the single individual life that's been changed.

That's so amazing. I just thank you for the work that you're doing. And that's why we at Gifting Brands we hand select the charities that we work with. And the fact that you've got a hundred percent success rate, that's really unheard of. And it's really important to me that we're working with and supporting charities like yours that really are making a difference. And one of the things is we support you year round. So if anyone shops at@giftingbrands.com automatically that that purchase goes to help a better chance. So we are just thrilled that you are out there doing amazing things and we want to continue to support you. Is there anything else you would like to talk about and share with the audience?

It's certainly I'm thinking about next year since we're nearing year end and we'll start a new application season in February. And so it's really important that I also share a young person, a young student of color who is talented, likely in the fourth grade and looking to think about their choices for middle school and sixth grade placement, or a dynamic seventh grader who's thinking about high school and ninth grade placement. Visit our website at abetterchance.org fill out an interest form. Keep an eye out for the open of the application season in February and it's an opportunity to think about and to connect young people of such high potential with a great program that can help them realize it and some of the markets that where we had the most of our scholars and of our school partners. So if you're in Atlanta, if you're in the Bay Area, if you are in la, if you are in dc, Philadelphia, the New York Tri State area and New England, certainly keep an eye out for the application. Keep an eye out for us. Visit our website and learn more.

So tell me this then. What are some of the criteria that a child would have to have and is there any criteria on family income level to be able to apply for this?

Great question. So we're looking at students who have demonstrated academic promise in their existing coursework up until then when they're considering application. So that's really important. We're also looking for students who have an interest and leadership in their community. So are they involved in service? Are they involved with their local church? Are there things that they're doing within their community to make a difference? Because as you referenced earlier, we are really engaging young folks and folks who've gone to careers and they're looking for ways to give back regardless of whether their career path takes them. And so we oftentimes find that it starts that early. We also are serving families in terms of income level. It's $250,000 or below. So we want to serve families and we certainly are emphasizing prioritizing families at the lowest ends of the socioeconomic scale. But our ceiling is $250,000 and below for families to consider application and entry into the program. Program.

That's great to know. I'm sure that so many people don't even know that's even out there. So I'm excited to share that with the audience So I just really want to say thank you for all that you do for thank your team, please, because I know they work really hard to make this happen and I'm just thrilled that I was able to spend this time with you. Thank you so much for being on the show. And do you have any closing remarks that you would like to share with everyone?

First and foremost want to thank you again, Jeanne and to thank Githing Brands for your partnership and support. It means a lot to us and I want to thank everyone who is tuning in and perhaps learning about us for the first time. Encourage you to certainly support Githing Brands in the holiday giving season and the opportunity to give back to community and to certainly visit us. We are in need of and cherish all the support that we receive and that support comes in terms of donations philanthropically. It also comes in the form of volunteerism and time. And so if you are interested in working with the young people we work with, we want to help them with their interview skills. We do a lot of career and college exploration programming as well and rely on volunteers to help us deliver that work. Visit our website and learn more@abetterchance.org that's great.

Thank you so much and have a wonderful Thanksgiving and amazing Christmas and holiday.

Thank you. Wishing you and yours the best over the holidays.

Take care.

Take care.