Before jumping on the plane yesterday from DC to Atlanta, I had the opportunity to meet with four extraordinary women who are making a huge impact on the lives of the schoolchildren in the DC area who need it most. The Neediest Kids organization dispenses an emergency fund that teachers, school nurses and social workers in eight local school systems can access to help children in need. The premise is simple: the basic necessities that many of us take for granted – like warm clothing, food, transportation, school supplies, dental and eye care – simply are not available to many of the 180,000+ children living in low income homes in the DC area. Helping children in need with those necessities increases the likelihood that the children will stay in school, and perform well.

Coupa Sam finds Spend Samurai with a cause in Washington, DC

This is a great cause, and a unique application of e-procurement technology. The Neediest Kids program has been in place for over 30 years, but they are bringing it “into the 21st century” through the use of technology that:

• allows for the more efficient operation of the program and distribution of funds
• encourages more vendors and suppliers to participate in the program with deep discounts or in-kind contributions
• attracts donors because the technology allows them to showcase the program in a way that few other competing organizations can

This is also an excellent case study on the importance of change management. Neediest Kids has just one full-time staffer – the people who make the program work are teachers and school district officials that have many other concerns pressing on their time.  Collaborating with them to change the program in such a dramatic way was paramount to the program’s success.

Be careful as you watch this – you may find yourself reaching for your wallet to make a donation (just in case, here’s the link to the Neediest Kids website)

Coupa Sam is in Atlanta today with a full schedule of meetings with local customers and partners.