FEELGOOD 101 WHAT WE DO
SYSTEMS APPROACH
OUR IMPACT
FeelGood is a non-profit youth movement committed to ending global hunger in our lifetime. It has chapters on more than 30 college campuses across the United States.
Recognizing that hunger is at the nexus of a complex web of social, economic and environmental issues that intertwine both the developed and developing world, FeelGood’s approach is holistic and systemic. Hence its focus is both:
Since the movement’s inception in 2005, FeelGood students have:
FeelGood students engage in a social entrepreneurship and leadership training program, gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to run a successful social enterprise—a gourmet grilled cheese deli—in order to raise money and build public support for hunger ending programs that work.
DOMESTIC—through the education, training and empowerment of U.S. college students as influential advocates and change agents for the end of hunger, and INTERNATIONAL—through partnerships with successful and systemically focused global aid organizations, who receive 100 percent of the money FeelGood students earn through their deli operations
VOLUNTEERED more than 130,000 hours to help earn more than $1.4 million for proven and sustainable hunger eradication programs. EXPOSED 117,000+ people to a systemic perspective on global hunger and the strategies necessary to end it.
“”
In FeelGood...you start hearing things like 'our brothers and sisters around the world' and at first it sounds
“”
FeelGood has helped me grow as a visionary and advocate in so many different
cheesy (haha), but then you sort of adopt that into your own vocabulary. You realize how problematic it is to
ways. It is truly through FeelGood that I have developed a connection to the world
say things like you're starving when you're not. You hear words like changemaker, empowered, sustainable,
and found the meaning of love, opportunity, and unity.
and you start to process what it means to be empowered, what it means to be sustainable.
“”
”
NUTS AND BOLTS THE FEELGOOD CHAPTER FeelGood chapters operate as registered student organizations on their college campuses. The chapter structure typically consists of a 4-12 person leadership team fulfilling such essential roles as president, deli manager, treasurer, marketing and promotions chair, and education and recruitment chair. General body members assist the leadership team and fill out other various roles and responsibilities, including running and staffing the deli. Chapters meet as often as once a week for hunger education, team-building, and for planning and preparing upcoming deli operations.
THE FEELGOOD DELI
TRAINING AND SUPPORT
The primary focus of the FeelGood chapter is launching and operating a successful on-campus deli serving gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches for a donation. Customers are asked to pay “whatever feels good.” Typically $3-5 per sandwich.
Operating a successful FeelGood chapter and deli requires a full complement of 21st century leadership, teamwork and business skills, including the ability to bring a systems perspective to complex global issues like world hunger. Building such skills is the focus of FeelGood’s multi-faceted training and support program.
LEADERSHIP LAB: To support the development of chapter leaders, FeelGood offers dedicated training modules specific to each leadership position, As a social enterprise, a FeelGood deli serves two main functions: with a focus on leadership, teamwork, and business fundamentals. Training modules are provided online for self-guided learning, as well as through staff-facilitated webinars. Additional training and consulting occurs through daily “office hours” on Google Hangout, as well as monthly check-in calls with FeelGood staff. 1. To raise money to support systemic hunger-eradication programs. HUNGER LAB: Hunger education—focusing on hunger’s systemic causes and solutions—is project based and takes place during regular chapter 2. To provide customers engaging opportunities for systemic meetings. Downloadable “hunger modules” focus on specific hunger-related topics, and are typically facilitated by the chapter’s education and recruitment chair. Integrated into each module is a team-based project where the content of the module is translated into an engaging educational activity at the deli hunger education and action. for customers.
CHAPTER EVOLUTION Through their ongoing engagement with the FeelGood program, it is expected that over the course of 4-6 years a chapter will evolve through 4 distinct phases, each phase marked by specific set of attributes and indicators. The most significant of these is the amount of money raised on a sustainable, annual basis. Below shows the average amount of money a chapter is expected to raise within each of the 4 phases:
$3,000
$5,250
$11,250
$22,500
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
PHASE 4
TRAINING INTENSIVES: Two, multi-day training intensives are offered annually, providing the opportunity for concentrated skills development and hunger education: The Big Cheese Summer Institute, a 5-day training that occurs every August prior to the beginning of the school year; and The Hunger Summit, a weekend training that occurs every October in New York City. ONLINE ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM: Another source of training and support is FeelGood’s Online Engagement Platform, which translates a chapter’s annual strategic plan into a roadmap of discrete, concrete actions, organized by leadership position. Completed actions are logged on the platform, allowing chapters to easily track their progress toward their goals, as well as share their learning and experiences with the rest of the FeelGood community. Every logged action also earns a chapter “points” in FeelGood’s alternative currency. These points can be converted into cash and used as investment capital for the chapter’s deli operation, as well as put toward member education and training.
PROGRAM IN ACTION
Students set a fundraising goal and commit to a detailed action plan. This plan is uploaded onto FG’s online engagement platform, allowing chapters to track and share progress/learnings.
SEP DELI OPERATIONS BEGIN APPLICATION & ACCEPTANCE
New chapters are admitted annually. Student teams apply in October & November and are notified of acceptance in December.
THE HUNGER SUMMIT OCT Weekend-long education and training session held in NYC. Coincides with our partner org-The Hunger Project. Students receive progress updates from in-country program directors working on the frontlines of hunger.
LAUNCH PAD
100% of what Chapters raised in the fall is directly invested in our partner organizations.
DEC MONEY SUBMITTED
Program wide assessment occurs. A plan to ensure success for the following year is identified. Seniors are celebrated and invited into FG’s professional development alumni association. Their changemaker journey continues.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES JAN Deli operations resume. Engagement with the FeelGood Labs and other training and support resources also continues. Leadership elections are held for the following year.
In January, accepted teams engage in a 4-month “Launch Pad” process to demonstrate their commitment to the program and to assess the viability of a FeelGood chapter at their college or university.
ION T U OL Chapters V R E are now ready E T to the next AP to evolve H phase of impact. C
APR ASSESSMENT, SUCCESSION PLANNING, & GRADUATION
ASSESSMENT
Teams that successfully complete the Launch Pad process join the ranks for established FeelGood chapters, and receive two full scholarships to the Big Cheese Institute.
NEW CHAPTER POSITIONED FOR EVOLUTION
AUG BIG CHEESE SUMMER INSTITUTE
CHAPTER STRATEGIC PLANNING SEP
CHAPTER RECRUITMENT PIPELINE
Foundational training essential to the launch and evolution of a chapter.
Students secure permits, location, and donation supplies and ingredients. Additionally, students begin regular meetings and engage with the FeelGood Labs and other training and support resources.