It all started with a simple request.
After the son of a firefighter was diagnosed with cancer, Chicago-area Firefighter John McClement put out a request for donations on social media. Nearly $15,000 was raised for the family, but it was also the beginning of something much bigger.
When another firefighter was in need of financial support, McClement once again facilitated a donations request. However, he did not expect his good intentions to lead to personal tax complications. This led to the creation of The Yard Foundation, a formal 501(c)3 nonprofit, in 2021.
A startup on the rise
The organization is run by McClement and fellow Chicago-area Firefighter Tony Di Novo, along with McClement’s sister Erin Krupa, and Amy Reed, whose firefighter spouse works with McClement.
In its first year, the foundation raised $160,000 to help 79 different people by selling T-shirts, stickers and other swag, as well as through raffles and other fundraising special events.
The foundation also boasts a group of 1,600 monthly donors, which provides money for organizational and operating costs. Membership in the group includes a “Yard Card,” which offers access to special meetups, such as tailgate parties at professional sporting events and discounts on merchandise.
During its second year, the Yard Foundation gave away $375,000. Last year, it raised nearly $2 million. To date, the foundation has provided support to around 600 firefighters and their family members.
The foundation operates similar to GoFundMe-type sites, with a couple significant differences. First, there are no fees charged to anyone who submits a request for financial aid through the site. In fact, the foundation itself adds 3.43% in additional funds for every amount raised — a tribute to the number of firefighters lost in New York City on 9/11.
Typically, firefighters in need of support will contact the foundation through its website or social media channels. Stories are usually live on the website for two weeks, with included fundraising goals.
“Two weeks is generally when fundraising trails off,” Di Novo said. “If someone is coming to us for help, they need help now, not six months from now. We keep the fundraising period pretty short so we can get them their checks right away.”
The foundation has helped hundreds of people, primarily through cash donations. Foundation beneficiaries include those battling cancer, experiencing the sudden death of a firefighter in their family or gathering resources for a chronically ill child. One of the foundation’s recent donations went above and beyond when a firefighter in need of a liver transplant requested funding for transportation to his medical appointments. Instead, the site actually facilitated a connection between that firefighter and a living liver donor from another state — a fellow firefighter who learned of the need through the Yard Foundation.
Despite the exponential increase in scope, the Yard Foundation still operates like an informal family-run organization. Referrals for assistance are often made by word-of-mouth, and vetting the requests is done as a team.
Looking to the future
While the team would love to expand their reach, all four have full-time jobs and receive only small stipends for their work with the foundation.
“We’d like to grow this to be an organization with full time staff,” Di Novo said. “We’re trying to navigate what we want the future of this to look like from more of a corporate, organizational standpoint.”
Both Di Novo and McClement have experience with various organizations supported by the fire service, such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Special Olympics: “We’ve had some pretty good mentors in the professional nonprofit space,” Di Novo said.
Even with over 20 years in the fire service, when asked if he plans to continue his work with the Yard Foundation beyond his career, Di Novo did not hesitate: “Absolutely. It’s still rewarding to see all these people we’ve been able to help. I’ve been fortunate to make some good friends across the country. I see us continuing for quite a while with this.”
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